OFF - Season PLAN ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

Finding what's missing is among questions facing the New York Jets this offseason

-- The New York Jets finished the 2015 season with a 10-6 record after a 22-17 loss Sunday to the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. As a result, they missed the playoffs for the fifth straight year. Here are five questions facing the Jets this offseason:

What's missing ? The Jets' brain trust will tackle this question once the disappointment subsides, which could take a while. This could've been their year; it should've been their year. They played one of the easiest schedules in the NFL, stayed relatively healthy, produced their best offensive numbers in nearly two decades and got career years out of Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brandon Marshall and Muhammad Wilkerson. But they still came up short, blowing a shot when they controlled their own destiny. This was a win-now team, and everything was aligned for a nice January run. That's why this hurts so much for Jets fans. For 2016, the Jets have to figure out a way to maintain what they developed and improve their weaknesses, but it's not easy to take that next step. They'll need to add speed on both sides of the ball, bolster the offensive line and tighten up the special teams. On the positive side, Todd Bowles established his program, making last year's 4-12 disaster a distant memory.

Should the Jets make a long-term commitment to Fitzpatrick ? Based on the premise that "long-term" in the NFL means two years, the answer is, yes, they should. Despite a three-interception performance in the finale, Fitzpatrick, a free agent, deserves a new contract as long as it makes sense for both sides. It should be a deal that pays him like a middle-of-the-pack starter for 2016 and 2017, but provides flexibility for the Jets in the future. It'll be difficult for Fitzpatrick to duplicate 2015, but his chemistry with Marshall, Eric Decker and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey is too good to break up. Besides, what's the alternative? Geno Smith? Please. Bryce Petty? Needs more seasoning. The current free-agent market is thin, as usual. As long as he doesn't make outlandish demands -- looking for a contract in the $10 million to $12 million range annually -- Fitzpatrick should be back. Don't look a gift QB in the mouth.

Should the Jets break up their talented defensive line ? It'll be a tight squeeze in terms of the salary cap, but they should try to keep the Big Four together. They have to make decisions on Wilkerson and Damon Harrison, both of whom are free agents. They're among the top players at their respective positions, so it would be lunacy to let them hit the open market. Wilkerson, who suffered a broken leg Sunday, probably will wind up with the franchise tag, as the two sides are far apart on a long-term deal. Harrison considers himself the NFL's best nose tackle, so he probably wants to be paid like it, meaning a contract worth more than $4.5 million per year. They have an embarrassment of riches (don't forget about Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams), so they could try to use Richardson as a bargaining chip to obtain draft picks. A lot could hinge on whether he is suspended for an arrest in July.

Which free agents should be the top priorities ? Well, we already covered the top three -- Fitzpatrick, Wilkerson and Harrison. The Jets won't have much money left, so they probably will have to say goodbye to running backs Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell and linebacker Demario Davis. The Jets are looking at a complete rebuild at running back; No. 3 back Stevan Ridley also is a free agent. In an ideal world, you'd love to keep Ivory and Powell because of their complementary skill sets, but tough decisions have to be made. Ivory was on his way to a monster year, but he ran out of gas. On Sunday, his role was reduced -- a very curious decision. It's time for the Jets to use a first- or second-day draft pick on a speed back.

What are their primary needs ? As Bill Parcells used to say, you're either getting better or getting worse; you never stay the same. The Jets have to evaluate the roster with that in mind. They need to take a hard look at the offensive line, which has three starters in their 30s. The right side needs an upgrade. A fast running back, a competent tight end and two linebackers (inside and outside) are items on the wish list. The Jets have a good team; making it very good is the objective.

>     http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/57682/five-questions-facing-the-new-york-jets-this-offseason

[kelly]

Interception. Interception. Interception. That is how the last three drives of the New York Jets season ended. It was a disappointing end to what was once a promising season.

To be completely honest, this season was a roller coaster ride with ups and downs and twists and turns every where you look. The Jets started the season at 4-1 and looked like a team completely turned around from their previous season disaster. What followed was a bunch of nagging injuries to key players that kept the Jets from continuing their early season momentum. Gang green went 1-4 in their following five games and looked very much like a mediocre team that would be lucky to stay in the playoff hunt. Back on the upswing, the Jets won their next five games and were in position to claim a playoff spot. In fact, with the AFC lacking a truly dominant team the Jets would have had as good a chance as anyone to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.But then came Sunday in a game that will probably be known for a while as Rex’s revenge. Yes, the New York Jets, needing a win to get into the playoffs, lost the final game of the year to Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills. Those same Bills entered week 17 with a 7-8 record and without one of their best players in LeSean McCoy. It was a game that will haunt the Jets all offseason but it brought to light the needs this team has to address in order to get to the next level. As much as the loss hurts, let’s delve into the offseason checklist for the New York Jets.

Special Teams

In all seriousness, this unit has no business being called special as they were far from it all season long. Of the many mistakes the Jets made in Sunday’s finale, the one that began the downward spiral was the absolutely hideous punt out of the endzone by Ryan Quigley. Quigley has been with the Jets for the past three seasons but his tenure should end immediately. This season there were a number of ugly punts by Quigley and, truthfully, he has never been more than adequate. Quigley did step up in a huge way by filling in for an injured Nick Folk in the Week 9 win against Jacksonville, but he is first and foremost a punter and he hasn’t been good at that job for awhile. The Jets should seek an upgrade immediately as getting good field position was never really a strong suit of this team during this season. That blame goes squarely on Quigley’s shoulders, but he isn’t the one culprit.We won’t get into Reggie Bullock and his missed field goal because Folk will hopefully be back next season and he is usually a very reliable kicker. No the other area where the Jets need to upgrade their special teams is in the return game.

