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New York Jets News & Rumors

DL Notes: Reed, Donald, Colts, Steelers, Cards, Jags, Jets, Bucs, Panthers, Texans

April 19th, 2023 at 4:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jarran Reed‘s initial Seahawks tenure ended strangely, with the team’s attempt at a restructure leading to a communication breakdown that ended with the defensive tackle’s release. After Reed sought a Seahawks extension during the offseason in which the COVID-19 pandemic led to a salary cap reduction, he ended up signing a one-year deal with the Chiefs. That preceded a 2022 Packers pact. Reed is now back in Seattle, having signed a two-year, $9MM deal.

The veteran D-lineman said, via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta, neither side wanted to part ways in 2021 and that he remained interested in a potential return while away. The Seahawks called Reed early in free agency, and the sides agreed to terms on what is a less lucrative contract compared to the one the team removed from its payroll two years ago (two years, $23MM). Reed, 30, will join Dre’Mont Jones as Seattle D-tackle additions.

Here is the latest from the D-line scene:

  • The Cardinals met with Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith on Wednesday, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), squeezing in a final visit before the deadline. They also recently brought in Texas Tech edge Tyree Wilson, Albert Breer of SI.com notes, adding the Jaguars also met with the former Big 12 dynamo for a late visit (Twitter link). The Cardinals hold the No. 3 overall pick. While Arizona has dangled it in trades, the team not receiving a viable offer opens the door to a best-defender-available pick. Wilson would qualify as an option at 3, though Smith — No. 17 on ESPN’s big board; No. 18 on Daniel Jeremiah’s — would seemingly enter Arizona’s equation after a trade-down maneuver.
  • BJ Ojulari resides as a possible option for a team late in the first round or in the early second, and a few teams brought in the LSU alum recently. The Jets, Buccaneers, Panthers and Texans met with Ojulari, Rapoport adds (on Twitter). The younger brother of Giants outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari, BJ profiles as a speed rusher. He combined for 12.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons with the Tigers, declaring for the draft after his junior year. Azeez Ojulari went 50th overall in 2020.
  • Both the Colts and Steelers have met with Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, per Rapoport and ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor (Twitter links). Bresee is in Indianapolis today. A former top-five recruit, Bresee is not a candidate to go in the top five of this draft. But the multiyear Clemson starter joins Myles Murphy as Tiger D-linemen on the Round 1 radar. The Steelers came up regarding Bresee last month, and while the team recently re-signed Larry Ogunjobi, Cam Heyward is going into his age-34 season. The Colts, who added former first-rounder Taven Bryan in free agency, have DeForest Buckner signed for two more seasons.
  • Buckner recently revealed he played all of last season with a UCL tear in his left elbow. Indicating he’s “not a quarterback or a pitcher,” Buckner said (via the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson) his injury will not require surgery. Buckner finished with eight sacks and a career-high 74 tackles in 2022. Although the Colts are at a crossroads after a wildly disappointing season, Erickson adds the team still views Buckner as a cornerstone. The former 49ers first-rounder is going into his age-29 season.
  • Aaron Donald saw an injury sideline him for the first time as a pro. A high ankle sprain led the Rams superstar out of action, and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic notes the all-time great underwent a tightrope procedure to repair the injury (Twitter link). This is not an uncommon procedure; Tony Pollard underwent the same surgery in January. Donald, 32 next month, has also returned to full strength, per Rodrigue. Two years remain on Donald’s record-setting contract.

Ohio State OT Paris Johnson Jr. Meeting With Eagles, Jets

April 18th, 2023 at 5:18pm CST by Ben Levine

One of the draft’s top offensive tackles will have a busy week meeting with potential suitors. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter), left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. was in Philadelphia today for a pre-draft visit with the Eagles.

The Ohio State product is also set to meet with the Jets tonight and tomorrow. These meetings follow a trip out west, where Johnson met with the Cardinals last week. As Garafolo points out, there are a “lot of possible fits” for the lineman in the top-15, so these surely won’t be the prospect’s only official visits.

After playing sparingly through his first two collegiate seasons, Johnson took on a larger role in 2022, appearing in 13 games for Ohio State. The 6-6, 315-pound blocker was charged with only a pair of sacks this past season, and Pro Football Focus gave him one of the highest grades (88 overall) at his position. As a result of his performance, Johnson earned a consensus All-American nod after the season.

