The Jets reportedly plan to trade or cut wide receiver Mecole Hardman, and several other notable players could be on the move. Per Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required), New York is willing to trade edge defender Carl Lawson and may be open to dealing running back Dalvin Cook as well.
Lawson joined the Jets on a three-year, $45MM deal in March 2021, but he missed all of the 2021 season due to an Achilles tear he sustained in August of that year. He bounced back to start all 17 of the club’s games in 2022, recording 24 quarterback hits and seven sacks. He also earned a strong 72.8 pass rush grade from Pro Football Focus, though his 48.8 run defense grade left much to be desired.
The 28-year-old missed most of this year’s training camp due to back tightness, which also kept him out of the regular season opener. While he suited up for each of the next three contests, he did not appear in more than 23 snaps in any of them and was a healthy scratch in Week 5. It appears that he will not play a significant role on the defense moving forward, and he has become a trade candidate as a result.
Though he has never produced double-digit sacks in a single season, Lawson does have a track record as a useful pass rusher, and he will likely generate interest from other clubs. Further helping the Jets’ cause is the fact that Lawson agreed to a pay cut in May, making his contract easier to absorb. As he is in a platform season, however, New York’s return will naturally be limited.
Cook, meanwhile, joined the Jets in August in the hopes that he would become another high-profile weapon on an Aaron Rodgers-led offense. The longtime Viking has not yet played to his Pro Bowl potential and has accumulated just 97 rushing yards on 36 carries (good for a meager 2.7 yards-per-carry average). He has added eight catches for 44 yards.
Since second-year pro Breece Hall has looked just as explosive as he did before a torn ACL ended his rookie season prematurely, the Jets could be inclined to recover some draft pick compensation for their Cook investment. That would presumably lead to more work for Michael Carter — who played a prominent role in Gang Green’s backfield in each of the past two seasons — and fifth-round rookie Israel Abanikanda.
Rich Cimini of ESPN.com echoes Russini’s report that GM Joe Douglas could consider Cook expendable.
Dalvin Cook has suddenly lost a lot of burst. Some say it is because he isn’t yet in football shape after missing camp – yet here we are in Week 6…
There was barely a market for Cook when he was signed….
Jets: “Willing” to trade him.
What is the comp? Reverse pick swap?
I hope the Jets phone system can handle all the calls. Cook is showing why Vikings let him go
Cook is signed on a reasonable contract now. Injuries have started to hit. Somebody must be on a surprise playoff run, short of a running back.
The Jets are selling as their season is over.
That last comment is going to age well. 🙂
No kidding. Congratulations to NYJ for the win against Philadelphia! Few on these boards enjoy an Eagles defeat as much as I do.
Apparently Rodgers is throwing footballs already (how is he is even walking, let alone working out?). Perhaps this will be the season of miracles. I still doubt that Zach Wilson can put a consistent season together to lead the Jets into the playoffs but I’d be delighted to be wrong. At least the Patriots are doing everything to make the division more comfortable this year for NYJ
Isn’t that why teams do physicals prior to signing them? My point is if he wasn’t in shape, how did the coaching staff and FO miss it?
The terrible offensive line probably contributes a bit. Even if Dalvin Cook is encouraging comparisons to Ezekiel Elliot at this point in his career, the Vikings cut him for the money and did not plan adequately for his absence. I’d think that he’d be a bit better had he not changed teams.
Cook could probably fetch a low pick, and the Jets have a few backs that they can pair with Hall. Carter and Abanikanda have both shown promise in the past. That’s probably the best outcome of this decision-seeing what those guys can contribute.
It is a bit odd to trade away a free agent signing from the same offseason, but as we’ve seen with Denver and Clark, the veteran addition isn’t off limits during a bad season. The other option is to keep him around Rodgers returns, and hope for the best case scenario if that happens.
Because its the jets. The same reason they shelled out 15 million a year for a defensive end who never had more than 7 sacks in a season