New York Jets: What Moves Management Should Have Made This Offseason

Will AgathisJun 2, 2018

Just the other day, reporters conducting interviews about the Jets quarterback issue saw fit to ask Darrelle Revis what thinks of the matter.

Long story short, Revis said that Sanchez likely won’t be a top-10 quarterback this year, but it is management’s fault for failing to address such obvious needs.

With that in mind, I thought that it would be interesting to review the Jets most recent offseason and determine whether or not they made proper decisions in shaping this year's roster. Obviously, this means that I am judging an offseason even though the Jets have yet to play a game that counts in 2012.

Factoring in the team's current needs and issues, I am going to go back in time and restart this offseason in order to avoid some major boneheaded decisions.

Re-Signing Stage

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What the Jets Did

The team re-signed Nick Folk, Bryan Thomas, Wayne Hunter, Mike DeVito, Sione Pouha, Patrick Turner, Aaron Maybin and Ellis Lankster.

Jim Leonhard, LaDainian Tomlinson, Robert Turner, Kevin O’Connell, Mark Brunell, Plaxico Burress, Brodney Pool, Donald Strickland, Marquice Cole, Jamaal Westerman, Robert Turner and Matt Mulligan were allowed to walk.

What I Would’ve Done

re-signed Nick Folk, Bryan Thomas, Mike DeVito, Sione Pouha, Aaron Maybin, Ellis Lankster, Patrick Turner, Jim Leonhard and Robert Turner.

The Difference

I kept Turner and Leonhard but got rid of Wayne Hunter.

Why? Well, Wayne Hunter is...Wayne Hunter. He shouldn’t even be in the NFL, but you already know that. With Jim Leonhard supposed to be coming back for the regular season and being signed on the cheap, the Jets aren’t very smart for letting him walk. Robert Turner is a good backup and probably would be at that RT spot if he didn’t leave.

Would There Be a Difference?

You’ll see regarding the safeties. Obviously the RT position will look different without their former starter.

How Much Money Would Be Lost?

No, as Wayne Hunter is making nearly $4 million this year, giving that much to Leonhard would have been too generous, especially when considering his current tryout contract with Denver. Robert Turner would receive less than $1 million, as well.

Free Agency

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What the Jets Did

They signed LaRon Landry, traded for Tim Tebow, signed Chaz Schilens, signed Yeremiah Bell and signed and traded Drew Stanton.

What I Would’ve Done

I would have signed Landry, Mike Tolbert, Eric Winston, Kyle Orton.

The Difference

I would have taken on Kyle Orton, Eric Winston and Mike Tolbert, let Bell sign with Denver—and let Tebow go to Jacksonville.

Why? I went with a different ex-Bronco quarterback and likely the more superior one in Kyle Orton.

While Tim Tebow runs his own offense now, the Jets could have saved all of this trouble and questioning by just signing another player who could better fit the Jets’ system. And Orton could realistically move Sanchez to the bench.

Mike Tolbert would be that safety blanket that Sanchez lost when LT retired. The big-name player on this entire list is Eric Winston. Considered the best RT in the league by Bleacher Report’s own Matt Miller, organizations and fans alike were surprised to see him released.

If the Jets had signed him instead of maybe conserving money for Mario Williams or Peyton Manning, they’d be in a better place.

Would There Be a Difference?

Definitely, the Jets would now have a good SS, a top OT, a severely underrated pass-catching RB and a decent QB to back up the Sanchize.

How Much Money Would Be lost?

I’ll try to make this simple, but really it is quite difficult. Orton would take the money that Tebow got—the $2.5 million the Jets lost via the trade and the $2 million that Tebow makes (or $4.5 million).

Mike Tolbert would be making $1.5 million dollars, which would offset the Schilens and Stanton signings, as neither would’ve happened in this edition.

Then there is Eric Winston, who would make $8 million per season. To make this happen, the Jets are forced to trade Calvin Pace to the Baltimore Ravens, who are scrambling for help at OLB after Terrell Suggs goes down. They gain a sixth-round pickfor this year, and a conditional fourth-round selection for next year thanks to this trade.

All of these trades would cancel out the money it cost the Jets in the first place (give or take $1 million).

How Would This Affect the Rest of the League?

For one, Tim Tebow would be in Jacksonville. Chad Henne would be in Chicago. The Chiefs would’ve drafted Riley Reiff rather than Dontari Poe.

But that follows the draft. In fact, let’s get there.

The Draft

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This would be the draft selections for the Jets going into the draft.

16.

47.

77.

98. (trade w/Baltimore)

108. (no Tebow trade)

154.

188. (no Drew Stanton trade or Tebow trade)

202.

203.

214. (no Drew Stanton trade)

242.

244.

Before we do any drafting, let me say that not much would have changed from their strategy. The Jets run a 4-3 base and they’d have no needs on offense besides RB and WR.

Round 1: Quinton Coples (no reason to believe that they’d change their mind).

Round 2: Trade their fifth-round pick for Stephen Hill.

Round 3: Mohamed Sanu, WR (no Demario Davis here, the Jets don’t need a 3-4 coverage linebacker).

Round 4: Trade the first fourth-round pick (from Baltimore) and a sixth-round pick to take Lamar Miller, RB; Evan Rodriguez, TE.

Round 5. Sent to Seattle in Stephen Hill deal.

Round 6. Josh Bush FS; Brad Nortman, P.

Round 7. Antonio Allen, SS; Alfonzo Dennard, CB; Vontaze Burfict, ILB (for the new 4-3).