HEADLINES

George Fant

Jets Considering Mekhi Becton At RT

March 30th, 2022 at 6:20pm CST by Ben Levine

After a knee injury knocked him out for the majority of the 2021 campaign, Mekhi Becton is expected to slide back into the starting lineup…just maybe not at left tackle. When speaking with reporters today, Jets head coach Joe Douglas wouldn’t definitively say whether Becton will slot in at his usual starting spot.

“[W]e are operating like Mekhi is going to be one of our two tackles,” Douglas said (via Brian Costello of the New York Post on Twitter). “That’s our expectation that he’s going to come back ready to roll. I know he’s fired up to get back on the field and compete.”

When the Jets drafted Becton with the 11th-overall pick in the 2020 draft, he was expected to be their starting left tackle for the foreseeable future. He started 13 games at the position during his rookie campaign, and he was expected to slide back into that spot in 2021. However, midway through the first game of the 2021 season, Becton suffered a knee injury that ultimately kept him off the field for the rest of the year.

As ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes, the Jets may not be committing to Becton at left tackle in the hopes that the player “gets the message and fulfills his immense potential.” Further, Cimini opines that George Fant, who started 15 games at left tackle last year, deserves to defend his starting spot. There’s a good chance that the loser of the LT competition would simply slide over to RT, but Cimini leaves open the possibility that the Jets could select an offensive tackle with the fourth-overall pick, which would force one of Fant or Becton to the bench.

Jets, George Fant To Meet Over New Deal

March 1st, 2022 at 12:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jets are in the market for upgrades at any number of positions on offense. One area where the team is looking to maintain its existing foundation, though, is along the offensive line. A major part of that unit, left tackle George Fant, has played his way into a new contract with the Jets, something which could take shape soon.

According to Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline, both the team and player will meet this week at the NFL Combine “with the hopes of getting a deal done”. Pauline had previously reported that the Jets were interested in signing Fant to a new contract. The desire for a fresh pact comes primarily from his surprisingly high-quality play in 2021, along with uncertainty surrounding former first round pick Mekhi Becton. The latter, who has faced questions over his weight and conditioning in his two years in the NFL, suffered a dislocated knee cap in Week 1 which ended his season.

Originally planned to man the right tackle spot, that injury forced Fant to move to the blindside for the 2021 campaign. He fared much better than his first year in New York, allowing 18 pressures in 15 games, which ranked him third in the league. As a result, head coach Robert Saleh publicly stated that the 2022 starting LT role will be an open competition between Becton and Fant.

Pauline adds that the Jets could use the three-year, $37.5MM extension the Commanders gave Charles Leno as a similar comparison to a new Fant deal. Given how close that is to the three-year, $30MM contract the 29-year-old originally signed with the Jets, however, Pauline expects Fant to ask for a more lucrative pact. If terms can’t be agreed on, he will have one more season to prove his worth.

Besides Fant and Becton, the Jets could have Morgan Moses as another option at tackle, if he were to be brought back. If needed, they could also turn to 2020 first rounder Alijah Vera-Tucker, who has experience at both guard and tackle dating back to his time in college.

Jets Rumors: Draft, Hamilton, Thibodeaux 

February 6th, 2022 at 4:07pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets are high on safety Kyle Hamilton, according to sources who spoke with Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Armed with picks Nos. 4 and 10, the Notre Dame standout should be there for Gang Green, if that’s who they want to take. Still, with several weeks to go between now and the draft, the Jets have ample time to consider all of their options, including players at more premium positions.

Here’s more out of East Rutherford, via Cimini:

