5 Available Free Agents Still Within the New York Jets' Reach

Most of the attention has turned from free agency to the draft, but there are still a handful of players available that the New York Jets could add to their roster to shore up their remaining holes, especially if they fail to attack certain positions in the draft. 

With an abundance of roster holes, even the remaining bargain free agents would be upgrades at many positions, especially at the offensive skill positions. Even if the Jets add several rookies to the receiver and tight end positions through the draft, these veterans would give them the insurance of having a proven commodity at these positions so they are not forced to lean on inexperienced rookies. 

Here are some available free agents that could potentially be wearing green and white at the start of the season.

Chris Johnson, RB

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The Jets have been linked to Chris Johnson since before he was officially released by the Tennessee Titans, as the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport notes, and there is no reason to think that their interest has waned since.

The Jets have a steady pair of sustaining runners in Bilal Powell and Chris Ivory, but neither one has the "home run-hitting" ability that Johnson possesses. Throw in the uncertainty surrounding Mike Goodson's legal situation as he recovers from a torn ACL, and it is no surprise that the Jets are looking elsewhere for running back help.

The question for the Jets is how many resources they want to devote to one position that already has two proven players on the depth chart. 

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Jets really like a potential Chris Ivory-Chris Johnson backfield tandem. Not concerned about work ethic. Will come down to $$$ #nyj

— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) April 7, 2014"

The Jets may be able to find better value in the draft for a player that will see backup snap numbers, but their luxurious amount of cap space (over $24 million) gives them as good of a chance to sign Johnson as anyone else.

Sidney Rice, WR

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As stacked as the wide receiver position is in this year's draft, relying on a bunch of rookies to fill a starting receiver role is never an ideal situation, as the Jets should have learned firsthand with their experience with Stephen Hill.

Meanwhile, the Jets have expressed interest in Sidney Rice since the early days of free agency, as per Rapoport. General manager John Idzik's interest in Rice should comes as no surprise, as he was a part of the front office that gave Rice a huge contract in Seattle in 2011.

Rice is a big target with tremendous hands that would give the Jets a huge presence on the outside, but health concerns kept him on the sideline for an inordinate amount of time in Seattle. However, a recent clearance for him to play will certainly stir up a dormant market for his services:

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WR Sidney Rice has been cleared for football activities by Dr. Andrews, per league source.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 14, 2014"

The best-case scenario for the Jets would be to add Rice if they come up short on the position after the draft, but there may be too much competition for him to sit back and wait. If the Jets want Rice, they may need to act quickly.

Jermichael Finley, TE

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Like Rice, Jermichael Finley has had to clear several medical hoops on his way back into the NFL. The talented receiving tight end is recovering from a nasty neck injury that ended his season and threatened his career, but he is now just waiting on medical clearance to return to the game.

From an on-field perspective, Finley may be a bit one-dimensional as a receiver (he is virtually useless as a blocker). However, his ability as a receiver far outweighs his negatives as a blocker and would be a huge upgrade over anything the Jets currently have on their roster. 

The Jets would run into some unfriendly competition for Finley's services, as the Miami Dolphins appear to already be knee-deep in their pursuit of Finley, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

Either way, if the Jets come away from the draft without a stocked tight end position and Finley is still available, only medical reasons should keep the Jets away from signing him, especially since they have more cap room to work with than just about any other potential competitor. 

Miles Austin, WR

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Miles Austin's value has taken a steep dive since his breakout 2009 season, but he could still be a viable fallback option if the Jets find themselves in need of veteran receiver help after the draft.

An injury-plagued 2013 season that only produced 244 yards made the Dallas Cowboys' decision to release Austin a no-brainer, but if he can find a way to stay healthy, he could be a nice bargain to complement Eric Decker. 

Austin's age (30 by the start of the season) and inability to stay healthy are his biggest concerns, but he is a big target who is only a year removed from a 16-game, 943-yard season. 

It is unlikely that a team would sign Austin before the draft, but he could be a target if the Jets decide to use their 12 draft picks on other pressing needs in the early rounds. He is hardly a long-term solution, but he could help get the Jets through a season without forcing young rookies into the starting lineup before they are ready.

Tony Scheffler, TE

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While not quite as dynamic as the aforementioned Finley, Tony Scheffler still offers some value as a receiving tight end that can help take some of the load off of Jeff Cumberland.

The emergence of Joseph Fauria (combined with a concussion) made Scheffler expendable to the Detroit Lions last year, who released him in October. His resulting lack of production in 2013 certainly hurt his value on the market this year, and at age 31, it is clear that his best days are behind him. 

Still, Scheffler was a productive player for the Lions when given a chance, racking up 504 yards in 2012. While he offers virtually nothing as a blocker, he would be most productive as a "joker" tight end or as a red-zone target and a glorified receiver in a tight end's body.

The Jets adding Scheffler before the draft would take the pressure off using one of their top two picks on the position and allow them to focus on more pressing needs, especially considering the fact that there is a steep drop-off after the first two rounds at the position.

Relying on a late-round pick to blossom into the next Fauria would be unrealistic, only increasing a player like Scheffler's value.