Biggest Questions Facing the New York Jets This Offseason
The toughest offseasons are those that follow disappointing seasons. "Disappointing" is an understatement in regard to the New York Jets' 2014 campaign.
The Jets stand at 2-11, suffering the most losses in a season under Rex Ryan’s tenure. Gang Green refuses to wave the white flag and give up on the season. The players continue to play at an optimum level even though playoff hopes evaporated long ago.
On the other hand, the fans are waving the white flag for general manager John Idzik. His conservative effort to fill the roster is perceived as a huge blunder by Jets supporters, considering how badly Gang Green was undermanned this year.
On the field, New York has struggled in critical positions. The pass defense has conceded 29 touchdowns thus far, second-most in the league behind only the Chicago Bears.
Geno Smith and Michael Vick combined have 11 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions.
There you have it. The Jets' season in a microcosm—struggling to keep teams out of the end zone and struggling at quarterback, the most vital position in the game.
All the inconsistencies and poor decisions will lead to an offseason full of questions. Here are the most significant issues with three games left in the season.
Will the Jets Keep Percy Harvin?
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The Jets acquired Percy Harvin in an interesting rental deal. New York can release him at the end of the season without taking a salary-cap hit or honor the remaining four years of his contract at $41.5 million.
The newly acquired, dynamic receiver garnered immediate respect from his teammates and head coach. The frequently used term to describe Harvin was "explosive," as the Jets openly admitted the seven-year receiver brings a much-needed spark to the offense.
However, through six games, that spark has been a slight jolt. In two games, Harvin accumulated 100-plus receiving yards.
In the other four contests, he failed to accumulate 25 receiving yards. Nonetheless, inconsistencies in quarterback production and personnel are contributing factors to Harvin’s variable performances.
If Harvin can build on his Week 14 outing with Smith, he’ll prove he’s more than worthy of a spot on the Jets roster.
Who Will Start Opposite Dee Milliner at Cornerback?
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Following a bye week, in a late November press conference, Ryan was still shuffling the defensive backs.
Antonio Allen's transition to cornerback failed miserably. Kyle Wilson’s familiarity within the defense didn’t help elevate his game. Phillip Adams was intermittently benched throughout the season. Darrin Walls was a consistent starter but has been torched by opposing wide receivers. In coverage, he has surrendered six touchdowns and 807 yards in 11 games, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Milliner wasn’t impressive in his short three-game stint in 2014, but he’s a former first-round pick who will get another shot at being an impact player when he's healthy.
None of New York's cornerbacks has justifiably earned a spot next to Milliner on the field. Marcus Williams, who was signed from the practice squad on October 28, was thrust into the starting lineup amid frustration and injuries at the position. He has yet to yield a touchdown in coverage, but his sampling remains small with only five games on his resume.
Don’t be surprised if a premium is placed on rookie Dexter McDougle’s development in the offseason. The third-round pick was placed on injured reserve last summer with an ACL tear, per Dom Cosentino of NJ.com. The starting cornerback competition in training camp will be wide open for the taking unless a veteran free agent is signed.
Who Is the Franchise Quarterback?
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When discussing the quarterback of the future, you can automatically cross Vick off the list.
Despite a resilient effort from Smith in Week 14 against the Vikings, he hasn’t escaped the turnover-prone label he earned this season.
Smith is still in the process of earning the support of his teammates. According to Kristian Dyer of Metro.us, an unnamed veteran provided a quote that confirmed the uphill battle to win over the locker room:
"We've packed it in, waived the white flag, whatever you want to call it. ... It wasn't a good sign, not at all. They gave [Geno] how many chances over the past year? He does badly, gets benched and starts the next week. Mike has one bad game in three starts and he's put down for the rest of the year. Doesn't make sense. You've got guys busting their [butts] this year, fighting for jobs, and you want to win. You want to win but it seems like they've got something about the future and only the future now. With Michael, you know what you're getting, he's done it all. Been in every situation. If he starts this season, I'm not saying we're perfect but we win a few more games. Maybe we're in the playoff mix, I dunno. But you bench him, well, the older guys I talk to weren't that happy. We're not anti-Geno, the kid does it right and tries, but we want to win. He needs to improve, ya know?