  • The Jets are “always looking at” big defensive linemen, as head coach Robert Saleh noted recently, and that could lead them to Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux. Cimini hears that the Jets would be hard-pressed to pass on him if he slips to No. 4. He’s long been thought to be a candidate for the No. 1 overall pick, but it’s definitely possible that Thibodeaux could fall to the Jets at No. 4.
  • Some insiders believe that GM Joe Douglas will zero in on the offensive line with a tackle at one of their two Top 10 picks. That’ll largely be dictated by the George Fant / Mekhi Becton situation, Cimini hears. The Jets may opt to leave Fant on the left side and move Becton to the right. If they follow through on that, that’s a sign that the Jets are losing confidence in Becton’s ability to shed weight and, by extension, his long-term potential.
  • While some see the cornerback position as a major draft target, Saleh continues to pump up his current trio of Bryce Hall, Brandin Echols, and Michael Carter II. “The challenge for those three is to find the ball. Once they do that, they’ll be right there with the upper echelon of the league.” Combined, the three CBs tallied just two interceptions last year.
  • Braxton Berrios could be too rich for the Jets’ blood this offseason. One agent predicted that the speedy wideout will look for top slot money, which would put him at ~$9MM/year.
  • Jets tight ends coach Ron Middleton is fond of Colorado State’s Trey McBride and Ohio State’s Jeremy Ruckert, but it’s not clear if the scouting department likes either player enough in Round 2. The Jets could pass on that group of pass-catching TEs, Cimini hears, which would prompt them to spend in free agency instead.

Jets’ Mekhi Becton, George Fant To Compete For LT Job; Team Seeking Extension For Fant?

February 6th, 2022 at 8:17am CST by Rory Parks

Having drafted LT Mekhi Becton with the No. 11 overall pick of the 2020 draft, the Jets were surely hoping that the Louisville product would not be fighting for his job after two seasons in the NFL. But according to head coach Robert Saleh, that’s the situation that Becton finds himself in. Saleh recently told reporters, including Brian Costello of the New York Post, that Becton and George Fant will be competing for the starting left tackle position (Twitter link).

New York signed Fant to a three-year, $27.3MM contract in March 2020, and he had a disappointing first season in New York, playing on the right side of the line and finishing as Pro Football Focus’ 64th-best tackle out of 79 qualifiers. The Jets brought in veteran Morgan Moses last May with the assumption that he would serve as Becton’s bookend and push Fant to a swing tackle role, but Fant put together a good training camp and surprisingly held onto his RT post.

Then, Becton suffered a dislocated knee cap in Week 1 of the 2021 campaign, which forced the Jets to shift Fant to LT. The former Seahawks UDFA thrived, allowing just 18 pressures in his 15 games, third-fewest in the league. Becton, meanwhile, never got back onto the field. Though his injury was a serious one, conditioning problems appeared to complicate his recovery, which was not the first time that Becton had run into weight-related issues.

Becton is listed at 6-7 and 363 pounds, though he reportedly played at a higher weight than that as a rookie. And Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network hears that Becton was actually over 400 pounds by the time the 2021 season ended. Pauline also writes that the competition that Saleh referenced will not be much of a competition at all, and that Fant has been told the job is his to lose.

In fact, Pauline reports that the Jets are working on an extension for Fant, who will turn 30 in July and who is entering his contract year. Another season like the one he put together in 2021 could catapult him to top-tier LT money, and Gang Green may want to lock him in before that happens.

Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, however, says there have been no extension talks with Fant. Cimini does confirm that the organizational concern with Becton is “very real,” and while the Jets are not going to part ways with him at this point, they want to see him committed to dropping weight this offseason. There is a good chance that the club will keep Fant at LT and move Becton to RT — which would perhaps obviate the need to draft a player like Alabama OT Evan Neal — but New York has also not foreclosed the possibility of re-signing Moses.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/4/22

January 4th, 2022 at 10:43am CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

AFC East Rumors: Patriots, Jets, Phillips

August 23rd, 2021 at 11:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots‘ quarterback battle will tilt toward Mac Jones this week, by default. Cam Newton will not be permitted to practice with the team until Thursday. A COVID-19 issue will force the veteran quarterback to work virtually, according to the Patriots, who have called this a misunderstanding that stemmed from Newton traveling to a team-approved medical appointment outside Foxborough. Newton has not tested positive for the coronavirus, per the team, but an issue with his testing cadence caused this hiccup. Like Kirk Cousins and Lamar Jackson this month, Newton’s unvaccinated status has complicated matters for his team. Only unvaccinated players are tested daily; vaccinated players also are exempt from five-day isolation periods. One of the practices Newton will miss will be a joint workout with the Giants.