The Jets went through the season without a reliable kick or punt return man and that hampered the team in a huge way. Jeremy Kerley has been pretending to be a punt returner for the better part of two seasons, but between his ridiculous number of fair catches and his lackluster returns, it looks like the Jets finally need to address the area and look for someone else.I won’t get too much into kickoff returns as the NFL has largely legislated that out of the game, but when you have 31-year-old Antonio Cromartie returning kicks it probably means you need an upgrade. Finding players that are exceptional return specialists is not easy, but the Jets can certainly do better than what they had this year. You don’t have to find the next Dante Hall or Devin Hester, you just have to find someone who can occasionally make a play.  All in all, special teams should be a top priority this offseason.

Secondary Help

If it wasn’t apparent before then it has to be now: Darrelle Revis is no longer the ultra-elite player he once was. Don’t get me wrong, he is still an upper echelon cornerback, but he can no longer cover the top players in this league all game long week after week without giving up a couple big plays. It is apparent that the Jets will have to find a complimentary cornerback for Revis that can occasionally take the tough assignments from him and keep him fresh as he gets into his thirties. And for those of you that are asking, Antonio Cromartie is not the answer as he will likely (deservedly?) be cut.What is needed is an infusion of youth at the cornerback spot; someone with fresh legs that can be the heir-apparent to Revis Island. Otherwise, the secondary seems set.  Marcus Gilchrist was a very good addition at free safety and Calvin Pryor looked much more comfortable at strong safety. With Buster Skrine handling the nickel corner spot, the Jets look fairly set. They would be wise to use their first or second round pick on a corner to complete the puzzle.

Other than adding a young piece, there does seem to be some housecleaning in order for this unit. Cromartie, as stated before, will be gone and with him should also go first round bust Dee Milliner. Milliner has never been able to stay healthy and he is now with a regime that has nothing invested in him which means he will face an uphill battle to keep his job. With those two gone we move onto those that should be kept around. Marcus Williams has almost certainly earned himself a spot on the roster next year and will be an awesome fourth corner to have. As far as safeties go, Rontez Miles looks like a keeper as he provides valuable depth. The good news for the Jets is that most of next seasons secondary is already on the roster. They just need a small influx of youth and they should good.

Offensive Line

This is another unit that could use a bit of an overhaul and it all needs to happen on the right side. D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold may be getting up there in years but they are both still rocks along the offensive line and should still be playing at a high level for a couple more years. James Carpenter solidified the left guard spot this season and looks like a great signing for general manager Mike Maccagnan. What remains is shoring up the right guard and tackle spots that were very inconsistent this season. Breno Giacomini has been a disappointment for two straight seasons and will probably receive his walking papers. Giacomini, like Milliner, is also the product of the previous regime and should probably have his agent start looking into other possibilities pretty soon.Sadly, it’s also time for the Jets to move on from Willie Colon. Colon has been a good locker room presence and a consummate professional but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Colon also hasn’t been the best a limiting his penalties as he has been one of the most frequently penalized lineman in the NFL over the last couple of years. His days as a starter appear to be over and Gang Green should definitely invest a couple mid-round draft picks in trying to find not only his replacement but also the future blocking blocks of this unit.

Other Areas of Need

Chris Ivory had the best season of his career but couldn’t hold up all year and Bilal Powell is a very complimentary running back but it may be time for the Jets to find a true game changer in the backfield. The linebacker corps look to be revamped as it appears David Harris will be the only opening game starter that will return. Calvin Pace looks done and will be replaced by Lorenzo Mauldin and Demario Davis may be a cap casualty. The presence of Erin Henderson may make Davis expendable which leaves the “rush” linebacker spot as the position where the Jets may need to finally invest in. Finding a capable tight end would be nice as well. If we want to use the draft to upgrade the team then cornerback and linebacker should be the first two areas addressed because the premium talent at those positions is usually found early in the draft. In the middle rounds of the draft the Jets should address running back and offensive line with a remaining picks spent on late round special teams contributors.

>    http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/new_york_jets_disappointing_loss_highlights_offseason_needs/s1_7899_20134546

[kelly]

— Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson said after Sunday's season-ending, 22-17 loss at the Bills that he expects offseason changes to the team's formidable defensive line. 

"I'll miss this team," he said. "No one knows what the offseason is going to bring." 

He said the potential change was on his mind immediately after the game. 

"Yeah, it is," he said in the postgame locker room. "Just can't keep everybody on this defensive line. It's just not realistic. Guys out-played their contracts. I'm going to miss them. We grew up together, pretty much, in the league. They helped me through a hard time in my life. So it's just going to be tough." 

Richardson presumably was referring to his trouble-filled July, when the NFL slapped him with a four-game marijuana suspension, and he was arrested following a high-speed chase with police that could result in an additional suspension next season. Though Richardson is under contract through 2016 — but really, 2017, since the Jets can pick up the fifth-year option in his rookie deal — the Jets must determine what to do with end Muhammad Wilkerson and nose tackle Damon Harrison. 

Can the Jets pay to keep both players? Will they have the salary cap space? 

They are both scheduled to be unrestricted free agents, but the Jets can always apply the franchise tag to Wilkerson, in order to retain his rights for another year. Though that would be a costly move (about a $16 million salary cap hit).Tagging Wilkerson could also provide a baseline for long-term contract negotiations — as well as a summer deadline for finalizing a deal.  While Richardson just finished Year 3, Wilkerson completed his fifth season, Harrison his fourth. Wilkerson and Harrison are among the best players at their positions in the NFL. But the Jets do have a promising end, Leonard Williams, who impressed during his rookie season in 2015. 

Wilkerson sustained a broken leg in Sunday's loss at the Bills. But if it's a standard broken leg, it shouldn't be a devastating enough injury to significantly impact his contractual future, though it might limit the Jets' options if they want to trade Wilkerson. Richardson didn't have much to say Sunday about Wilkerson's future. "Time will tell all, so we'll see," he said. "He's going to bounce back [from the leg injury], I'm sure. I'm not really too much concerned about that. I'm just concerned that he gets healthy as fast as possible. Whatever happens happens." 

>      http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/01/jets_sheldon_richardson_on_whats_next_cant_keep_ev.html#incart_river_index

[kelly]

Rich CiminiESPN Staff Writer 

A few Jets on the off-season bubble say they want to return -- WR Jeremy Kerley, LB Calvin Pace (free agent) and G Willie Colon (free agent). Colon admitted he could retire. "I do (want to play), but that's my mind talking and my heart," he said. "My body might be saying something else. I have to be sensitive about that. It's up in the air." Colon, 32, who finished IR, is dealing with a chronic knee issue.

> http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[kelly]

It is now five years without the playoffs for these New York Jets, a team that went from media darlings and the toast of the town on Sunday morning to being labeled as the "Same Old Jets" just several hours later. A humiliating loss in a situation where they controlled their own playoff destiny will do that to you. All is not lost for Jets fans, not by any stretch of the imagination. They did finish 10-6 (they were 4-12 a season ago) and they played meaningful football until the final week of the season (have to go back to 2010 to truly say that). So the building blocks are there for this team, they just need to put it all together. 

All of which can make for an interesting offseason. 

What to Expect from the Jets This Offseason : 

• Mo (and) Fitzmagic – Muhammad Wilkerson, the Pro Bowl defensive end and veteran journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will both be a part of this team next year. The Jets can franchise Wilkerson but a broken leg in Sunday's loss at the Buffalo Bills might let the Jets retain him at a lower price. And Fitzpatrick will be back although the Jets will likely need to offer him a multi-year deal to do so. And why shouldn't they? He had one of the best passing seasons in franchise history and his presence means that they can let last year's fourth round pick Bryce Petty sit and develop for at least one more season. 

• Some Tough Decisions – Cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who had all of the guaranteed money in his three-year deal with the Jets this season, is likely gone. His production just does not meet the remainder of his contract and that money can be better utilized elsewhere. And there is the case of nose tackle Damon Harrison who had a fantastic season for the Jets. He is the ideal space eater in the center of the Jets line, not just consistent in his gap assignments but consistently pushing into the backfield. He will command top dollar in the open market and the Jets will need to decide if they keep 'Snacks' or let a player like Wilkerson walk. Look for the Jets to let Harrison test the free agent market. Wilkerson is a star and a building block as well as being a local kid. Would be hard to let him go. 

• Chris Ivory Will Not Be a Jet – Despite the first 1,000 yard rushing season of his career, Ivory still was disappointing for stretches of this season. He battled injuries for the second half of the year, something that is a concern as he's 28-years old this March and played a full season just once in his career. But after being one of the league's top rushers for chunks of this year, he's going to want more money. The Jets do have Bilal Powell on the roster, the first player re-signed by the team last offseason. And this draft has some good running back prospects, meaning that they might be able to upgrade at the position without overpaying. And since Ivory did have fumble concerns this season, it might be the right time to move on.

• >  http://www.metro.us/new-york/jets-3-things-to-watch-for-this-offseason/zsJpae---13sgeB8aLADM/

[kelly]

Rich Cimini ESPN Staff Writer 

The Jets have signed nine players to reserve-future contracts -- basically their entire practice squad except OT Lawrence Okoye, the former Olympian from Great Britain. They signed: WR Joe Anderson, LB Deion Barnes, TE Brandon Bostick, G Jarvis Harrison, LB Julian Howsare, TE Wes Saxton, CB Kevin Short, NT Deon Simon and LB Julian Stanford.

>      http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[kelly]

The New York Jets announced Wednesday night that three assistants won't return in 2016 -- special teams coordinator Bobby April, assistant special teams coach Steve Hagen and assistant offensive-line coach Ron Heller. A few takeaways :

1. If you're surprised by April's firing, you must have missed the season. The special teams were a mess throughout the year, surrendering four touchdowns -- two punt returns, a blocked punt in the end zone and a fumbled kickoff return that was returned for a score. That stinks. The Jets finished in the bottom-5 in most of the major statistical categories, including 30th in ESPN's StEPA (total expected added points by special teams). In case you're wondering, they were minus 27.7 points.

2. You wouldn't expect a 10-6 team to dump a coordinator, but it shows that Todd Bowles won't tolerate a subpar performance. April is a good man and well-respected around the league; he's been coaching special teams for nearly a quarter-century. Some head coaches would've given a mulligan, calling the season an aberration. Not Bowles. This sends a not-so-subtle message at the outset of the offseason. “After having our season-ending meetings with the staff, I decided that changes were necessary in these areas," said Bowles, who indicated Monday he wasn't planning any staff changes.

3. April didn't have a great year, but he didn't get any favors from general manager Mike Maccagnan, who compiled a roster that had no proven kickoff returners and a mediocre punt returner (Jeremy Kerley). The units also lacked youth and athleticism, although that can't be blamed on Maccagnan. The recent drafts under the previous regime failed to yield quality depth players that could help on special teams.

4. A replacement for April? Hard to say, but know this: Last year, Bowles made a run at Atlanta Falcons coordinator Keith Armstrong, a former college teammate, but was blocked by the Falcons. Armstrong's current contractual status is unclear.

5. The Jets will have their fifth special teams coach in five years. Remember when they used to be, like, good?

6. No surprise by Hagen and Heller, the only holdovers from Rex Ryan's staff.

>     http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/57854/jets-special-teams-were-a-joke-todd-bowles-wasnt-laughing

[kelly]

As we continue to look at offseason issues facing the Jets, let's look at the fifth year option decisions they will have to make. First round Draft picks sign four year contracts. They also have a fifth year team option. The team must choose whether to pick up the option prior to a player's fourth season. This year teams will need to decide whether to extend the option to first round picks in 2013. The Jets took a pair of players in the first round that season.The Jets have until May 3 to decide. None of the money would be guaranteed initially. The contracts would become fully guaranteed on the first day of the league year for the 2017 season. A player could be cut before that point and wipe out the cap hit for 2017 entirely just as the Jets did for 2016 when they cut Quinton Coples.  They would also be fully guaranteed if the player suffered a catastrophic injury that forced them to miss the entire 2017 season.

Dee Milliner

The Jets took Milliner with the ninth overall pick of the 2013 Draft. I haven't yet seen the exact figures made public for the salary of the fifth year option. For the 2011 class, it was a shade over $10 million for a cornerback drafted in the top ten. For the 2012 class, it was a shade over $11 million.There really isn't a credible case for the Jets to exercise the option on Milliner. The threat of the option being guaranteed if the player suffers a serious injury should by itself be enough to convince the Jets to not extend it to Milliner. To say Milliner has struggled to stay on the field because of injury would be an understatement.

Milliner's injury history obscures how poor his overall level of play has been during the few instances he has gotten onto the field, though. He has only a few good games on his resume. In his rookie season of 2013, he was one of the least effective starting corners in the league. This season, he did not even earn playing time when healthy. Undrafted Marcus Williams clearly passed him on the team's totem pole. When the Jets suffered a few injuries in their defensive backfield, the coaching staff even trusted Darrin Walls over Milliner.

The Jets have had some really bad Draft picks in the past. Unless something changes dramatically with Milliner, he looks like he might go down as one of the five biggest busts in team history.

Verdict: Obvious Decline

Sheldon Richardson

The Jets picked Richardson with the thirteenth pick of the Draft in 2013. What followed was a Rookie of the Year in year one and a trip to the Pro Bowl in year two. Year three was more up and down. It did not have to do with Richardson's performance on the field. When he played, he was excellent.His season started, however, with a four game suspension for violating the NFL's Substance Abuse Policy. He was also arrested during the offseason. Charges are pending, and another suspension could conceivably be in the works.

Due to the off field problems, the Jets are probably not going to extend Richardson long-term at this point. They would be wise to see whether he shows he can avoid these off field problems and turn things around. The fifth year option buys them an extra season to evaluate Sheldon. It gives the team a two year audition to see whether the player is worth a big extension.

Again, official numbers are not yet out. The option was worth a little under $7 million for a defensive end picked outside the top ten in 2011 and a little under $8 million for one picked in 2012.

Verdict: Obvious Accept

>   http://www.ganggreennation.com/2016/1/6/10722550/jets-offseason-team-has-pair-of-easy-fifth-year-option-decisions

[kelly]

NY Jets : Top 3 concerns to correct for 2016

>    http://thejetpress.com/2016/01/07/ny-jets-top-3-concerns-correct-2016/

[kelly]

This is the first-round order for the 2016 NFL Draft, with the top positional needs for every team. The draft order is determined by record, and using strength of schedule as a tiebreaker (record and strength of schedule are official tiebreakers to determine the draft order). The final 12 first-round spots (or, 11, since the New England Patriots made the postseason) will be determined by playoff results. For now, those teams will be ordered based on playoff seed if the season ended today.

~ ~ 20. New York Jets
2015 record : 10-6 (.441)
Top need : Outside linebacker
Other needs : Right tackle, tight end, quarterback, offensive guard

Senior prospects at positional needs : OLB: Jordan Jenkins (Georgia), Dadi Nicolas (Virginia Tech), Terrance Smith (Florida State), Ryan Brown (Mississippi State); OT: Vadal Alexander (LSU), Taylor Decker (Ohio State), Spencer Drango (Baylor); QB: Connor Cook (Michigan State), Jacoby Brissett (North Carolina State), Carson Wentz (North Dakota State), Cody Kessler (USC); Guard: Landon Turner (North Carolina), Joshua Garnett (Stanford).

Analysis : The Jets' defensive line is full of dominant performers, but the missing ingredient has been a true edge bender at the outside linebacker spot. Finding an edge rusher should be an early round draft priority. The Jets need to upgrade the right tackle spot, and left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson's massive cap hit makes him a potential cap cut. This Jets' regime might want to go in a different direction at tight end while quarterback is looming as a growing priority with the Geno Smith pick looking more and more dubious.

rest of above article :

> http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000572264/article/2016-nfl-draft-order-and-needs-nos-1120

[kelly]

Rich CiminiESPN Staff Writer 

In case anyone is wondering (and I know some of you are), former longtime Jets special teams coach Mike Westhoff isn't interested in coming out of retirement to replace Bobby April, who was fired yesterday. "Forget it, thanks for asking, but I'm not coming back," Westhoff said today on ESPN New York 98.7. No one said Todd Bowles was interested in hiring Westhoff, but his name came up in speculation because he was a popular coach and has remained visible. Westhoff works locally as an analyst for ESPN radio and SNY TV.

>    http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[kelly]

Jets special teams coordinator likely to be Falcons’ Keith Armstrong 

The candidate likely to replace former special teams coordinator Bobby April is one of Todd Bowles’ old college teammates: Falcons special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong.Bowles tried to hire Armstrong a year ago, but he was still under contract with the Falcons. A source told the Daily News that Bowles now wants to bring a friend onboard that he couldn’t get last year — making Armstrong the obvious favorite to land the job. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Armstrong’s contract with the Falcons is believed to be up soon.

Bowles and Armstrong were teammates together for three seasons at Temple under Bruce Arians. Armstrong has coached the Falcons’ special teams since 2008 and interviewed for the team’s head coaching position a year ago. He coached special teams for the Dolphins from 2001-2007 and with the Bears from 1997-2000.The Falcons ranked fourth in kickoff return average and 11th in punt return average in 2015. However, they also ranked 31st in average kickoff return yards and 21st in average punt yards allowed.

The Jets fired April on Wednesday despite Bowles originally saying on Monday that he anticipated his entire staff returning in 2016. However, April was always a candidate to be let go after the Jets were particularly poor on special teams — four touchdowns allowed — in 2015.

>       http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-special-teams-coordinator-keith-armstrong-article-1.2489342

[kelly]

The season is over much more quickly than we all wanted and now, even as 12 NFL teams prepare to "do the dance" to try to win Super Bowl L, the Jets and their fans have to look forward.Fans would like to see the Jets maintain and improve in any number of areas going forward. This is not an all-inclusive list, just three trends that we'd like to propose that the Green & White do the same and three we'd like to see them improve in 2016.

Trends to Continue

1. Jets Come to Pass

We can't say enough about the passing game of Ryan Fitzpatrick finding Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker for individual and tandem record numbers, so we won't say too much more here. Unit-wise, though, sacks (22) and sack yardage allowed (113) were both the best since '01 and the 4,170 gross and 4,057 net passing yards were the most in franchise history. The protection and variety of receiving options can improve but overall it was great to see the Green & White expertly air things out.

Randy Lange @rlangejets

Fitzpatrick down middle to Eric Decker for TD. NFL record for receiving TDs by teammates in same gm extended to 9 gms by Decker/Marshall.

3:24 PM - 3 Jan 2016

 

2. Ground to a Halt

The NFL may be a passing league, but most offenses (except maybe the Patriots) still believe it's best to seek balance and most defenses that it's best to create one-dimensionality. The Jets D was one of the best against the run — second in yards/game, third in yards/carry. Their four rush TDs allowed was a franchise record, topping even the five allowed in the nine-game 1982 strike season. Damon Harrison (8.0 tackles for loss) and David Harris (7.5 TFL) led the charge to close the A and B gaps. The green brick wall should remain strong.

3. How Sweet It Is

There's nothing like home sweet home, as Todd Bowles' Jets experienced in MetLife this year, from the opening-day crushing of Cleveland through the overtime success over New England. Now let's see them do it again. The 6-2 home record is nice, but the Jets haven't won 12 home games in consecutive seasons since 1997-98 and have never put two years of six-plus home wins back-to-back. (The only comparable pair of seasons were the 6-1 of 1968 and 5-2 of '69.) Undefeated at home and .500 on the road means 12-4 and the playoffs. Wouldn't that be sweet?

 

Things to Do Better

1. More Plus, Less Minus

After four seasons of a combined minus-42 turnover margin, plus-6 was like seeing the sun after a long, cold, lonely winter. Kudos to Darrelle Revis (9) and Marcus Williams (7), who led the 30-takeaway parade, and the Muhammad Wilkerson-led pass rush, which produced seven strip sacks and recovered five. But the buzz was killed after the strong start (minus-1 for the last eight games, as opponents extended drives more than in the first half). Carolina was plus-20 this year, KC plus-14 and Cincinnati plus-11. Let's aspire even higher — especially against the Bills, who are a mind-numbing plus-20 against the Jets in their last seven meetings!

2. Speed Things Up

The run defense was great, except maybe against those wide, tricky rushing attacks of Buffalo, Oakland and Dallas. The sack totals crested beginning against the Jaguars but pressure could've been consistently better. An Achilles heel of the solid pass defense was keeping up with opponents' wheel routes. "I don't know about younger," Bowles said of his roster. "We need to get faster." OLB Lorenzo Mauldin's skill and determination are one part of that puzzle but more is needed personnel-wise to get the defense to an even higher level.

3. More Happy Returns

There weren't enough bright moments on kick and punt returns and coverage. The Jets finished 26th in kickoff return average, 28th in gross punting, 31st in net punting, 30th in opponents' punt return average, 29th in opponents' net punting. Return TDs are one of those imperfect measures of a larger ability, but the Green & White are the only NFL team that can say it has no return TDs of any kind (specials and defense) in the last 35 games dating to 2013. More happy returns of all kinds will help the push toward next year's Big Dance.

>      http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-randylangefb/3-Trends-to-Continue-3-to-Improve-in-16/e0a434f0-9fa4-4769-a931-299614ce959b

[kelly]

No, retired special-teams coach Mike Westhoff isn't interested in returning to the New York Jets (they haven't asked), but the outspoken former coach has strong feelings about the job opening.“I don’t like the fact that only after one year you would fire Bobby April,” Westhoff said Thursday on ESPN New York 98.7, which pays him as an analyst. “I know him, but it’s not like this is a friend of mine. I’m very disappointed in the fact that happened. Frankly, I’ll tell you exactly how I feel. I think it’s cowardice. And that’s a one-word synonym for the two-word phrase I really think.”

Westhoff continued, essentially saying coach Todd Bowles made April the scapegoat for failing to make the playoffs.“You can’t let Buffalo beat you twice if you think you’re good enough to play in the playoffs. You can’t do that,” Westhoff said. “But anyways, what (firing April) says to me is: 'Well, we’ve got to blame somebody. So, let’s blame these guys.'"

Westhoff acknowledged the Jets had "a tough year" on special teams. That's an understatement, as they finished in the bottom-five in most of the major statistical categories.While praising Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan for making "tremendous moves" that "fortified this football team," Westhoff added, "They didn’t do anything with special teams. They did nothing. Zero. So why would you think it’d be that good?

“Maybe if there were some things we don’t know, maybe some mandates that they asked and didn’t get done. Well, then I understand that. But you know, you gave the guy a chance, you gave him one year and you didn’t do anything to help him out. What makes you think all of a sudden they’re going to be pretty good? It’s not going to happen.”

There's some legitimacy to what Westhoff said, especially with regard to the lack of personnel, but there's another factor at play: Bowles already has a potential replacement in mind. As soon as he fired April, the first name that jumped into my head was Keith Armstrong, the Atlanta Falcons' special-teams coach. Bowles and Armstrong were teammates at Temple in the 1980s. Bowles tried to hire him last year, but was blocked by the Falcons. This time, Armstrong's contract reportedly is expiring, so he'll be a free agent unless he re-ups with Atlanta.

Don't be surprised if there's an Owl reunion at One Jets Drive.

>    http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/57872/ex-coach-mike-westhoff-firing-bobby-april-a-case-of-cowardice-by-jets

[kelly]

Thoughts and observations on the New York Jets:

1. Geno's future: Geno Smith will be a player to watch over the next few months, especially if the Jets re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick. Judging from his season-ending interview with reporters, Smith wants no part of being a backup. He refused to even acknowledge the possibility, saying, "We don't know what's going to transpire." Well, know this, Geno: Fitzpatrick will be the starter if he returns. Todd Bowles said so himself. Unfortunately, Smith wasn't available to comment on Bowles' declaration.Smith, under contract for 2016, doesn't have many options. What could he do, demand a trade? That would be laughable. The Jets would be hard-pressed to get more than a bucket of Gatorade for Smith, whose career was altered by IK Enemkpali's fist. Smith should grin and bear it for another year; that would be the best thing for both sides.

He's not the present or future anymore, but Smith has value as a backup because he's experienced (29 starts) and counts only $1.6 million against the cap. That's less than half the price of what seasoned backups are making these days. Some fans want him gone, but there should be no rush to send him packing. Bring him to training camp and let him compete with Bryce Petty for the No. 2 job. If Petty is lights-out in the preseason, there's a decision to make -- a good decision. It would be risky, though, to give the No. 2 job to a player with no regular-season experience.As for Smith, he could benefit from another year with the Jets. He can continue to be a good soldier, rehabilitate his image in a no-pressure situation and hit the open market in 2017. If he gets a chance to play and plays well, he'd draw considerable interest.

2. 10 x 2: The Jets were one of only five teams that ranked in the top 10 in both total offense and defense. Can you name the other four? Answer below.

3. Williams a top contender: Everybody these days is handing out their postseason awards, and defensive end Leonard Williams is generating a lot of buzz in the NFL Defensive Rookie-of-the-Year conversation. In fact, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. named Williams as his top defensive rookie. His top competition will be a couple of cornerbacks, Marcus Peters (Kansas City Chiefs) and Ronald Darby (Buffalo Bills).It was a blue-collar rookie year for Williams. He established himself as a fantastic run defender, but he didn't make many game-changing plays (only three sacks). To validate his draft status, he will need to become a better pass-rusher. After all, who takes a run stopper with the sixth overall pick? It's no cause for alarm, though. Players improve, and Williams has a high ceiling. People forget that Muhammad Wilkerson had only three sacks in his rookie season.

4. The Big Short: The Jets improved in most statistical categories from 2014 to 2015, but one area that lagged behind was their short-yardage offense. They converted only 68 percent of their third-and-1 rushes (ranked 16th), down from 75 percent in 2014. Right guard Willie Colon, known for his physical style, said in a radio interview he could have made a difference if he hadn't been on injured reserve for most of the season. As for Colon's future, all signs point to him retiring.

5. Time for an encore: The 10-6 season showed the new regime is capable of winning. Now the question is, can it win consistently? Therein lies the bugaboo that has haunted the Jets for, like, forever. Only twice in their 55-year history have the Jets recorded double-digit wins in back-to-back seasons: 1968-1969 and 1985-1986. So there's your challenge, Mike Maccagnan: Build something sustainable.

6. Revisiting the Buffalo debacle: Sorry, I know the wound still is fresh, but I'd like to focus on two plays from the game that illustrate how the Jets and Bills hoped to exploit the other by recycling a play they saw in their film study. It worked for the Bills. For the Jets, not so much.

• Tyrod Taylor's 18-yard touchdown run. Remember the 61-yard bomb to DeAndre Hopkins in November, the one on which Darrelle Revis was burned? Of course you do. The Bills ran a similar play, loading up with a heavy formation and using a play-action with only one receiver on a pass route -- Sammy Watkins. The Bills went after Revis, just like the Houston Texans did. This time, Revis, with help from the short field, was all over Watkins. It didn't end well for the Jets because Taylor improvised, breaking containment (Sheldon Richardson was out of position) and running for the touchdown. (As an aside, the play also was reminiscent of Tim Tebow's game-winning run against the Jets in 2011.)

• Fitzpatrick's end-zone interception. The Jets used a play they saw from the Washington Redskins two weeks earlier. In that game, Jordan Reed beat Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin on a post route with a single-high safety in the middle of the field -- an 18-yard touchdown. McKelvin defended it so poorly that it's easy to see why the Jets dialed up the same play. They tried it from the Bills' 14 -- against the same coverage, no less. This time, McKelvin saw it coming. He was in better position than receiver Eric Decker and ... well, you know the rest.

7. Strange game plan: A few days ago, I touched on the Jets' unusually passive use of Revis against the Bills. It seemed like a play-not-to-lose mentality, but that wasn't the case across the board on defense, according to ESPN Stats & Information. In fact, their blitz percentage increased by quarter -- 22, 50, 56 and 67 percent.

8. Season in a nutshell: The season began with their quarterback getting punched out by Enemkpali and it ended with Enemkpali's new team knocking out the Jets. Sorry, I had to say it.

9. Trivia answer: The New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers also finished in the top 10 on both sides of the ball. The Bucs and Jets were the only teams in that group not to make the playoffs. The Bucs fired their coach.

>    http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/57884/makes-sense-for-jets-and-geno-smith-if-marriage-continues-in-2016

[kelly]

Jets in 90

The Top Storylines on NewYorkJets.com & A Look at What's Ahead

 

video..

>     http://www.newyorkjets.com/videos/videos/Jets-in-90/75869919-d1ca-439f-9c1e-c120af7b6ae1

[kelly]

The Jets have signed three more free agents to reserve/future contracts, including former Giants drafted tight end Adrien Robinson.

 

Here are capsules on the three signees :

 

T Jesse Davis (6'6", 309), Idaho — Davis began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent out of Idaho with Seattle last year. He was waived by the Seahawks last August and didn't re-sign with any team during the year.

 

TE Adrien Robinson (6'4", 264), Cincinnati — Robinson was selected in the fourth round (127th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Giants. He played in 19 games with one start from 2012-14 and totaled five catches for 50 yards and one touchdown. Robinson was a final cut by the Giants last year and didn't re-sign with any team during the season.

