After getting traded to the Jets, there’ve been a few questions about how New Jersey native Minkah Fitzpatrick will be utilized in New York’s defense. Per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Fitzpatrick hasn’t had conversations on the subject just yet, but he has his preference.
When Fitzpatrick was making his case as a future first-round pick at Alabama, the Crimson Tide utilized his versatility, playing him mostly in the slot but letting him roam into the box and the defensive outfield. The Dolphins utilized him much the same way after drafting him, but when Fitzpatrick was traded to the Steelers in his second year of NFL play, Pittsburgh simplified his role, sticking him mostly back at safety. Making his way back to Miami last year, Fitzpatrick was put back into his nickelback role, and he excelled.
To be fair, Fitzpatrick is hardly limited by where he plays and displayed some excellent seasons in Pittsburgh, but when asked about how he might fit into New York’s defense next season, Fitzpatrick told the media that he “envisions himself playing a nickel role, as he did last year in Miami.” The Jets played fourth-round rookie Malachi Moore in that role for much of last year, but Fitzpatrick will likely be an upgrade over his fellow Alabama alumnus.
Here are a few other rumors coming out of New York:
- In an examination of general manager Darren Mougey‘s patient, methodical roster-building strategy, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic broke down how his clairvoyant approach has benefitted the team’s targeting efficiency. Studying the mistakes other teams tend to make in free agency, Mougey examined the likely top receiver options leading up to this year’s offseason. The Jets were interested in Alec Pierce at the top of the market and even Josh Palmer and Dyami Brown at the middle of the market, but Mougey knew that these options wouldn’t be cheap, so when conducting trades this season, he made sure teams included promising, young pass catchers like Adonai Mitchell and John Metchie. Doing so made it easier for New York to walk away from the table as the price tags for Pierce, Palmer, and Brown surpassed expectations and avoid overspending and not getting a decent return on investment.
- Rosenblatt also addressed Mougey’s offseason approach to the quarterback position. After swinging and missing on a decent-sized deal for quarterback Justin Fields, Mougey was able to recoup some value as the Jets moved on. In moving on, Mougey opted to lean on his new offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who has long been revered for his quarterback expertise. The collaboration led to the team’s reunion with Geno Smith, whom the team had reportedly looked into to trading for when the Seahawks made him available last year.
Article: In an examination of general manager Darren Mougey‘s patient, methodical roster building strategy…
Google: As of March 2026, Darren Mougey holds a 3-14 record as the New York Jets general manager.
That’s a very patient GM. Great signing w/ Fields last year.
The Fields signing is nothing worth being upset about. It made much more sense to try a high upside QB tied to one year worth of money than to sign a washed up QB or a dice roll like Willis to a multiyear deal with lots of guaranteed cash. The team was never seriously trying to compete. There are plenty of moves Mougey has made worth questioning, this is hardly one of them.
They’re drafting 2nd overall because of the Fields signing. Benched him during the season as well. That’s 100% on the GM & coaching staff for thinking he could be a #1QB after 3-4 years of NFL game film to watch.
Of course, the Jets made no changes and will waste all of those picks. Classic Jets for you.
Your comment tells me you have no knowledge of the Jets’ current situation, which is fine, they’re hardly worth following, but it wasn’t a very educated comment on your part.
It was Mougey’s first offseason in what he immediately signaled would be a reimagining of the roster that everyone knew would lead to a rebuild. What realistic move at QB would have been better, especially given that very specific circumstance? The Fields signing was a total upside play: low risk, high reward. If he plays well, great, they go 6-11, maybe he gets a second contract, and they build to his strengths. If not, let him walk and get the expected top 10 pick. Not a big deal. Also, the Jets made no changes? lol. They made a TON of changes. Arguably too many. They lack continuity in the coaching staff and on the roster. And the draft picks from last draft almost all panned out, so if you’re basing the likelihood of them blowing their picks on evidence from this regime, you’re off there.
So like I said, a bit of ignorance about the state of the Jets, but nobody can blame you.
I’m up to date on the current state of the Jets:
1. A ‘defensive minded HC’ that his D had no interceptions?
2. Longest playoff drought of any pro team. Drafting in the top 5 again.
Don’t get your hopes up for a .500 season this year.
Drafting second. Tope 5 again.
Fields was a complete bomb that any fan could have told you.
A D minded HC whose D didn’t get 1 pick. First time ever.
Longest playoff drought in pro sports.
You don’t know the Jets; I do.
You said absolutely nothing in two different posts, nor did you refute anything I said. Add something valuable to a post for once–it’s not that hard. Better yet, actually watch the games, take the time to understand the state of a team, and read and listen. Repeating that they had zero interceptions twice isn’t providing anything new and leads us into exactly why they made a ton of changes after you said they made no changes. I don’t believe you actually follow the sport with some of the absurd things you type on a daily basis.