Until Monday, Jones had lined up with the Pats’ second-team offense, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes. This week certainly represents an opportunity for the first-round pick to gain ground. Both Newton and Jones played well in New England’s second preseason game, and OC Josh McDaniels said the 32-year-old incumbent remains the starter. The Pats have not named a Week 1 starter, however. Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • Rather than give Jamal Adams a top-market contract, the Jets moved on via a blockbuster trade. It turns out, they were involved in a similar negotiation barely a year ago. Adams wanted to be the Jets’ highest-paid player and sought the $17.5MM-per-year figure — which would have surpassed C.J. Mosley‘s $17MM AAV — that he ended up getting from the Seahawks, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes. With the Broncos having yet to move Justin Simmons past the $15MM-AAV barrier, Adams’ ask was even farther beyond the safety salary range in 2020. Adams landing his Seattle extension last week, however, stands to benefit Marcus Maye in 2022. The Jets and Maye were not close on terms at July’s franchise tag deadline, pushing Adams’ former sidekick toward free agency next year.
  • Morgan Moses has not locked up the Jets’ right tackle job just yet, with Cimini adding that incumbent George Fant has pushed the longtime Washington starter. Fant has split first-team reps with Moses, with the team listing each as a starter on its depth chart. Fant started 14 Jets games at right tackle last year; Moses started every Washington game for the past six years at the position. Despite Moses’ superior resume, Fant is attached to a $9.1MM-per-year deal while Moses signed a one-year, $3.6MM pact after his Washington release. This is an interesting issue for the Jets to have, given their struggles up front over the past few years.
  • Bills defensive tackle Harrison Phillips seems to have both avoided a serious injury and run into a potentially problematic issue. The fourth-year D-lineman left Buffalo’s second preseason game with an injury NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport classified as not serious (Twitter link). Sean McDermott, however, said the injury is to the same knee that required ACL surgery in 2019. It does not look like Phillips is in danger of missing too much time, per McDermott, but this will be an issue for the Bills to monitor ahead of the rotational lineman’s contract year.
  • The Patriots attempted to interview Packers executive Chad Brinker this offseason, but Albert Breer of SI.com notes Green Bay blocked the move. The Pats wanted to meet with Brinker about a job helping manage their salary cap. Brinker would have rejoined ex-Packers exec Eliot Wolf in New England. Instead, the Packers promoted him.

Jets To Start Morgan Moses At RT, Tyler Kroft Could Start At TE?

June 29th, 2021 at 2:21pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

On a quiet Tuesday afternoon, we’ve got news on a couple of Jets position battles to pass along. New York just signed tackle Morgan Moses on Friday, and the initial assumption was that he might compete with George Fant to be the Jets’ right tackle opposite Mekhi Becton.

Apparently, it won’t be much of a competition. “Even if the Jets tout this as a competition, Moses is the starting right tackle,” Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. He says the team “might try to sell this as a competition in training camp to soothe Fant’s ego and also avoid the embarrassing questions about paying a backup tackle an $8.5 million salary,” but that Moses will be the starter when it’s all said and done.

Moses got a $3.6MM base with incentives up to $5.3MM on his one-year deal. He was cut by Washington last month after not missing a start in six straight seasons for them. Meanwhile, Costello writes in a separate piece that Tyler Kroft may end up as the team’s starting tight end.

He says Kroft “has been one of the bigger surprises of the spring,” has received plenty of reps with the first-team in practices, and “could beat out Chris Herndon for the job if Herndon does not shake out of the funk he was in last year.”

The Jets didn’t get much from the position last year, (Herndon had 31/287/3 in 16 games), so it’s not shocking they’re considering other options. Kroft didn’t do too much with Buffalo the last couple years, but he had 42/404/7 when he was last a starter with the Bengals in 2017. He signed a one-year deal with the Jets back in March.

East Notes: Haskins, Patriots, Jets

December 29th, 2020 at 1:12pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Dwayne Haskins was cut by Washington yesterday, marking one of the earliest flameouts for a first-round pick in recent NFL history. But while he won’t be taking the field for Washington again, his business with the team isn’t quite settled. As a first-rounder Haskins’ entire four-year rookie contract was guaranteed, and he’s owed around $4.2MM over the next two seasons. As a result of his mask-less partying with strippers that saw him fined $40K and his captain status revoked, Washington may have a claim to void his guarantees, as Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes.