Johnson has climbed NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah’s rankings of the top-50 draft prospects, landing at No. 16 in the latest update. Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski is still the favorite to be the first offensive tackle off the board, but a team could end up selecting Johnson and banking on his size and temperament.

Jets Re-Sign T Cedric Ogbuehi

April 18th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets needed Cedric Ogbuehi to start on five occasions last season, and with George Fant no longer on the roster, the team will keep the former first-round pick in the fold.

Ogbuehi re-signed with the Jets on Tuesday. This agreement will give the journeyman tackle a chance to play a ninth NFL season and gives the AFC East team some depth at a position where questions exist at both starting spots.

After stints with the Jaguars, Seahawks, Ravens and Texans, the former Bengals first-rounder played a regular role for the Jets, who picked him up off Houston’s practice squad in late September. Injuries hamstrung the Jets at tackle last season, leading Ogbuehi from a P-squad slot on a rebuilding team to a Jets starter in a matter of weeks.

Fant, Mekhi Becton, Duane Brown, Alijah Vera-Tucker and Max Mitchell each went down last year. The Jets slid Vera-Tucker to right tackle in an emergency circumstance, but the former first-round guard draftee suffered an ACL tear that brought Ogbuehi into the starting lineup. Ogbuehi, however, did not last too long before going down himself. A groin injury sent the veteran spot starter to IR, but he re-emerged to start in New York’s finale in Miami.

The Jets have Brown under contract, though he underwent offseason surgery ahead of what will be his age-38 season, but Fant is a free agent. Becton, whom the team moved to right tackle last year, is making strides; but the former top prospect has played one game over the past two seasons. Gang Green has been connected to a first-round tackle investment in this year’s draft. With the Jets’ No. 13 overall pick not expected to factor into an Aaron Rodgers trade — should that move even be made by the draft — tackle is an obvious place for the suddenly intriguing team to focus.

Ogbuehi, 31 next week, did not live up to his No. 21 overall draft slot. But the Texas A&M product has managed an eight-year career. He accompanies Mitchell as depth pieces in New York; Mitchell joined Ogbuehi in starting five games last season. But blood clots led to Mitchell’s rookie year ending early.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/17/23

April 17th, 2023 at 10:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Teams with returning head coaches are now free to begin offseason workouts, leading to this high number of RFA and ERFA tenders being signed. Bryant and Reaves signed the low-end tender, while the Packers gave Nijman a second-round tender. Bryant and Reaves are tied to $2.62MM salaries; Nijman is attached to a $4.3MM number. Nijman has both played left and right tackle, settling in at the latter spot after the Packers moved Elgton Jenkins back to guard last season. ERFAs are two years from unrestricted free agency; RFAs are one year away.

An August shoulder injury cost Williams his 2022 season, but the former second-round pick was trending in the wrong direction with the Patriots. New England chose Williams 45th overall in 2019 but used him as a starter only once. New Vikings DC Brian Flores was no longer with the Pats when they drafted Williams, 25, but the team will take a flier on the Vanderbilt alum.

Latest On DeAndre Hopkins

April 16th, 2023 at 10:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

With most veteran receivers now off the free agent market, the fate of DeAndre Hopkins is one of the top storylines at the position. The Cardinals star has frequently been mentioned in trade rumors this offseason, and he provided the latest updates on his situation earlier today.

During an appearance on the All Things Covered Podcast, Hopkins was asked about specific landing spots in a potential trade. Having been told to only answer with body language, the 30-year-old responded positively to the suggestion of joining the Chiefs and Bills, while the opposite was true of the Jets and Patriots (video link).

While there is certainly a limit to how much one should read into his answers, Hopkins’ responses come as little surprise. Both Kansas City and Buffalo have reportedly shown interest in acquiring the five-time Pro Bowler. The Super Bowl champions fielded a WR unit without Tyreek Hill in 2022 and achieved success in doing so, but they have lost JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman in free agency. The Bills, meanwhile, have a need for a compliment to Stefon Diggs, something which could come in the draft but would also be accomplished by a Hopkins acquisition.

