Author: Ben Levine

The Jets also brought in longtime Rodgers favorite Randall Cobb, who spent the past two seasons back in Green Bay following brief stops in Dallas and Houston. Rodgers wasn’t nearly as reliant on the wide receiver as he was during the former second-round pick’s first Packers stint, but he’s still been peppered with 89 targets in 25 games between 2021 and 2022. Cobb’s value may come on the sideline as a mentor of sorts, especially with the Jets rostering a pair of UDFA wideouts in Jason Brownlee and Xavier Gipson.

The team’s non-Packers-related addition at receiver was Mecole Hardman, who spent the first four seasons of his career in Kansas City. The former second-round pick seemed to be building to a bigger role with Patrick Mahomes heading into 2022, but he was ultimately limited to 25 catches for 297 yards and four touchdowns. Hardman will likely slide in behind Lazard and star wideout Garrett Wilson on the depth chart, and he’s also set to serve as the team’s top returner.

The team made its biggest-name free agent signing during the preseason, adding Dalvin Cook to their running backs room. The veteran was a popular name on the free agent circuit after being released by the Vikings in May, and he ultimately landed in New York as a complement to second-year RB Breece Hall. The younger RB, of course, is coming off a torn ACL, and Cook’s addition means the team does not need to be as reliant on its burgeoning star.

The veteran still proved to be plenty productive during his final season in Minnesota, finishing with 1,468 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns. Cook, 28, is also the only player with more than 1,100 rushing yards in each of the past four seasons. The Jets have the luxury of managing both their stars’ workloads, but it will be interesting to see who the team leans on in crucial moments when both are healthy.

To top off their offensive additions, the Jets added a pair of backup offensive linemen. This includes former (you guessed it) Packers starter Billy Turner, who started all 43 of his appearances in Green Bay between 2019 and 2021. He was limited to eight games (seven starts) in Denver last season thanks to a knee injury, and Pro Football Focus graded him 70th among 81 qualifying offensive tackles. Still, the 31-year-old provides a veteran presence behind an unreliable starting unit. Turner has now followed Nathaniel Hackett from Green Bay to Denver to the Big Apple. Wes Schweitzer also comes with starting experience, with the veteran having started 60 games across six seasons. He most recently started six of his seven games for Washington in 2022.

On the defensive side, the Jets used free agency to add depth to a unit that made a dramatic improvement in 2022. Al Woods is likely destined for the biggest role to start the season, and the veteran defensive tackle brings with him a long resume. The 2010 fourth-round pick has 155 career regular-season appearances under his belt, including 14 starts with the Seahawks in 2022.

Adrian Amos comes over from Green Bay, where he didn’t miss a start over the past four seasons. A starter throughout his eight-year career in Green Bay and Chicago, Amos will begin his Jets tenure as a backup to Jordan Whitehead and Tony Adams. The latter beat out the would-be Clark replacement for the job alongside Whitehead. Quinton Jefferson will serve as an important depth piece on the Jets’ D-line. The 30-year-old started three of his 17 appearances for the Seahawks in 2022, but he started all 17 games for the Raiders in 2021.

On special teams, the Jets added veteran Thomas Morstead. The former Pro Bowler has 14 years of punting experience, most recently with the Dolphins in 2022.

Re-signings:

• Quincy Williams, LB: Three years, $18MM ($9MM guaranteed)
• Thomas Hennessy, LS: Four years, $5.97MM ($2.63MM guaranteed)
• Solomon Thomas, DL: One year, $3.9MM ($1.9MM guaranteed)
• Greg Zuerlein, K: One year, $2.6MM ($1.75MM guaranteed)
• Connor McGovern, C: One year, $1.92MM ($1.25MM guaranteed)

The Jets re-signed a handful of veterans, including dependable starters on both sides of the ball. Connor McGovern will be back in New York for a fourth season with the organization, with the veteran having started all 48 of his appearances since 2020. He’ll be snapping to Aaron Rodgers in 2023, although he does have some versatility if things get fishy elsewhere on the offensive line. Despite this deal checking in well south of his initial Jets pact (three years, $27MM), McGovern is ticketed to stick as New York’s starting pivot, beating out Schweitzer and second-round rookie Joe Tippmann.

