It can’t get any worse than the production the Jets got out of their centers in 2019.
Ryan Kalil was a massive disappointment after coming out of retirement to join the Jets in August. The unit clearly lacked chemistry with Kalil at center and it suffered mightily as a result. By the time Jonotthan Harrison took over after Kalil went on injured reserve, it was too late for him to turn the tide and make a profound impact.
The bottom line is the Jets need more out of their next center. If Joe Douglas and company want to avoid repeating last season’s struggles at the position, here are some free agents they should avoid.
Jon Halapio
Halapio is a solid center and was mentioned as a possibility for the Jets in free agency last offseason. However, the circumstances are much different this spring.
The 29-year-old had an up and down 2019 campaign after spending all of 2018 on the shelf with a leg injury. Halapio could be in line for a bounce back 2020 season, but the Jets shouldn’t be betting on that happening at a position of need.
Halapio is also a restricted free agent and will likely wind up back with the Giants in some capacity. That, combined with his below average 2019 season, make him a player the Jets should not consider signing.
Brett Jones
Jones has some experience as a starting center, but it has been a while since he was trusted with such an important role.
Rookie Pat Elfein beat Jones out for the job in 2018 and the 28-year-old has not played since the opening weeks of that season when Elfein was sidelined with an injury. Jones also spent most of 2019 dealing with injuries, which severely hurts his value on the open market.
Jones wouldn’t be the worst backup in the world, but he is not what the Jets need as a starter.
A.Q. Shipley
Another player who would be better served as a backup at this point in his career, Shipley is closer to retirement than he is to his prime.
You would like to think Joe Douglas learned his lesson when he brought in the 35-year-old Ryan Kalil. Seeing how things went in that situation, there’s not much of a reason for the Jets to be interested in the 33-year-old Shipley as their next starting center.
Tyler Shatley
Shatley is arguably the most intriguing player on this list. He’s only 28, is not coming off a major injury of any sort and has a bit of recent starting experience.
For whatever reason, though, Shatley was never able to crack the starting lineup consistently in Jacksonville. The Jets can do better than a fringe starter considering all of the options available in free agency this year.
Want to read about more potential free agent targets for the Jets and who Joe Douglas should stay away from? We’ll be breaking them down position by position as we approach free agency:
