They did everything that was needed, but the New York Jets offeason is completely unsatisfying. Is this how success feels as a Jets fan?
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The New York Jets had a lot of work to do this offseason to bring the team back into the realm of contention. Below the head coach, the coaching staff was reworked. The next step was free agency, and New York had two clear plans heading into the period: obtain a viable starting quarterback and improve the defense.
New York Jets Offseason Hot Take: WATCH NOW – They Did Good!
After the free agency fireworks have dispersed, is it fair to say that the team hit both but in unsatisfying ways? Even success feels bad as a Jets fan.
Unsatisfying New York Jets Offseason
Technically They Succeeded. Technically.
Todd Salem: For the former goal of obtaining a quarterback, the Jets decided to trade for former Jet Geno Smith. I suppose he is a quality fallback option, though one without upside. There is no scenario where he is the quarterback of the future, and that’s a problem. Last year, they took a chance on a young veteran “with upside” in Justin Fields. It was a disaster. That probably scared the team away from going that route again. However, what was lost in that endeavor? Nothing.
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If Fields had instead been an old veteran with no future, they’d be in the same situation they’re in right now, though perhaps they would’ve won an additional game or two. Big deal. The key was Fields provided some semblance of hope without doing any harm to the future if he failed. Smith now hits the latter requirement but fails to provide any hope.
On the defensive side, the team went all-out in an attempt to at least obtain competency. They traded for Minkah Fitzpatrick and T’Vondre Sweat. They signed Demario Davis, Nahshon Wright, David Onyemata, Kingsley Enagbare, Joseph Ossai, and former Giant Dane Belton.
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All these moves add starting pieces and depth to a defense that needed both. There are additions to all three levels and from varying degrees of experience. We have unproven guys who could improve, like Belton and Wright. We also have the oldest of veterans in Fitzpatrick and Davis. The one thing missing from this batch is a blue-chip player. There is no star here.
Maybe that’s not fair of me; a defense at the level NY was at shouldn’t be chasing stars. But what if I phrased it as a building-block player instead? There are no building blocks here. There is no Jaelan Phillips, Devin Lloyd, or Boye Mafe. There is no Milton Williams or Nick Bolton from a season ago. These are under-28 years old defensive gamechangers. The Jets didn’t get anyone like that despite having the cap space.
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Now, maybe that will come in the draft. The Jets do have a lot of draft assets to work with. We will see. Overall, though, free agency was all about adding a QB and beefing up the defense. That technically happened, but it still feels unsatisfying.
New York Jets Offseason Hot Take: WATCH NOW – They Did Good!
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Once Again Cautiously Optimistic
Dan Salem: Because the New York Jets have a ton of draft assets, I’m satisfied with how they accomplished their free agency goals. You left out one key aspect the Jets needed to add this offseason: veteran leadership. They nailed this completely, which is why I’m excited about how they tackled free agency.
Not only was New York’s defense bad last year, it had zero identity. Aaron Glenn now has several players who’ve played for him in the past, players who now represent the veteran leadership of the Jets’ defense. This is great. Knowing that defense appears to be a strength of this upcoming draft class, adding veteran leadership is the best way to obtain immediate results from all players.
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I don’t particularly care about star names or building blocks, I care about creating an identity. The Jets had ‘building block’ players on defense who were eroding the team, so they traded them away. They are also in the market for a rookie quarterback, so adding a veteran like Geno Smith is perfect. The Jets basically swapped Justin Fields for Geno Smith and an additional draft pick (Fields is being traded to Kansas City). This is excellent.
Smith was a great player in Seattle. He’s learned how to succeed in the NFL and overcome adversity. Smith represents an ideal bridge quarterback or a veteran backup. Bottom line, the Jets are not done at the quarterback position. But more importantly, this is a run-first team featuring Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson. Smith can throw downfield, which Fields could not do last season. That alone makes this an upgrade.
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Its impossible to fix every problem all at once, especially when you had so many like the Jets. Their plan is obvious and they are slowly accomplishing it. The proof is always in the pudding, but I’m starting to feel the bad taste of Saleh’s dysfunctional mess leave my mouth. I still can’t tell you exactly what sank his Aaron Rodgers ship, but there was not much to salvage from that wreck.
Meet our Sports Writers:
Dan Salem is Lead Editor and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X, TikTok and Instagram. His latest film ‘Alone’ is now on Amazon.
Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a champion of fantasy football and fantasy baseball, dominating leagues for over two decades. Comment below on his unfiltered opinions.
New York Jets Offseason – This Is The End
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