New England, meanwhile, was named as a team unlikely to have much success in trading for the three-time All-Pro. The presence of offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien – the head coach and de facto general manager of the Texans when Hopkins was traded to Arizona in 2020 – would no doubt create an uneasy situation for the Patriots. New England signed Smith-Schuster, but could still stand to add an impact pass catcher, be it a veteran or a rookie.

The Jets have been busy remaking their WR corps in anticipation of acquiring Aaron Rodgers. That process has included the signings of Hardman and Allen Lazard, as well as a pursuit of Odell Beckham Jr. With the latter having joined the Ravens (on a deal worth far more than what the Jets, or any other team, appeared willing to offer), speculation connecting them to Hopkins could intensify. As ESPN’s Rich Cimini notes, however, a deal for Hopkins remains unlikely at this point.

Financials are at the heart of trade talks between the Cardinals and interested teams. Hopkins has massive cap hits on each of the final two years of his current contract, with Arizona’s willingness to eat some of his compensation likely to affect the trade return they receive. According to Hopkins himself, an adjusted contract upon arrival with a new team will not require a raise from his currently scheduled compensation (Twitter link).

That falls in line with previous reporting on the matter, and comes as little surprise given Hopkins’ recent decision to hire an agent amidst his willingness to rework his contract. After the draft in particular, it will be interesting to see if his apparent interest in joining an AFC heavyweight will be reciprocated.

Several Teams Interested In C John Michael Schmitz

April 16th, 2023 at 8:12pm CST by Ely Allen

Center is an intriguing position when determining draft value, as the top centers can be extremely valuable but aren’t always considered first rounders. The most recent example saw the Ravens draft Tyler Linderbaum last year to be rewarded with a top-six center, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

While this year’s top centers, Joe Tippmann of Wisconsin and John Michael Schmitz of Minnesota, aren’t entirely expected to go in the first round, Schmitz has been receiving plenty of interest and shouldn’t last long into the second round, if he’s still available by then.

We had noted a private workout with the Steelers weeks ago. Since then, Schmitz has participated in a private workout and dinner with the Jets, a top 30 visit and dinner with the Seahawks, a top 30 visit with the Vikings, and a coach workout and dinner with the Giants, according to Pat Leonard of New York Daily News. Additionally, the 24-year-old has had Zoom contact with the Texans, Titans, Colts, Bills, and Packers.

Seattle has reportedly been “all over” Schmitz, according to Leonard. After the retirement announcement of center Austin Blythe, the Seahawks certainly could use a strong new potential starter to anchor their line. The only center currently on the roster is career backup Joey Hunt, who returned to Seattle last year after two seasons with the Colts. The other team that has shown a lot of love towards Schmitz is the Jets, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. With Connor McGovern‘s contract expiring this offseason, New York could also use a young, new center for presumed quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

While center can be a tough position to pinpoint and Tippmann remains as competition for the best center prospect, the sheer amount of interest in Schmitz leads to the belief that he won’t last long into Day 2 of the draft later this month. That’s if he even makes it past Day 1.

Packers Still Seeking Jets First-Rounder In Aaron Rodgers Trade

April 13th, 2023 at 10:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brian Gutekunst said the eventual Aaron Rodgers trade does not need to include a first-round pick, but it seems like the Packers have not abandoned hopes of collecting one from the Jets in these long-running trade talks.

The Packers are still angling to acquire the Jets’ 2024 first-round pick, Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com said during an appearance on the Wilde and Tausch show with veteran reporter Jason Wilde and ex-Packers O-lineman Mark Tauscher. The Packers do not appear to be going after the Jets’ No. 13 pick this year, but Robinson adds they want a 2023 second-rounder and the 2024 first.

New York acquired an additional second-round pick in the Elijah Moore trade and now holds the Nos. 42 and 43 selections this year; the team is willing to give up at least a second-rounder in this deal. It should be expected one of them will be included in a Rodgers trade, and the talks could run up to Day 2 of this year’s draft. Unloading Rodgers by that point and picking up at least one high 2023 draft choice would be the best way for the Packers to give Rodgers’ successor, Jordan Love, more help after an 8-9 season. Should a trade not be completed by the draft, a number of possibilities enter the equation.

