With the madness of free agency set to begin, NFL teams are busy working the phones in an effort to add talent for the 2019 season. The Jets are no different, New York will likely be hitting the free agent market hard to fill an assortment of holes.
The upcoming months will be vital to the Jets’ success in 2019. If general manager Mike Maccagnan and the rest of the front office push the right buttons in free agency and the NFL draft, and New York could have itself a contender. If they push the wrong ones, they could be seeking new employment come January.
There’s no such thing as a perfect offseason, as free agent signings sometimes don’t pan out and drafting players is an imperfect science. That doesn’t mean Jets fans can’t dream about what perfection would look like, though. With that being said, let’s take a look at what it’s going to take for New York to pull off the perfect offseason.
Sign Le’Veon Bell or Tevin Coleman
After a year of struggles between Isaiah Crowell, Bilal Powell, Elijah McGuire and Trenton Cannon out of the backfield, New York needs to go out and get a true feature back. In order for the Jets to have any shot an offseason anywhere near perfect, it starts with landing either Le’Veon Bell or Tevin Coleman.
Bell is the best player in this year’s free agent class and should be at the top of Mike Maccagnan’s free-agent big board. It’s going to cost an arm and a leg to bring Bell to the Big Apple, but he is the kind of playmaker New York needs on offense. If the Jets miss on Bell, they need to move quickly to land Tevin Coleman. In 2018, Coleman proved that he has the goods to be a very good No. 1 running back, as he took over in that role for the Falcons with Devonta Freeman sidelined.
New York cannot afford to try and solve its running back woes with a mid-round draft pick. Landing either Bell or Coleman is essentially a necessity.
Sign Matt Paradis
After addressing the guard position by trading for Kelechi Osemele, the Jets need to add another impact interior offensive lineman in free agency so Sam Darnold doesn’t spend the majority of his time running for his life at the snap of the ball.
The perfect addition would be former Denver Broncos center Matt Paradis. He is the best center on the free agent market and has been a model of consistency throughout his NFL career. Considering the Jets have struggled to get that out of their centers the past two seasons, Paradis should be a priority target.
Mitch Morse would not be a bad consolation prize at center, but injury concerns make him a hit-or-miss signing. With this in mind, the Jets would be wise to lock up Paradis on day one of free agency.
Sign an edge rusher in free agency
The Jets need to address their pass rush this offseason and thankfully, there are plenty of productive edge rushers available in free agency.
Dante Fowler is off the market after re-upping with the Los Angeles Rams, but the likes of Justin Houston, Za’Darious Smith, Preston Smith, Anthony Barr and Jamie Collins remain. Houston should be New York’s top priority at the position, but there will be no shortage of teams fighting to land him.
The Jets could draft Kentucky outside linebacker Josh Allen with the No. 3 overall pick, but signing an edge rusher in free agency allows New York to make the most of its limited draft capital.
Either trade down from No. 3 or draft Quinnen Williams
Assuming the Jets sign an edge rusher in free agency, they can use the first round of the NFL draft to focus on other pressing areas of need.
Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams has All-Pro potential and if the Jets remain at No. 3, he should be the pick if Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa is off the board. Pairing Williams on the defensive line with Leonard Williams has all the makings of a dynamic duo. He is also the kind of freak athlete defensive coordinator Gregg Williams loves to work with.
If New York is not sold on Williams, trading down is the ideal scenario. The Jets don’t have many picks in this year’s draft and trading down from No. 3 would allow them to acquire additional draft capital in a very deep draft.
Who New York would select if they were to trade down in the first round remains to be seen, but Ole Miss wide receiver D.K. Metcalf has caught the eyes of many with his performance at the combine. With his freakish athleticism and impressive frame, Metcalf could become a target for the Jets as they look to give Sam Darnold another weapon out wide if they do indeed move down.
Find a true slot receiver in free agency
The Jets have lacked a true slot receiver since the days of Wayne Chrebet. With Adam Gase now running the offense, expect that to change.
This is the year for New York to go out and get a shifty wideout who can thrive running underneath routes. With the likes of Cole Beasley, Adam Humphries and Danny Amendola available, there’s no reason why the Jets cannot come away with a good player at the position.
Given Amendola’s familiarity with Gase’s scheme, he seems like the favorite to land in New York. This might not appeal to Jets fans, but Amendola would add an element to the offense that has not been there in recent years. Any slot receiver would, for that matter.
Add cornerback depth
Whether it’s in free agency or the draft, the Jets need to go out and add some depth at cornerback if they want to have any chance at contending in 2019.
Trumaine Johnson underwhelmed in his first season with the Jets, Morris Claiborne is a free agent, Buster Skrine’s time in New York is up and the rest of the cornerbacks on the roster are unproven. In order to avoid getting shredded by opposing quarterbacks next season, adding a nickel corner like Bryce Callahan or an up-and-coming outside cornerback such as Ronald Darby or Steven Nelson needs to happen.
The Jets can also explore the draft for corners. New York will not target the position on day one, but players like Julian Love, Trayvon Mullen and Rock-Ya Sin, who project as day two or three picks, will be available for the taking.
Avoid overpaying for free agents
In his time as Jets general manager, Mike Maccagnan has developed a propensity for handing out massive contracts that do not work out in the end. Look no further than the contracts of Darrelle Revis and Trumaine Johnson for evidence of that.
For the second straight offense, Maccagnan will have a boatload of money to spend at his disposal. What he does with that money will determine his future with the organization and the direction that the Jets head in 2019 and beyond. If Maccagnan spends wisely and makes impact signings, he will remain employed and New York will be on its way to contending again. If he recklessly spends on players who underperform, Maccagnan will be shown the door and the Jets will have to go back to the drawing board.