"
This isn't the outlook a teammate should have about the franchise quarterback. Whoever the quote came from expressed his thoughts, and he likely speaks for a large group of players. It’ll be surprising to see Smith lead the quarterback competition if he remains in New York.
Gang Green is currently in position to make a top-five draft pick. The potential prized quarterbacks in the 2015 draft are Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota; they will likely get the keys to whichever franchises draft them.
If the Jets somehow miss on both quarterbacks, the front office can look further into the draft. According to CBSSports.com, Brett Hundley (UCLA), Dak Prescott (Mississippi State) and Bryce Petty (Baylor) are among the top five college quarterbacks who are draft-eligible.
Regardless of Smith’s production down the stretch, his inconsistencies are enough to warrant a contingency plan at the position.
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Will Rex Ryan Survive Another Season?
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Citing Dom Cosentino of NJ.com, Mike Florio Pro Football Talk dropped an interesting tidbit on Coach Ryan’s job status via owner Woody Johnson:
"Johnson explained during a press conference with reporters that Ryan’s status will be determined after the current season. But Johnson hinted that Rex’s future doesn’t hinge on a playoff berth.
“Those are the kinds of decisions that we make at the end of the season,” Johnson said. “And we’ll evaluate everybody and see what the best plan is going forward.”
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There are two glaring issues with Ryan continuing to coach in New York. First, the team has taken significant steps backward since reaching two AFC Championship Games. Second, the general manager’s plan doesn’t coexist with Ryan's goals.
Idzik has been holding his cards or, in this year’s case, money. He's also restructuring the roster for the future. Ryan is frantically trying to bail his team out of a sinking ship to save his job. The conflict between Idzik’s long-term outlook and Ryan’s short-term goals is the fault of the owner.
Johnson hired Idzik to direct the franchise in a new direction, voiding Ryan's leverage in decision-making on personnel. Inadvertently, it seems as though Idzik’s decisions have hurt Ryan tremendously.
Whether fair or not, the blame is placed on the head coach especially when a general manager is only two years in on the job.
Johnson can view this season as hitting rock bottom and oust Ryan, or he can give both Ryan and Idzik one more year to get their act together in unison before relieving both men of their duties.
Will John Idzik Survive This Season’s Debacle?
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Idzik’s second year in New York started off rocky. Dimitri Patterson went AWOL. Former second-round pick wide receiver Stephen Hill was cut. Starting cornerback Milliner tore his ACL, and Smith struggled early at quarterback.
At midseason, a firestorm of criticism targeting Idzik’s spending habits circulated, prompting opinions from frustrated Jets supporters like Joe Namath. Namath was highly critical of Idzik in a New York Daily News piece, per Michael O’Keeffe:
"I heard about this extra money that they have,” Namath said. “I don’t know what they’re saving it for myself, looking at the talent they have out there right now.
I don’t think (Ryan) has been sabotaged. I think they all want to win. Knowing how to go about it is something that may need to be changed.
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The term "sabotage" has been frequently used to describe Idzik’s handling of the roster in connection to Ryan.
Idzik knows his job could potentially be on the line as much as his subordinate. He displayed that awareness in a 38-minute press conference, expressing his disappointment and anguish for a horrendous start to the season.
With the team at 1-7, Idzik had to show contrition for a fallout he was partially responsible for—due to poor responses to roster inadequacies.
Free agents who were signed struggled early on the offensive side of the ball.
Smith’s position as the starter was considered Idzik’s decision—based on the hope he'd fulfill the expectations of a franchise quarterback. Unfortunately, those expectations have fallen well short of reality.
The Jets' owner must take two factors into account when making assessments on the head coach and GM.
Two years is a short reign for a GM, but Idzik’s miscues have dropped the Jets to a draft lottery team. However, he cannot ignore the reality that Gang Green has slowly deteriorated over the past four years prior to Idzik’s hire.
Is the GM further sinking the ship, or are things simply getting worse before showing signs of improvement?
Advanced statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com.
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