On defense, the team brought back linebacker Quincy Williams, the older brother of Quinnen. A former third-round pick, Quincy disappointed in Jacksonville but has turned it around in New York. Through two seasons with the Jets, the linebacker has compiled 216 tackles and five sacks. He’ll slot in as the strongside linebacker next to Jamien Sherwood and C.J. Mosley.

Solomon Thomas is back after getting into a third of the Jets’ defensive snaps in 2022. Thomas, whom the 49ers chose third overall in 2017, has now played under Saleh in six of his seven NFL seasons. Going into his 12th season, Greg Zuerlein is also back after having served as the team’s primary kicker in 2022.

Notable losses:

• Kwon Alexander, LB
• Braxton Berrios, WR (released)
• Corey Davis, WR (stepping away from football)
• George Fant, OT
• Dan Feeney, OL
• Joe Flacco, QB
• Nate Herbig, G
• Ty Johnson, RB (re-signed and later released)
• Lamarcus Joyner, S
• Braden Mann, P (waived)
• Cedric Ogbuehi, OT (re-signed and later released)
• Will Parks, DB (released)
• Sheldon Rankins, DL
• James Robinson, RB
• Nate Shepherd, DL
• Jeff Smith, WR
• Mike White, QB

Thanks to their busy offseason, the Jets also bid adieu to a number of veterans up and down the roster. Fortunately for the Jets, none of these subtractions left significant holes on the roster.

The team’s most notable loss was the most recent, as receiver Corey Davis announced that he’d be stepping away from football. There were high expectations when the Jets signed Davis to a three-year, $37.5MM contract back in 2021. The former No. 5 overall pick underwhelmed through two injury-plagued seasons in New York, hauling in 66 catches for 1,028 yards and two touchdowns in 22 games. Davis landed in trade and release rumors throughout the offseason but appeared destined for at least a WR3 role after the team cleared out some depth. With Davis stepping away, the team will be forced to lean more on offseason additions Mecole Hardman and Randall Cobb.

Elsewhere on offense, Joe Flacco and Mike White are gone after combining for eight starts under center in 2022. The team moved on from a handful of offensive linemen, including Cedric Ogbuehi, who the team re-signed and later cut. The outgoing linemen also include Nate Herbig and George Fant, who combined for 18 starts in 2022. Fant had been a three-year starter for the Jets, at left and right tackle, helping the team during its lengthy stretch without Mekhi Becton. Fant signed with the Texans during training camp.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Jets lost a trio of starters. After being limited to only one game in 2021, Lamarcus Joyner bounced back in 2022, starting all 14 of his appearances while finishing with 57 tackles and three interceptions. After starting only three games during his first season in New York, Sheldon Rankins started all 15 of his appearances in 2022, compiling 43 tackles and three sacks. Kwon Alexander had a productive lone season in New York, with the linebacker contributing 69 tackles and a half-sack. Rankins joined the other recent ex-49ers DC to land an HC job — DeMeco Ryans — in Houston, while Alexander landed in Pittsburgh.

Draft:

Round 1, No. 15 (from Packers): Will McDonald, DE (Iowa State)
Round 2, No. 43: Joe Tippmann, C (Wisconsin)
Round 4, No. 120 (from Steelers through Patriots): Carter Warren, OT (Pittsburgh)
Round 5, No. 143: Israel Abanikanda, RB (Pittsburgh)
Round 6, No. 184 (from Raiders through Patriots): Zaire Barnes, LB (Western Michigan)
Round 6, No. 204 (from Cowboys through Raiders): Jarrick Bernard-Converse, CB (LSU)
Round 7, No. 220 (from Cardinals through Raiders): Zack Kuntz, TE (Old Dominion)

After loading up on picks in recent drafts, the Jets left the 2023 NFL Draft with only a pair of top-100 players. The organization reportedly eyed tackle Broderick Jones in the first round, prompting the Steelers to trade one spot ahead of the Jets (via the Patriots). But when the position dried up, the Jets pivoted to the reliable “best player available.”

