There is no doubt that the Jets need some help at right tackle.
Brandon Shell was downright disappointing in 2019 and Chuma Edoga still has a long way to go in his development before he can be considered for a starting job. Joe Douglas will likely use free agency to fill the void on the right side of New York’s offensive line, but the first-year general manager must be careful in his pursuit of a new starter in the trenches.
There are plenty of attractive right tackles available on the open market this offseason, but some should not be touched under any circumstance. Who are the right tackles Douglas and the Jets should avoid in free agency? Let’s take a look.
Dennis Kelly
Kelly has made 31 career starts and briefly overlapped with Douglas in Philadelphia, but his experience and minimal familiarity with New York’s general manager should not cause the Jets to heavily pursue the veteran tackle this offseason.
Kelly is not a full-time starter anymore for a reason. His experience on the line is good to have, but New York needs an established starter at right tackle. If the Jets go after Kelly as a backup that is all well and good, but odds are some team will throw starter-level money at him once free agency kicks off.
The Jets should not be that team. They can find better options at right tackle elsewhere.
Mike Remmers
Remmers is best served as a backup swing tackle at this point in his career — not a starting right tackle.
Remmers is getting up there in age and frankly, his skills are on the decline. His best seasons have come playing for Pat Shurmur with the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants. Other than that, he has been relatively pedestrian throughout his career.
The Jets don’t need a declining right tackle who has only thrived in one scheme.
Marcus Gilbert
AP Photo/Rick Scuteri
If it weren’t for an injury history the length of a novel, Gilbert would not be too bad of an option for the Jets. The veteran tackle has been productive when healthy throughout his career and has plenty of big-game experience. In a perfect world, he is the ideal candidate to protect Sam Darnold’s right side.
The only problem is Gilbert is never able to stay healthy. He tore his ACL before he could ever play a game for the Arizona Cardinals last season. That alone should be reason enough for Douglas and the Jets to steer clear.
Joe Haeg
Haeg has a good amount of experience as a starter and positional versatility, but he is not exactly what the Jets need out of their next right tackle.
Haeg can slot in anywhere on the line, but is not exactly spectacular at a given position. The Jets need a player who can give them more than a mediocre level of play.
Haeg would be intriguing as a reserve signing, but that’s about it.
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:
