The 2022 season has just ended, and as of March 13, the 2023 campaign will open its doors. DNA of Sports therefore takes the opportunity to offer you an overview of the different franchises during the off-season. Which players to keep and cut? Which free agent to extend? Which rookies to watch? Here are some ideas, franchise by franchise. In the spotlight today, the New York Jets.
Two years after the Adam Gase trauma, the Jets have raised their heads. After a season of transition and learning in 2021, Robert Saleh has made a giant leap in his squad. Well helped by a 2022 off-season magnificently led by its general manager Joe Douglas, the team held off the competition with an elite defense in particular. But like a persistent evil for years, if not decades, New Yorkers are wasting their potential by missing out on the most important job. With a bright youth ready to rock the house, more than ever finding the right quarterback will be key to their success.
The owners
1. Gardner Sauce (BC)
2. Quinnen Williams (DT)
3. Garrett Wilson (WR)
Youth have taken over the Big Apple. The magnificent 2022 draft has provided the team with frameworks for many years, both in attack and defense. Because in a single season Sauce Gardner has already become the face of the franchise now. Defensive Rookie of the Year and All Pro, he splashed the league and opposing receivers in his class. Already among the very best in his position, the future is bright for the heir of Darrelle Revis. With his 25 years and 4 seasons on the clock, Quinnen Williams is almost a veteran in the midst of all these young wolves. It must be said that he survived the Adam Gase era, which is not insignificant. The defensive tackle is still just as valuable and decisive in the middle of the line. Author of his best season in 2022 with 12 sacks and a nomination in the 1st All Pro team, he should register for the long term with a probable extension to come in the coming months. Crossing the 1000-yard mark for his first season, while capturing balls thrown by Joe Flacco and Zach Wilson, Garrett Wilson quickly justified his choice in 10th place in the draft. Whoever is the quarterback of the franchise in September, he can count on the former Ohio State to capture the leather and garner the yards.
Undesirables
– Carl Lawson (DE)
– Braxton Berrios (WR)
– Duane Brown (OT)
Injured the entire 2021 season just after his arrival, Carl Lawson hasn’t really caught up this season and justified the expectations placed on him. With the emergence of young talents in the position like Jermaine Johnson or Michael Clemons among others, the team could do without his services for the next exercise. Knowing that releasing him from his last year of contract would also free up the tidy sum of $15 million in payroll.
Behind a trio of productive and talented receivers, Braxton Berrios’ performance should be considered far too light, whether in the game or even in kick return where its impact is ultimately negligible. A meager contribution for a salary of over $8 million.
A veteran of the offensive line, Duane is starting to feel the weight of the years. Declining performance, injury tendency, the former Seattle player no longer represents the assurance that he could have been on the blind side of the quarterback. There too the economy could be significant, especially in the event of a cut after June 1, nearly 10 million dollars. A sum that the franchise might prefer to invest to retain George Fant or sign a slightly younger player.
The summer man
Jermaine Johnson (Edge)
3rd man in the Jets’ 1st round picks in the last draft, Jermaine Johnson is also the one of the three to have had the least impact in 2022. With only 27% of snaps played, the pass rusher was used cautiously by Robert Saleh. This one letting him spend his rookie year as a rotation player, behind the holder Carl Lawson.
Dazzling with talent in his senior year at Florida State, expectations are high for the former Seminole. His former coach said of him that he “will be a very, very good player”. We can therefore legitimately expect to see Johnson take the lead during the offseason and become a major pawn of the defensive line next season. With Saleh as a mentor, the progression curve should live up to expectations.
The main free agents
1. George Fant (OT)
2. Sheldon Rankins (DT)
3. LaMarcus Joyner (S)
4. Connor McGovern (C)
5. Kwon Alexander (LB)
The others: Solomon Thomas (DL), Vinny Curry (DE), Joe Flacco (QB), Mike White (QB), Greg Zuerlein (K), Dan Feeney (G), Nate Herbig (G), Mike Remmers (OT) , Cedric Ogbuehi (OT),
The trenches are expected to undergo a profound transformation during the spring. And this on both sides of the ball. On the offensive side, no less than 6 players are at the end of their contract, the first of which are two holders Fant and McGovern. With only 8 matches on the clock in 2022, George Fant should still enjoy an interesting coast. Depending on the major movements that the franchise could commit, particularly to the quarterback position, his return could be complicated. Similar situation for McGovern but different outcome. Almost always present, the center has shown its effectiveness against the race. A valuable asset for the success of the talented Bryce Hall. The player also declared that he wanted to extend the adventure to New York. A simple question of formality?
On the defensive line, the Sheldon Rankins case is perhaps the one that raises the most questions. Precious in its association with Williams, extending it will not be free. If it offers solid guarantees, the franchise could consider obtaining the same production through rotation at a lower cost. Good financial deal, Kwon Alexander was valuable on the second curtain. Still only 28 years old, he could continue to play a role at the heart of the defense without weighing down the finances of the greens and whites.
Top 5 Needs
1. Quarterback
2. Offensive Tackle
3. Linebacker
4.Safety
5. Defensive tackle
If the franchise has grown considerably over the past 2 seasons, the essentials are still missing. The position as quarterback. Two selections in the top 3 in a few years for so many failures with Sam Darnold and Zach Wilson, the Jets do not know how to draft a pitcher capable of directing their offense. Whatever the bias, it will be necessary to find the remedy for this evil to maximize the offensive talents that are Wilson, Hall or Moore to name but a few. And to put this quarterback in the best possible position, it will also be necessary to strengthen his protection. With a fragile Mekhi Becton, an aging Duane Brown and a George Fant at the end of the contract, the line lacks assurance (and qualities) on the exteriors.
Despite its excellent season, the defense will have to renew itself on all lines. The end of contracts on the front seven in particular will have to be compensated. Rotation around Quinnen Williams, a new lieutenant next to CJ Mosley, quality, but also quantity. Finally the last curtain remains the most perfectible point. Between the end of the contract and possible salary savings, the 2023 pair could be completely renewed.
Target
Aaron Rodgers (QB)
Is the story already written? In 2008 after several seasons of thinking about his future, Brett Favre was sent to New York. 15 years later, the destiny of his successor could be written from the same pen. In search of a quarterback capable of maximizing the enormous potential of this golden youth, the decision-makers of the Jets, at the forefront of which the owner Woody Johnson has clearly leaked their interest in Aaron Rodgers. Two first rounds of draft could be necessary to attract the quadruple MVP. An investment that the Jets could be tempted to make.
At 39, the legend of the Packers comes out of a half-fig-half reason season, but even so, there is still tremendous added value compared to current solutions for the position. Understaffed in Green Bay after Adams left, he would find a squad in New York to shine again. The arrival a few weeks ago as offensive coordinator of Nathaniel Hackett, who worked with Rodgers for 3 seasons, 2 of which were crowned MVP, could also be a facilitator. Whether human or athletic. Already blessed with one of the most effective defenses in the NFL, the arrival of the future Hall of Famer to throw the leather to the trio Wilson – Davis – Moore, would immediately place the Jets in contender.
The new blood
Noah Sewell (LB)
Inevitably in the event of a transaction to attract Aaron Rodgers, it will rather be necessary to look towards the 2nd round to find reinforcement in the draft. With veteran CJ Mosley as the only returning incumbent, the second curtain should quickly become a priority site for the front office.
A former 5-star rookie at Oregon, Noah Sewell is brimming with potential to tap into and polish. The New York defense could be the perfect place for him to flourish. Coached by Robert Saleh, a former Jaguars linebacker specialist and mentor to Fred Warner in San Francisco, the player could explode. The presence of Mosley would also be an asset to learn and progress without being immediately put in the spotlight on all the snaps.
Other choices: John Michael Schmitz (OL), Matthew Bergeron (OT), Calijah Cancer (DL)