The Jets are balking at including a 2024 first-rounder in this deal, per Robinson, who said the Packers are open to including a 2025 draft choice in the swap in the event Rodgers retires after this coming season. Woody Johnson looks to be leading the holdup here, aiming to avoid a Broncos-like scenario that sees the asset struggling after the team parted with a monster trade haul. While the (post-Nathaniel Hackett) Wilson-Denver book is not closed, Seattle does hold the team’s No. 5 overall pick. It would seem Rodgers’ success in the Hackett-Matt LaFleur offense would protect the Jets against a similar combustion, but the 39-year-old QB’s annual retirement flirtations obviously have the Jets skittish about overpaying here.

At a Jets event recently, GM Joe Douglas expressed confidence Rodgers will soon be Big Apple-bound. The Packers owe Rodgers nearly $60MM, but that payment — which can be sent any time between now and Week 1 — is expected to be the Jets’ responsibility. How to restructure Rodgers’ $50.3MM-per-year contract — which runs through 2025 — represents a part of these trade talks as well.

With the Packers undoubtedly wanting no part of that near-$60MM payment, Rodgers will almost definitely be off their roster by Week 1. This process dragging past the draft would still turn up the heat a bit on the Jets, who will surely want Rodgers rostered before at least minicamp in June or training camp at the latest. The Jets standing down as Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo signed elsewhere obviously increases the pressure to acquire Rodgers, though Ryan Tannehill could conceivably become an emergency backup plan. The Jets have joined the rest of the league in not pursuing Lamar Jackson.

The Jets did not acquire Brett Favre until early August 2008, and with Rodgers spending the past four seasons running the offense Hackett will implement, assimilation is probably not a significant Jets concern. But the Jets can also attempt to wait out the Packers, as that bonus payment looms. That said, Rodgers developing chemistry with Garrett Wilson and Mecole Hardman will be important for the Jets, who gave longtime Rodgers auxiliary target Allen Lazard an $11MM-per-year deal.

It cost only a conditional third-round pick for the Jets to acquire Favre’s rights 15 years ago. Johnson was part of those negotiations, but his team will need to pay more for Favre’s successor. Day 2 of this year’s draft (April 28) will be the first major deadline in these negotiations.

Jets To Waive P Braden Mann

April 13th, 2023 at 1:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

When the Jets signed Thomas Morstead, they began shopping their incumbent punter. No takers emerged for Braden Mann, and ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports the Jets will waive the young specialist (Twitter link).

Although Mann has three years’ experience as the Jets’ punter, he is not yet a vested veteran. Teams can claim the former sixth-round pick before Friday’s waiver deadline. Mann has been Gang Green’s primary punter since 2020.

The Jets will go with a much older option at the position, eschewing a potential Mann-Morstead competition by cutting the less accomplished specialist. Morstead, 37, signed a one-year deal worth $1.32MM. The team is guaranteeing the 15th-year veteran most of that total ($1.1MM), however.

Mann, 25, is due a $1MM salary next season; one year remains on his rookie contract. The Texas A&M product averaged a career-high 46.9 yards per punt last season. After missing seven games due to injury in 2021, Mann returned to punt in all 17 Jets games last season. Morstead averaged 46.4 yards per boot last season, though his inside-the-20 percentage (45.9%) topped Mann’s (32.5%). Field position naturally affects this statistic, but Mann has never placed more than 35% of his punts inside the 20.

Because of this Mann cut, three of the four AFC East teams will feature new punters in 2023. After Morstead agreed to leave Miami for New York, the Dolphins replaced him with ex-Patriot Jake Bailey. Ex-Bronco Corliss Waitman is the only punter on the Pats’ roster presently.

Jets, DL Quinton Jefferson Agree To Deal

April 12th, 2023 at 8:49am CST by Adam La Rose

APRIL 12: The deal will check in at $3.6MM in base value, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates, who adds the veteran defender will see $2.75MM guaranteed (Twitter link). Jefferson can collect up to $4.25MM via incentives on his latest contract. The Jets tacked on four void years to minimize Jefferson’s 2023 cap hit.