Florio obtained a copy of Haskins’ rookie contract, and points out that the deal specifically says Haskins’ money can be voided even for conduct that didn’t result in a suspension. “Player shall be deemed in Default of the Contract if Player takes any action that Club determines, in its reasonable discretion, undermines the public’s respect for . . . Player’s teammates, Club’s ownership, coaches, [or] management,” it reads. As Florio notes the NFLPA would surely file a grievance on Haskins’ behalf if Washington does try to fight it, and the battle would then spill into a courtroom where an arbitrator would need to decide. The Ravens are currently locked in a similar fight with Earl Thomas while trying to void his hefty 2020 salary after a fight with a teammate caused them to release him. This saga seems a long way from finished. We should find out soon whether any team claimed Haskins on waivers.

In the meantime, here’s more from the league’s East divisions:

  • Staying in Washington for a moment, the team has been operating without a GM this season as new coach Ron Rivera essentially runs the show including the personnel department. Although Rivera will likely retain a large amount of power, that setup will change this offseason. Washington is planning on hiring an official GM after the season, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapsheet notes that 49ers exec Martin Mayhew and recently fired Panthers GM Marty Hurney are expected to be considered and interviewed. He also highlights former Texans GM Rick Smith, who has continuously been linked to the team, and Washington reportedly almost hired him last year. Hurney, of course, has a strong connection to Rivera from their time in Carolina together. Meanwhile current VP of player personnel Kyle Smith, who has been the top evaluator this season, will no longer be in charge of roster construction, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes.
  • The Patriots are wrapping up a very disappointing season, and they’ve got some big decisions to make this offseason. One of those decisions is what to do with stud corner J.C. Jackson, who is about to be a restricted free agent. The Pats will likely place a first-round tender on Jackson, former NFL agent and current CBS Sports analyst Joel Corry tweets. He notes they did the same with fellow corner Malcolm Butler when he became a RFA. Corry also points out that it’s virtually unheard of for a team to give an offer sheet to a player on a first-round tender, which means Jackson will almost certainly be back in New England next year unless they decide to trade him. Of course, any team signing a player on a first-round tender would have to give up their first-round pick. Last year’s first-round tender was worth around $4.6MM for the player, although we don’t have exact figures for 2021 yet.
  • Speaking of disappointing AFC East teams, the Jets have rattled off two straight wins, but major changes are still coming this offseason. One of those changes will likely be defensive end Henry Anderson, who signed a three-year, $25.2MM deal with the team in March of 2019. Anderson hasn’t lived up to that contract, playing barely over 40 percent of the defensive snaps through the first two seasons. Apparently he isn’t going to make it through the end of that pact, as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes “there’s little chance of him returning” since the Jets can save $8.2MM by releasing him this offseason. A fifth-round pick of the Colts in 2015, he was traded to New York before the 2018 season and had a breakout campaign with seven sacks, inspiring the team to give him the big deal. He had only one last year and just 0.5 this time around.
  • Anderson isn’t the only Jets player in danger of being cut, as Cimini writes that starting right tackle George Fant is on “the bubble.” Fant has a $9.4MM cap charge for 2021, which Cimini thinks is steep for what he deems “replacement level” play. Fant has started 13 games for the Jets so far after being a part-time starter for Seattle the previous few seasons. As Cimini notes we’ll know pretty soon what New York is going to do with him, since $4.45MM of his salary becomes guaranteed if he’s still on the roster on March 22nd.

Trade Rumors: Thomas, Njoku, Watt, Jets

November 1st, 2020 at 8:50am CST by Rory Parks

Saints head coach Sean Payton has said his team has no interest in trading star receiver Michael Thomas, though Thomas’ camp was recently said to be looking for potential deals. There has been no movement towards a Thomas trade, and whether that’s because New Orleans has no interest in dealing him or because the club has not received an offer it likes, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says Thomas will stay put.

