With the NFL Scouting Combine coming to close Sunday, rumors have been circulating in Indianapolis about which dominoes will fall where as free agency nears.
Rumors regarding the Jets and impending free agent Jack Conklin were especially popular over the weekend. ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio reported that the right tackle plans to sign with New York when free agency opens on March 18. ESPN’s Adam Schefter, however, said that while the Jets like Conklin, the competition from other suitors is expected to be intense and that nothing should be expected.
The eighth pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 2016 NFL Draft, Conklin earned First-Team All-Pro honors as a rookie. He has since started 57 games in his four-year NFL career, missing nine with various injuries in 2018.
The offensive-line-needy Jets should be interested in Conklin’s services to help improve play in the trenches, but Joe Douglas is not going to overpay. Conklin could end up the highest-paid player at his position this offseason.
So, what’s a general manager to do in this situation? That’s for Douglas to figure out, but in the meantime, let’s examine the pros and cons of bringing Conklin to New York.
Pro: Conklin’s on-field value
Jack Conklin doesn’t turn 26 until August and is among the best in the game. In Tennessee, Conklin was part of an offensive line that led the way for Derrick Henry, who ran rampant and helped carry the Titans to an AFC Championship Game appearance.
According to Pro Football Focus, Conklin’s 78.3 overall grade placed him 12th among the position and he was also graded as the fifth-best run blocker in the NFL (81.0).
Conklin already has a familair face in the building from fellow Michigan State alum Le’Veon Bell, who tweeted his support for the Jets addition of the right tackle on Sunday. Conklin would be a welcomed addition among an offense that was ranked dead last in the league last season.
While Conklin would be great for Bell, he would also help Sam Darnold, who has played behind porous lines in his first two NFL seasons. Conklin improved most at pass protection in 2019 thanks to a fresh bill of health and new technique learned from second-year offensive line coach Keith Carter.
Adding someone of Conklin’s stature would be the first step in revitalizing the Jets’ offensive line and assisting their two most important players on offense.
Con: His price tag
With the demand for quality offensive line play at an all-time high, Jack Conklin could be in for a record-breaking payday in free agency.
Per ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe, Conklin could become the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL if he hits the open market this month. If his cost ends up between $18-20 million per year, the Jets would have to spend a tremendous amount of money while ignore a handful of other roster deficiencies.
New York will have above $80 million in cap space once the team takes care of its cap casualties. The Jets do not have a top-three spending capacity in the NFL this offseason like they did in years past with Mike Maccagnan in charge, largely because New York signed Le’Veon Bell and C.J. Mosley to lucrative contracts in 2019.
Pro: His age
According to PFF, only four right tackles in 2019 played 80 percent of the snaps and allowed fewer sacks than Jack Conklin.
Of those four, only two were younger than Conklin: Minnesota’s Brian O’Neil and Baltimore’s Orlando Brown Jr., who played for the teams with the most- and fourth-most rushing attempts in the NFL.
Conklin will turn 26 years old until August. Signing Conklin would not only set the Jets up for a much better offensive line in 2020, but the future as well. Conklin would be one of New York’s building blocks as the team prepares to keep Sam Darnold upright for the 2020 season and beyond.
Con: What happens to Chuma Edoga?
Signing Jack Conklin would signal that the Jets don’t have confidence in Chuma Edoga starting at either tackle position.
While Edoga struggled with the rest of the unit in 2019, he did show flashes of being the cornerstone right tackle that the Jets have been looking for. Even though Joe Douglas and company did not draft Edoga, he has long-term starting potential.
Edoga saw time at left tackle in place of Kelvin Beachum and Brandon Shell last year. He struggled though, showing that he’s a better fit on the right side. When the Jets drafted Edoga, they envisioned him having positional flexibility, playing either tackle position or moving inside to guard.
Based on how his rookie season went and the reviews he got, don’t count on the Jets throwing in the towel on Edoga just yet.
