The Jets have a decision to make a right guard this offseason.
The team needs to decide whether or not to retain Brian Winters, who has struggled to stay healthy over the past two seasons. By cutting Winters, the Jets would save over $7 million, which would enable Joe Douglas to find his replacement in free agency.
The market for right guards will start heating up with the position being very top-heavy. We at Jets Wire already listed four guards the Jets should target in free agency. Now, here are four guards the Jets should definitely avoid.
Ronald Leary
The Broncos are not expected to bring back veteran right guard Ronald Leary on his current deal.
This is the last year on Leary’s contract and it comes with a team option. If the Broncos don’t pick up the option, he becomes a free agent and the team would create $8.5 million in cap space. Still, even with Leary on the market, the Jets shouldn’t be interested in bringing him in to replace Brian Winters, who appears to be an eventual cap casualty himself.
The connections that would lead Leary to New York are set in place. Leary’s former offensive line coach when he was with the Dallas Cowboys, Frank Pollack, is now in the same position on Adam Gase’s staff.
Leary’s stay in Denver was marred with injuries, though. In his first season in the Mile High City, Leary started 11 games at right guard before suffering a back injury and being placed on injured reserve. The following season, Leary was moved to left guard, where he started six games before suffering a torn Achilles. In 2019, Leary only played in 12 games with a concussion shortening his presumable last season in Denver.
With younger and more healthy options on the market, it would be a mistake for the Jets to target Leary as a reclamation project.
John Jerry
John Jerry has been a spot starter in the NFL, serving as a sizable depth piece for the Dolphins, Giants and Bengals over the course of his eight-year career.
Jerry took off the 2018 season after he was part of final roster cuts. He returned to the NFL in 2019 with Cincinnati. Injuries to Jonah Williams and Cordy Glenn forced Jerry, a guard by nature, to step in at left tackle.
Jerry started five of 11 games at left tackle, where he was completely miscast. Jerry had primarily only played guard in his career before being thrown into the fire at the tackle position. While the struggles cannot necessarily be pinpointed on Jerry due to his inexperience on the blind side, it appears his best days are behind him.
After nine seasons in the NFL, Jerry will turn 34 by the time OTAs roll around. The Jets would be better suited re-signing their own depth, like of Tom Compton and Alex Lewis.
Ted Larsen
Ted Larsen started just two games in his second stint with the Chicago Bears in 2019.
Before that, Larsen started 21 games in two seasons under Adam Gase in Miami. Larsen has familiarity with the Jets head coach, who was influential in signing the guard to a three-year deal back in 2017.
Gase was more than comfortable with elevating Larsen to a starting role after Josh Sitton tore the rotator cuff in his left shoulder. Larsen’s claim to fame in Miami was making a crucial block nearly 40 yards downfield on the “Miami Miracle,” helping pave the way for an unbelievable comeback.
Like Jerry, Larsen is a career depth piece. The Jets are better suited to target younger players at the position like Brandon Scherff, Graham Glasgow, Michael Schoefield and B.J. Finney.
Xavier Su’a-Filo
Xavier Su’a-Filo started 12 games over the last two seasons for the Cowboys at the guard position.
Between Houston and Dallas, the former second-round pick out of UCLA has shown enough over his time in the NFL that he could potentially compete for a starting job somewhere. Though, that somewhere should not be New York.
Su’a-Filo started four games at left guard before suffering a high ankle sprain and fractured fibula in Week 16.
While Su’a-Filo could definitely be a primary backup, he should not be on the Jets’ radar for the starting guard position. It’s unlikely that the Jets would pay a premium for a backup when they don’t have a current starter.