Yes, I refuted. Last year was an abject total failure, again–17th year in a row–, by the Jets organization. But rather than fix the problem, they kept the same imbeciles in charge.
Enjoy next April’s top 5 pick yet again as well.
You didn’t refute anything because there was zero logic behind your asanine statements, per usual. You have no idea how this sport works and that’s evident every time you type on your keyboard. Do you know what a rebuild is? I recommend spending more time reading, less time commenting. We absolutely will enjoy a top 5 pick because that’s the goal! But you wouldn’t understand that because you just don’t get it.
I know a 3-14 record where many of the games the Jets weren’t even competitive isn’t a rebuild. But keep dreaming, better yet, keep shoveling money into that bust of an organization believing ‘2026 is the Jets’ year!’ hoopla.
I’m not defending them, I’m arguing that your take is ignorant. I haven’t spent a penny on the Jets and nobody thinks ’26 or ’27 is the Jets year either. I would be saying the same thing if you were talking about the Browns and Fields signed there. Not every team is in win-now mode, so it would have been a fine deal for them, too. “There’s no such thing as a bad one year deal.” Surely you’ve heard that quote at some point in your many years.
The HC barely survived the first year on the job. That’s not a rebuild. They brought in Fields who promptly was benched & cut. The D couldn’t do a thing even before the trade deadline trading 2 players.
There was nothing positive about the Jets last year. You can believe it’s a rebuild; I think 2026 will be another wasted season for the Jets.
Stefanski didn’t survive the Browns second rebuild. That doesn’t mean it’s not a rebuild. 2026 wasn’t a wasted year for either team. 2027 might very well be, considering both GMs deserve skepticism, but not because of the reasons you think.
If you think the Browns and Jets are rebuilding, you don’t know the league. Both franchises are horribly run. Like the Cards, Miami & Bengals to name a few more.
What are you going with the old ‘Detroit is rebuilding for the 50th year…’ mantra?
Brother, when teams actively trade good to great veterans for draft picks to get younger and start the clock over that is rebuilding. Sauce Gardner for two 1s and a young WR with upside. Quinnen Williams for a 1 and a 2. The Jets have five 1st round picks in the next 2 drafts. Sounds like YOU don’t know the league.
Every team trades players every year. Do you really trust the GM & HC tandem that thought Fields was ‘the answer’; not me.
For a second, I saw the headline and thought the Jets were thinking of bringing back Ryan Fitzpatrick.
So if Darren Mougey is a legitimate clairvoyant he already knew I was going to post this comment right?
A bit of an oversimplification of Minkah’s time here in Pittsburgh. While it’s true that on paper they may have tried to lock him in as what was stated above, all too often they tried to use him as a Polamalu style of player. Troy was a generational player, perhaps the best defensive player I have seen here since I’ve been watching, dating back to Noll’s era. And he had guys behind him like Ryan Clark and Ike Taylor who could make up for his aggressive, monster-back approach
Minkah is a good player but he was not anything approaching Polamalu. And all too often, playing him aggressively resulted in big plays behind him as the supporting cast was not at a similar level
He’s a good addition to the Jets though, to be sure
AD Mitchell averaged 38 yards a game with the Jets, and metchie is now on the Panthers, so idk how much those “cost-effective” moves can be praised for
In fairness, most of his games with the Jets had quarterback play from an undrafted rookie who looked like one. But yeah, I like the Mitchell flier, but it’s hard to imagine they’re not going to add another receiver.
I think Mitchell has a long way to go before we can even debate whether he’s just really bad or awful.
I’m not super high on Mitchell, but that’s a 646 yard season-long pace. If the Jets add Lemon at 16 or something, he could be a worthwhile 3rd option. Wilson, Lemon, Mitchell with Taylor at TE has some legitimate upside.
Yeah, I’d be pretty surprised if one of those four top 50 picks isn’t a receiver, and that pushes Mitchell to the guy you’re hoping is a three. And then of course they have three firsts next year.
If they’re gonna draft a wide receiver, they should stop looking after round one. They just don’t know how to draft them after round one (Denzel Mims, Malachi Corley).
Both of those guys were drafted by a different regime.
Yeah, but some teams get stuck in patterns at some positions. The only great quarterback the Jets have ever drafted in the first round is Joe Namath. At least for wide receivers they’ve had Wesley Walker, Al Toon, Garrett Wilson, and I’ll include Keyshawn Johnson since they got a first round pick for him. The only greats they’ve had picked outside the first at wide receiver are Terrance Mathis, Don Maynard (who the Giants drafted), Art Powell (drafted by Eagles), and Wayne Chrebet, who wasn’t even drafted.