Before Joe Douglas can focus on who he plans to target 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 it’s safe to assume the Jets would like to keep others around for a while. Either way, Douglas has a lot of work to do in his first offseason on the job.
After spending the first month and a half of 2019 on the practice squad, James Burgess came on strong in the middle of the Jets defense in the second half of the season. With C.J. Mosley, Avery Williamson and Blake Cashman sidelined, Burgess helped solidify New York’s middle linebacker position and provided some standout performances down the stretch. Was his surprising play in the latter half of 2019 enough to warrant a return in 2020? Let’s evaluate the situation in Jets Wire’s latest free agent profile.
Pros of keeping him
Burgess was dominant in the second half, recording 69 tackles and an interception in New York’s final eight games. He finished the season with a career-high 80 tackles and was a consistent contributor in the middle of the defense.
Burgess’ play down the stretch certainly won him some fans within the organization. He was solid in both run support and pass coverage, making him a player defensive coordinator Gregg Williams could rely on in all personnel packages.
Cons of bringing him back
Avery Williamson — pending a cap cut — C.J. Mosley and Blake Cashman all return with clean bills of health in 2020. The Jets also have a decision to make on fellow impending free agent linebacker Neville Hewitt, which puts Burgess’ return to the organization in 2020 up in the air.
Considering how well Hewitt played last season, Douglas is going to have a tough call to make. If Hewitt wasn’t in the mix, Burgess would undoubtedly be back next season.
The verdict
This one is a true toss-up, as Douglas’ decision could go either way. Both Hewitt and Burgess were outstanding for the Jets in 2019, making matters even more complicated for the first-year general manager.
Working in Burgess’ favor is the fact that he will likely come cheaper than Hewitt. He also outplayed Hewitt in the second half of the season and left a lasting impact that could sway Douglas’ decision-making process. We’re going to go out on a limb and say Douglas opts to re-sign Burgess and let Hewitt walk, but this one could go either way.