With the trade deadline two days away, let’s round up a few more rumors on players who could be on the move:

  • The Browns don’t want to trade tight end David Njoku, but Njoku has renewed his request to be dealt, and Rapoport says Cleveland has been fielding calls on the former first-rounder. It may take at least a fourth-round pick to get a deal done, but with Austin Hooper set to return and with the emergence of rookie Harrison Bryant, the Browns may elect to move Njoku.
  • Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the Texans are at the center of the trade market, with one executive saying Houston could move as many as five players if it wants to. Rapoport expects the Packers‘ interest in Will Fuller — which dates back to the summer — to ramp up, but it will likely take a high pick to convince the Texans to move Fuller. Fellow WR Kenny Stills has also drawn some interest, though rival clubs see the contracts for Stills and Randall Cobb as prohibitive. DE J.J. Watt may be receptive to a trade, but considering his contract and age, other teams probably don’t value him like the Texans do.
  • The Jets have received calls on LB Avery Williamson, OTs George Fant and Chuma Edoga, and CB Quincy Wilson, per Albert Breer of SI.com. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com says the Steelers — who recently lost Devin Bush for the season — could be in the market for Williamson, and Edoga also seems like a good bet to be dealt since he does not look like a fit with the current regime.
  • La Canfora says teams have also called the Jets about WR Breshad Perriman and TE Chris Herndon, though Breer notes that safety Marcus Maye has not drawn much interest.
  • Rapoport names Dolphins RB Jordan Howard and Seahawks TE Jacob Hollister as two other players who could be moved. And though the Bengals are shopping disgruntled wideout John Ross, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com says there hasn’t been interest in Ross (Twitter link).

Jets Notes: Mosley, Bell, Flacco

May 10th, 2020 at 10:16am CST by Rory Parks

Jets safety Jamal Adams remains a trade candidate, but count linebacker C.J. Mosley as a high-profile member of the defense that wants Adams to stick around.

“[Trading Adams] would be a crazy move,” Mosley said (via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com). “First of all, he’s one of the leaders on the team. … To have that presence in the secondary, a guy that can make plays in the passing game and also plays in the backfield — in the box — that’s always exciting.” 

Mosley himself — who played in just two games in his first year with Gang Green after signing a massive free agent contract last offseason — said he feels great and expects to be at full health for training camp (assuming there is a training camp, of course).

Now let’s take a look at a few more Jets-related items:

  • Another big-name player who looks like a trade candidate is running back Le’Veon Bell. Bell disappointed in his first season with the Jets, and many believe he will be released after the 2020 campaign, which would allow the club to realize a significant cap savings with a fairly minimal dead money charge. But if the Jets look like non-contenders at the trade deadline, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv expects them to put Bell on the trade block in the hopes of recouping some sort of draft compensation for him.
  • The Jets addressed one of their biggest needs in the first round of the draft by adding massive Louisville LT Mekhi Becton. Becton may be more raw than some of his fellow LT prospects, but he also has a tremendously high ceiling, and he could be protecting Sam Darnold‘s blind side right away. However, free agent acquisition George Fant hopes to fill that role in 2020. Per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Fant wants to play on the left side, though the former Seahawk also indicated he is willing to play RT if necessary (Twitter link). “Right now I’m just ready for an opportunity,” Fant said.
  • GM Joe Douglas signed WR Breshad Perriman in free agency and added a high-upside receiving prospect in Denzel Mims in the draft, but Brian Costello of the New York Post believes the Jets could look into re-signing Demaryius Thomas. Thomas, 32, wants to continue his playing career, and though he is nowhere close to the player he once was, he proved himself to be a strong locker room presence in 2019 and could be a good mentor for Mims.
  • Veteran QB Joe Flacco may not be recovered from his neck surgery until late August or mid-September, but Cimini believes he would be a good fit for the Jets. In the same piece linked above, the ESPN scribe says New York must add a veteran backup for Darnold, and Douglas — who championed Flacco as a member of the Ravens’ staff in 2008 — could take a look at the former Super Bowl MVP.
  • Betty Wold Johnson, the mother of Jets owners Christopher Johnson and Woody Johnson, has passed away at the age of 99, as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk writes. Though Betty Johnson did not have a formal role with the team, she was considered the club matriarch and was beloved by players and execs.
Load More Posts