Before Joe Douglas can focus on who he plans on targeting in free agency come March, he’ll have a handful of in-house decisions to make.
The Jets have 32 players set to hit the open market this offseason. Some don’t figure to factor into New York’s plans for 2020, while others it’s safe to assume the Jets would like to keep around for a while. Either way, Douglas has a lot of work to do in his first offseason on the job.
Brian Poole signed with the Jets in February after the Falcons let him go following the most productive season of his career. It wound up being Mike Maccagnan’s best move of the offseason, as Poole was New York’s best cornerback throughout 2019.
The Florida product earned only $3 million last season. It’s safe to assume he’s in line for a raise considering the way he performed for the Jets. Should Douglas pay the man? Let’s evaluate the situation in Jets Wire’s latest free agent profile.
Pros of bringing him back
The Jets took a chance on Poole and he repaid them by turning in impactful performances on a weekly basis. In a year in which New York’s cornerbacks were simply not good, his presence was much-needed.
Poole was excellent both in coverage and helping out in run support around the line of scrimmage. It’s rare that a nickel corner is willing to get physical at the line and be a willing tackler, but Poole was exactly that throughout 2019.
Saying the Jets are thin at cornerback entering 2020 would be an understatement. Trumaine Johnson and most likely Darryl Roberts are on their way out the door. Bless Austin showed promise last season but still has a long way to go. Arthur Maulet is a free agent. Letting Poole walk given the current state of the cornerback room would be a mistake.
Cons of bringing him back
Poole struggled with injuries at the end of 2019, missing two of New York’s final four games. His production also dipped a bit in the second half of the season with only 14 tackles and one pass breakup after a red-hot start to the year.
The verdict
There’s a reason why the cons part of this free agent profile is so short. Poole should without a doubt be back with the Jets in 2020.
Yes, his production did dip slightly at the end of the season, but it wasn’t realistic to expect the Florida product to rack up double-digit tackles every game for the whole season. The fact of the matter is, Poole is the perfect player to play the nickel in Gregg Williams’ defense. His physicality and coverage skills play perfectly into what Williams likes to do.
Poole’s going to be worth a good amount on the open market, but he won’t be getting a contract that is out of New York’s price range. Douglas needs to do what he can to ensure Poole is back in green and white next season.
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