That proved to be Iowa State defensive end Will McDonald. The pass rusher looked to be one of the best defensive prospects heading into the 2022 campaign after compiling 22 sacks and 26 tackles for loss during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. In 2022, he was limited to five sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss, partially hurting his draft stock.

Still, his overall body of work was enough for the Jets to select him with the 15th overall pick. The Jets have a deep defensive line, so the first-round pick will likely spend his rookie campaign working as a rotational pass-rushing option behind Lawson, John Franklin-Myers and 2022 first-rounder Jermaine Johnson.

The team filled its OL need in the second round upon selecting Wisconsin center Joe Tippmann. The lineman does not posses the versatility the organization probably envisioned from one of its O-line draft picks, but he should be a dependable option if something happens to Connor McGovern (while presumably serving as the heir apparent). The Jets also grabbed a lineman with their third selection, which came in the fourth round. Carter Warren will be stashed on injured reserve to start the season while he recovers from a meniscus tear. If activated, Warren probably will not see a significant role on the offensive line.

Other:

• Parted ways with Mike LaFleur; Nathaniel Hackett hired as offensive coordinator,
• Todd Downing hired as passing game coordinator
• Declined T Mekhi Becton’s $12.57MM fifth-year option

Aaron Rodgers‘ influence with the Jets also extended to the coaching staff. The Jets conducted an expansive search to replace ousted offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, and the team ended up landing on Rodgers’ former coordinator in Nathaniel Hackett.

While Hackett did not have play-calling duties during his three seasons as Packers offensive coordinator, he still earned high marks from Rodgers and Co. for his work with the offense, especially the quarterbacks. Hackett, of course, ended up being hired to be the Broncos’ head coach last offseason, leading to disastrous results. After starting the season 4-11, Denver dismissed Hackett, making him just the third head coach since the AFL-NFL merger to be canned before completing his first season.

Much of the coaching praise or blame would be placed on Robert Saleh in New York, but Hackett still faces immense pressure heading into the 2023 campaign.

The Jets also made some additional changes to their offensive coaching staff, adding Todd Downing to serve as their passing game coordinator. The 42-year-old coach was fired by the Titans after spending two seasons as the team’s offensive coordinator. Downing was arrested for DUI in November of last year, helping lead to his Tennessee dismissal.

The Jets will be counting on a bounce-back season from Mekhi Becton, and the offensive lineman will be playing as an impending free agent after having his fifth-year option declined. The 2020 first-round pick has been limited to only one game over the past two seasons thanks to two knee injuries. The Jets are done counting on Becton as their left tackle, but they do have him set to start at right tackle — despite the barbs he lobbed at the coaching staff for moving him there last year — heading into the campaign. Injury concerns flood the Jets’ tackle situation ahead of Rodgers’ debut, with the soon-to-be 38-year-old Duane Brown coming back recently after a lengthy rehab from rotator cuff surgery.

Top 10 cap charges for 2023:

1. C.J. Mosley, LB: $21.47MM
2. Duane Brown, OT: $11.28MM
3. Laken Tomlinson, G: $10.88MM
4. Zach Wilson, QB: $9.58MM
5. Aaron Rodgers, QB: $8.88MM
6. D.J. Reed, CB: $7.96MM
7. Sauce Gardner, CB: $7.60MM
8. Dalvin Cook, RB: $7MM
9. C.J. Uzomah, TE: $6.72MM
10. Quinnen Williams, DE: $6.43MM

Expectations are high in New York, with the Jets having emerged from the summer as one of the offseason’s “winners.” Of course, the Jets have previously won offseason headlines before barely winning games during the regular season.

It seems like this time is different, and it is not completely unwarranted to compare the current vibes in New York to the vibes in Tampa Bay following Tom Brady‘s addition to organization. It obviously remains to be seen if the Jets can hit the same pinnacle as that Buccaneers squad, but Gang Green certainly has to be in the discussion heading into the 2023 campaign.