New York Jets' 2015 Offseason to-Do List
“Black Monday” marked a fresh beginning for the New York Jets. As was announced Monday morning, Rex Ryan and John Idzik were relieved of their duties within the Jets organization. Owner Woody Johnson and his team of consultants—Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf—will openly search for the architect and leader of the football team.
Regardless of the hires, the incumbents have to make major decisions on players as well as patch holes in the roster left by the previous regime. The offseason will be a reconstruct-and-reconfigure project that requires the need to spend on free agents and an eye for scouting talent.
The most pertinent assessments pertain to the offense. Gang Green’s league-worst passing attack will need an overhaul. A lowly average of 184.1 passing yards per game was a major contributor to a poor 4-12 season.
On defense, Ryan did the best with the scraps Idzik allotted. Amazingly, the secondary was ranked 14th in yards allowed but surrendered 31 touchdowns, third-most in the league.
The Jets need a lot of help. Where should the new general manager and head coach start? Here’s a guide to help the brain trust in New York navigate Gang Green’s 2015 renovation project.
Bolster the Offensive Line
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This is probably the least of the Jets' major issues, but the advantage in the trenches is trending downward for New York's offensive line.
Anyone not named Nick Mangold has work to do this offseason to improve. In pass-blocking plays D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Breno Giacomini allowed a combined total quarterback pressure of 78, which includes sacks, hurries and hits on the QB, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Ferguson showed signs of decline this season, and questions about Giacomini’s durability may require added depth at the position. He played his second full season of his five-year career.
The Jets' former third-round draft pick, Brian Winters, struggled in his second year as a starter. He allowed a total QB pressure of 20 in six starts, per PFF.
Second-year tackle Oday Aboushi had to fill in for the injured Winters at left guard. Despite a decent effort, the Jets would be wise to draft a versatile offensive lineman with one of their first three draft picks. The need becomes more urgent if Willie Colon isn’t re-signed.
Don’t Re-Sign Distractions
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Simply put, the Jets need to cut the fat. These types of players fall into two categories: distractions and dead weight.
Michael Vick, the all-time leading quarterback in rushing yards, has a special skill set that is no longer beneficial to him as he turns 35 this summer. Even if Vick was sufficient this season, you wouldn’t want a 35-year-old QB with a history of injuries scrambling down the field, putting his already broken body on the line for first downs. It’s an unsustainable approach.
The fans love him and rightfully so.
Vick established a brand from his days with Atlanta Falcons and has an amazing comeback story. That’s great for him, but his upside for a football team moving forward is nil.
He was brought in as a mentor for Geno Smith and ultimately took over the starting job for almost four games. Smith needs the competition but from a younger competitor capable of becoming a permanent solution.
Next season, the starting QB shouldn’t have Vick’s shadow casting over him. The clamoring for popular backups who aren't capable of elevating the Jets' season outlook beyond one season does more harm than good.
It’s said the most popular player on a bad team with a poor offense is the backup QB. Vick amplifies that popularity tenfold because of his legacy and backstory. Most people want to see Vick succeed on the field, but his time has passed.
Don’t Re-Sign Dead Weight
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Dawan Landry has 67 tackles, one pass defensed and 1.5 sacks. Of all the Jets defensive backs, his name was called the least in terms of making plays.
It’s best to have a safety who balances his mistakes with some spectacular plays rather than a safety with minimal impact.
Highlighting Landry as dead weight isn't undermining his tackling ability, but the Jets lacked playmakers in pass defense; it’s the reason they surrendered 31 touchdowns this season. Landry wasn’t horrible, but New York needs more than a solid tackler at the position.
The rise of Jaiquawn Jarrett late in the season should render Landry dispensable.
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Sign Veteran Cornerbacks
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Sticking to the topic of pass defense, the Jets need to sign high-end cornerbacks as opposed to drafting young talent at the position in the draft.
The roster already has youth at the position. Marcus Williams, Dee Milliner and Dexter McDougle are all 23 years old. McDougle has yet to play a regular-season game. Neither Milliner nor Williams has started 16 games in his career. The sampling size for all three cornerbacks is very small, leaving a lot of room for development.
Gang Green needs a pair of cornerbacks to lead the pass defense. Ironically, Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, who Idzik refused to retain, will be unrestricted free agents in the offseason.
