After breaking the bank to land former Baltimore Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley on day two of the legal tampering period, Darron Lee’s future with the Jets is now crystal clear.
In the days leading up to the beginning of the legal tampering period, rumors swirled about Lee’s future with the organization. The former first-round pick closed out 2018 with a four-game suspension and with a decision on Lee’s fifth-year option looming, speculation was swirling that the Jets would opt to move on from the Ohio State product.
With Mosley now in the mix, there no longer any need to speculate. Lee’s time in New York is up. The Jets should take advantage of what is now a thin linebacker market and move him while teams still have holes to fill at the position.
Lee has been up and down with New York while learning the nuances of being an inside linebacker in the NFL, but he still has the potential that should appeal to a handful of teams around the league. At 6-foot-1, 232 pounds, Lee is an impressive athlete who makes plays from sideline to sideline. He is also still only 24 and it’s safe to assume his best football is ahead of him.
Mike Maccagnan is typically reluctant to move on from early-round draft selections, but this is a situation where New York’s general manager needs to take advantage of the market. Other than Zach Brown, who was released by the Washington Redskins on Wednesday, the crop of inside linebackers who remain available is not an impressive one. Jordan Hicks, Denzel Perryman, Kwon Alexander and numerous others either re-signed with their original teams or signed elsewhere, leaving Lee as a viable option for a team seeking an influx of talent at linebacker.
That’s not to say Maccagnan can get a king’s ransom in exchange for Lee, but he can definitely obtain an asset or two of value, whether it be a player or draft pick. One possible scenario could be the Jets flipping Lee for Cleveland Browns defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, who is now being shopped after the acquisition of Olivier Vernon in a trade with the New York Giants. New York has a need for a pass rusher, while Cleveland could use an upgrade in the middle of its defense next to Joe Schobert, making Lee a potential trade target.
Even if it’s not with Cleveland, Maccagnan should get on the phone and gauge Lee’s market. If a team comes along with a desirable offer, there should be no hesitation to make a trade that sends Lee elsewhere.
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