 

G Craig Watts (6'3", 344), West Texas A&M — Watts was signed as an undrafted free agent by San Diego after the 2014 draft. Since then he was involved in 10 transactions, all with the Chargers, usually involving the practice squad. He was active for one game in those two seasons, the Bears-Chargers Monday night game this past Nov. 9, but didn't play, was waived the next day, then re-signed to San Diego's practice squad two days later.

 

> http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-9/Jets-Sign-3-More-to-ReserveFuture-Contracts/4e404fe4-8a05-4bcc-8f9e-9e8e4aafb891

[kelly]

Mike Maccagnan shook more hands and kissed more babies than Bush, Clinton, Trump, Rubio and Sanders combined during his year-long victory lap during the Jets’ 10-win season. The popular general manager, however, has plenty to prove in the coming months. The Jets might have been on the doorstep of the playoffs, but the rebuilding phase is still in its infancy.

The Jets’ brain trust must be smart, creative and unafraid to take chances to continue what it started last year. Patience is a virtue, but very few have it in a win-now, bottom-line industry that demands results. Maccagnan must be aggressive, but not reckless. Foresight has its privileges.The Daily News’ Top 10 To-Do list this offseason will set the Jets on the right path in 2016 and beyond. (You’re welcome, Mike).

RE-SIGN RYAN FITZPATRICK TO MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT

This is the ultimate no-brainer. The only real question is: How much? The Texans gave Brian Hoyer a 2-year, $10.5 million deal with $4.75 million in front-loaded guarantees last offseason. The Rams’ two-year extension for Nick Foles a year ago included $13.8 million in guarantees.Fitzpatrick, coming off a franchise-record 31 touchdown passes, was the engine of the most prolific offense in Jets history. A three-year deal with front-loaded guarantees just north of Foles’ amount would be fair. The Jets should have an escape hatch after the first two seasons, so the total value of a three-year deal isn’t that important. The meat of the deal would be Fitzpatrick’s real guarantees in 2016 and 2017.

TRADE MUHAMMAD WILKERSON

Sounds blasphemous, right? After all, who trades away a Pro Bowl defensive lineman coming off a career-high 12-sack season? A savvy, forward-thinking person, that’s who.Although Todd Bowles would love to have Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, Damon Harrison and Leonard Williams for the next 10 years, it’s simply not financially practical. Besides, the Jets don’t need all of them to be a dominant defensive line. Wilkerson can be a powerful trading chip that could yield a first-round pick to strengthen an area of need.

A tag-and-trade scenario makes the most sense. The Jets would have to apply the franchise tag (for about $16 million in 2016) and look for a trading partner willing to give up a first-rounder and pay Wilkerson the $40-$50 million in guarantees that he desires. That’s not easy. There were no teams willing to trade a top-15 pick in last year’s draft for Wilkerson, but his breakout 2015 campaign only enhanced his worth and could tempt a team to part with a high pick this time.It’s tricky, but not unprecedented. In 2008, the Chiefs tagged-and-traded star Jared Allen to the Vikings for multiple picks (including a first-rounder) to clear the way for young pass rusher Tamba Hali. The Packers tagged-and-traded defensive lineman Corey Williams in the same offseason. Bill Belichick tagged-and-traded Matt Cassel (along with a linebacker on the decline) to the Chiefs for the No. 34 overall pick in 2009.

Wilkerson is a very good player, but there’s a belief with the Jets that Bowles’ scheme brings out the best in very good players. The log-jam along the defensive line has also prevented Sheldon Richardson, regarded around the league as the superior talent, from maximizing his potential as a pass-rusher. Trading Wilkerson will yield plenty of benefits, including freeing up $16 million to allocate to other important pieces. Worst case scenario: The Jets get a compensatory pick if Wilkerson walks after playing the 2016 season on the franchise tag.Wilkerson is expected to have a full recovery after undergoing successful surgery to repair a broken fibula last week. The injury shouldn’t hurt his value in any trade scenario.

SIGN NT DAMON HARRISON TO MULTI-YEAR DEAL

Think about this: How formidable will Bowles’ defense be for the next few years with Harrison, Richardson and Williams? Harrison was a run-stuffing difference maker for Bowles, who threw out the G word — great — when describing the former undrafted free agent’s play this season. It will likely cost the Jets about $4-$5 million per year to retain Harrison, but this needs to happen. The Jets don’t have the same boatload of money under the salary cap as last year (more on that later), but Harrison should be a priority.

RE-WORK D’BRICKASHAW FERGUSON’S CONTRACT

The veteran left tackle has been a rock-solid presence for a decade, but will count an astronomical $14.1 million against the 2016 cap. The Jets, who will have about $17 million under the projected $147-$153 million cap, need to free up more money. Reducing Ferguson’s cap number by $5-8 million is a good start.Ferguson has two years remaining on an eight-year, $73.6 million contract. He’s scheduled to earn $8.65 million in base salary with a $1 million roster bonus (due at the start of the new league year in March) and $750,000 workout bonus. It would be a surprise if both sides didn’t work out a fair compromise that includes a reduced salary.

ASK ANTONIO CROMARTIE TO TAKE SHARP PAY CUT… OR CUT HIM

There’s no chance that Cromartie, who rebounded from a shaky first half of the season with a solid December, will see the $8 million he’s scheduled to make in 2016. Bowles isn’t as deep at cornerback as he appeared about three months ago.Darrelle Revis and Buster Skrine are the only solid starters. (And Revis is hardly the dominant force that many, including me, believed he would be for 2-3 more years). Dee Milliner isn’t reliable. Marcus Williams is a quality backup.Cromartie, who will turn 32 this spring, understands Bowles’ system and is still a quality starter. Cutting his 2016 salary to $2-$3 million would make sense. Another option: Cut Cromartie and let him gauge the market before bringing him back at a reduced rate.

RE-SIGN BILAL POWELL

Here’s the dilemma: Chris Ivory is a more dynamic player, but he A) will cost more than Powell, and is always nicked up. Ivory started off on fire before his production dipped due to several reasons, including his inability to stay healthy. That’s been Ivory’s bugaboo for much of his career. His ferocious running style lends itself to constant bumps and bruises.Although Powell missed five games due to an ankle injury, his value as a runner, pass catcher and pass-protector was evident during the Jets’ December push to the playoffs. Maccagnan wouldn’t likely have to give much more than the one-year, $2 million deal last year to retain him. He’s the smarter option to bring back. They can add another valuable piece in the backfield in the draft.