In Revis’ case, the Jets' owner publicly stated some interest in the New England Patriots starting cornerback. According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, Johnson committed an act of tampering and gave leverage to Revis in negotiations because of the following statement:
"Darrelle is a great player, and if I thought I could have gotten Darrelle for [what the Patriots paid], I probably would’ve taken him,” Johnson said, via the Boston Herald. “And it was our best judgment to do what we did. Darrelle is a great player. I’d love for Darrelle to come back.
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Revis is openly welcomed back to New York. Based on the history of the Patriots front office refusing to pay top dollar for exceptional talents, “Revis Island” could reside in the Meadowlands once again.
In addition to Revis, the Jets have a plethora of cornerbacks to court in negotiations. That extensive list includes: Antonio Cromartie, Perrish Cox, Chris Culliver, Brandon Flowers, Byron Maxwell, Walter Thurmond and Tramon Williams.
Draft a Wide Receiver in the 1st Round
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In October, the Jets' idea of adding a spark to the offense was Percy Harvin. In May, that idea should focus on Amari Cooper (Alabama).
Cooper is a younger, more cost-effective wide receiver with a clean reputation. More importantly, his durability hasn’t been a major question mark in his collegiate career.
Harvin has a history of migraines rendering him inactive and has shown minimal upside in eight games with the Jets, scoring only one touchdown. Harvin lacks the upside to justify the remaining four years of his $64.245 million price tag, per Spotrac.com
The top-rated wide receiver out of Alabama comes from a school whose coach drills discipline in his players. Julio Jones was the last wide receiver drafted out of Alabama as a top-10 pick—and Cooper, who is assumed to follow in his footsteps, should have a similar impact at the position on the pro level.
According to CBSSports.com, Cooper is the second player in SEC history to surpass 100-plus catches in a season. In his senior year, he caught 115 passes for 1,656 yards and 14 touchdowns.
There’s one caveat to drafting Cooper. The Oakland Raiders also have a need at wide receiver and could possibly draft the coveted Alabama standout with the fourth overall pick.
If the Raiders select Cooper, Gang Green should set its sights on bigger target receivers, such as DeVante Parker (Louisville), Kevin White (West Virginia), or trade back for Jaelen Strong (Arizona State).
Instill Qualified Quarterback Competition
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Gang Green has the sixth overall pick. Outside of a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Tennessee Titans, Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota and former Heisman winner Jameis Winston are out of reach.
According to CBSSports.com, Brett Hundley (UCLA), Dak Prescott (Mississippi State) and Bryce Petty (Baylor) rank behind Mariota and Winston at quarterback in the draft.
The aforementioned prospects are projected as second- to third-round draft picks. The Jets should draft a young QB talent to serve as a backup. It’s possible one of those prospects can blossom in the offseason similar to Derek Carr of the Raiders. It also adds much-needed competition to the position.
Prior to the draft, Gang Green should sign a veteran signal-caller to compete with Smith and the rookie prospect. Colt McCoy and Mark Sanchez will be the best QBs on the market and should be on the Jets' radar.
McCoy doesn’t have a big arm, but he’s an accurate passer with a 60.3 percent completion percentage. He led the Washington Redskins to a win over the NFC East champions, the Dallas Cowboys.
In a subsequent start, he threw for 392 yards and three touchdowns against the AFC South champions, the Indianapolis Colts. Unfortunately, the Redskins defense gave up 49 points in a losing effort.
The five-year quarterback isn’t Tom Brady, but he can be efficient with the weapons on the Jets roster and a young talented receiver.
An interesting tidbit: Mark Sanchez will also be a free agent. Signing Sanchez, Revis and Cromartie would be a pleasant reminder of the 2010 Jets team that went 11-5 en route to an AFC Championship Game. This particular scenario isn’t impossible with all the cap space available.
The most difficult aspect would be convincing Sanchez to return to a team whose fanbase ridiculed him then embraced him again as he experienced a rebirth in Philadelphia. By far, Sanchez will be the most accomplished QB in the free-agent market with a 4-2 playoff record.
It’s not a far-fetched idea the organization turns back the hands of time to resuscitate prior successes of the franchise. Sanchez, Revis, Cromartie, a power-rushing attack and possibly Amari Cooper sound a lot better than the alternatives right now.
New York is in dire straits with limited options at QB; a flashback will likely emerge as the best option for the Jets' future.
Advanced statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com.
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