APRIL 6: Quinton Jefferson is making a return to the AFC East. The Jets announced on Thursday that they have signed the veteran defensive lineman, giving them an experienced producer along the defensive front. SNY’s Connor Hughes was the first to report a deal was imminent (Twitter link).

Jefferson has played for three teams, but is best known for his time with the Seahawks. He began his career in Seattle, operating as a starter in 2018 and 2019. His production to finish out his rookie contract earned him deals with the Bills and Raiders, with whom he enjoyed steady campaigns. A career-best 47 tackles in Vegas helped guide him back to the Emerald City in 2022, though that reunion didn’t entirely go according to plan.

Seattle ended up releasing the 30-year-old in a cost-cutting move last month. The cap savings helped the Seahawks sign Dre’Mont Jones to provide an upgrade along the defensive front, particularly in the pass-rushing department. Jefferson did, however, set a new personal mark with 5.5 sacks and six tackles for loss last season, despite logging the lowest snap share of his career since 2017.

That points to the Maryland alum being at least an effective rotational player with the Jets in 2023. New York has All-Pro Quinnen Williams in place at the heart of their defensive front, but Jefferson could step into the role vacated by the free agent departure of Sheldon Rankins. While this deal represents a notable addition on New York’s part, it might not be the only one amongst veteran d-linemen.

Hughes tweets that the Jets remain in on Al Woods, who like Jefferson has had multiple stints in Seattle. Woods has a visit lined up with New York, though a reunion with the Seahawks also may not be off the table. Hughes also names former Lion and Ram A’Shawn Robinson as a name to watch as the Jets look to continue adding depth along the interior. Regardless of what other moves they make, Jefferson is now in place as a starting-caliber option.

Latest On Odell Beckham Jr. Deal

April 10th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Adam La Rose

The Ravens provided the league with a major headline yesterday with the signing of Odell Beckham Jr. The value of his deal – up to $18MM via incentives on the one-year pact – has raised many eyebrows, considering the lack of competition Baltimore appeared to have regarding such a lucrative offer.

Beckham’s base compensation will be $15MM this season, a cumbersome figure for a Ravens team which remains unsure if they will have franchise-tagged quarterback Lamar Jackson this season, and if he will be on the books on the tag or a long-term deal. Given the team’s tight (and relatively uncertain) cap situation, carrying the full cost of the Beckham deal in 2023 would be highly problematic.

As a result, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes that the contract will surely include void years (subscription required). Taking that route – one which the Ravens have begun recently in some of their other deals – would allow the team to spread out Beckham’s cap hit over several years. While it would create significant dead money down the road, it would lessen the impact on Baltimore’s cap sheet for this season, one in which a definitive answer to the question of Jackson’s financial future is all-but guaranteed to be found.

A contract including void years was also long contemplated by the Jets, per CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson (video link). Beckham was scheduled to visit the Jets today, which could have led to a deal being agreed upon shortly thereafter, especially if all parties were convinced an Aaron Rodgers trade will take place at some point this offseason. They do not appear to have been willing to reach the level the Ravens did with any potential offer, though.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that New York was eyeing a Beckham deal featuring a low base salary and high upside through incentives – essentially the inverse of what the three-time Pro-Bowler landed in Baltimore. The Jets had been considered the frontrunners to land Beckham, 30, given Rodgers’ desire to team up with him in the Big Apple, but it was reported in the immediate aftermath of the Ravens accord that they had chosen not to match what Baltimore put on the table.

The same is true of the Giants, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan (Twitter link). Incentives would have been central to any offer for a reunion with Beckham, given the team’s new financial commitments to Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley in particular, and the uncertainty which surrounds Beckham’s ability to produce coming off multiple ACL injuries. In the end, Baltimore’s efforts to pursue the former first-rounder (which dated back to last season to an extent, and continued throughout his 2023 free agent process) stood out against those of other teams.

Anderson tweets that Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti was a central figure in the team’s push to land Beckham. Baltimore has a long-standing reputation for failing to attract high-profile wideouts, and this latest move represents a sizeable financial investment which carries significant risk. Regardless of what effect it has on Jackson, it could prove to be a beneficial one for the team’s offense, or a misstep which ends up confirming the lack of interest showed elsewhere in the NFL to make such a notable commitment.

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