DRAFT A SPEED EDGE RUSHER

Bowles cited a need to get faster next year. Finding a difference maker on the edge to get consistent heat on the quarterback will be essential. The Jets, who have the No. 20 overall pick in the upcoming draft, played Sheldon Richardson out of position on the outside out of necessity in a quasi 4-3 scheme. It’s time to get back to Bowles’ bread-and-butter: A 3-4 front with a true speed rusher at outside linebacker. Lorenzo Mauldin is still learning the nuances of dropping into coverage. He might be able to handle the dirty work, but the Jets could use a heat-seeking missile to create pass-rushing havoc from the edge.

DRAFT A QUARTERBACK

Wait a second. Aren’t we already advocating to re-sign Fitzpatrick? Aren’t the Jets cautiously optimistic that they can develop Bryce Petty over the next couple years? Sure, but Maccagnan would be wise to adopt the Ron Wolf logic with quarterbacks: Draft one every year. It’s the most important position in team sports. Maccagnan is a life-long scout, so if he and his brain trust have a strong conviction on a signal caller, take him. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the first or seventh round. It never hurts to invest in a quarterback.

FIND A TACKLE

Chan Gailey needs an upgrade at right tackle. Breno Giacomini was pedestrian at best. Ferguson, 32, isn’t getting any younger, either, so landing a versatile pass protector on the outside in one of the premium rounds in the draft makes the most sense.

DO NOT RESTRUCTURE DARRELLE REVIS’ CONTRACT

Revis Island is gone and never coming back no matter how many apologists and excuse makers come out of the woodwork. Revis is still a solid/good player, but the shutdown days are over. The Jets didn’t pay him $39 million fully guaranteed in the first three years of a 5-year, $70 million deal to just marginalize mediocre receivers. You get that type of money to erase the best of the best, which the 30-year-old Revis didn’t do.The Jets might need to move around some money to sign pivotal pieces this offseason, but they must resist the temptation to take that path with Revis’ deal. The Jets have an easy escape hatch after the 2017 season. He has no guaranteed money after that point, so the team could cut him with minimal damage after 2017. The Jets would accrue a $1.7 million dead money charge and have $9.2 million in savings in 2018, per overthecap.com.Given Revis’ descent from the mountaintop — and unpredictable rate of decline over the next two years — it would be foolish to push more guaranteed money into his deal beyond 2017 just to open up some cap space now.

>   http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mehta-top-10-itesm-jets-gm-offseason-to-do-list-article-1.2491067

[kelly]

With the first weekend of the NFL postseason in the books, we turn our attention to the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday night -- Alabama versus Clemson.For New York Jets' fans, it's all about the draft because for the fifth straight year ... well, you know. With help from ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper, Jr., we present a viewer's guide for the frustrated/anxious Jets fan.

Focusing on the Jets' primary needs, we cherry-picked a handful of players from Kiper's CFP title preview. It should be noted the top three names on his list -- A'Shawn Robinson (Alabama), Shaq Lawson(Clemson) and Jarran Reed (Alabama) -- are defensive linemen. Just a hunch, but we're going to assume the Jets won't draft another defensive lineman, although a nose tackle can't be ruled out if Damon Harrisonleaves via free agency.

With that in mind, we'll list the top players at other positions, along with Kiper's comments. From a Jets' perspective, the two most intriguing players are on Alabama -- edge rusher Tim Williams and Heisman Trophy-winning running back Derrick Henry.

Enjoy the game.

>     http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/57915/no-jets-to-watch-but-potential-future-jets-to-scout-in-cfp-title-game

[kelly]

The Jets' 10-6 finish in 2015 was a stark improvement from where they had been a year earlier, when they finished 4-12 and fired their head coach and general manager.And while the Jets appeared to be as good as any other team in the AFC late in the season, their loss at the Bills (and former head coach Rex Ryan) in the finale only drove home the point that there's still plenty of work to be done to assemble a roster that can win a Super Bowl.

Scroll on through the gallery above for a look at seven specific areas of need the Jets will (or likely will) have to upgrade to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

>       http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/01/7_areas_of_need_for_jets_in_2016.html#incart_river_index

 

[kelly]

The Jets have signed wide receiver Chandler Worthy to a reserve/future contract.

Worthy (5'9", 173), the 15th player signed by the Jets to a reserve/future deal in the last week, entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Troy University with Houston following the 2015 draft. He caught the Texans' eye in part due to his 4.38-second time in the 40 at Troy's pro day before that draft.He was a multipurpose offensive performer and kickoff returner in four Trojans seasons, posting 137 receptions for 1,767 yards (12.9 yards/catch) and 11 touchdowns and adding 176 yards on 34 carries (5.2 yards/carry) and one TD.

As a Troy senior in 2014, Worthy had his best season as a kickoff returner, averaging 26.1 yards on 27 returns and returning two kicks for touchdowns. He finished the season with 1,615 all-purpose yards in 12 games.Worthy spent last season on either the Texans' active roster or their practice squad. He played in three of the Texans' first five games, compiling three receptions for 14 yards, one kickoff return for 27 yards, and three punt returns for 9 yards.

>     http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-9/Jets-Add-WRKR-Chandler-Worthy-to-Roster/81986781-02a0-469c-a902-807248d62058

[#27TheDominator]

These reserve/futures signings are interesting.  First of all, the article says they didn't sign Okoye, but the website lists him.  I guess maybe he signed a bit later.  It would be odd to carry a guy like that on the practice squad and then not sign him.  No college football.  He was a British track star that signed with the Niners has a D-lineman.  Stuck around there on their practice squad and the Jets moved him to O-line.  Would seem silly to keep a guy like that around and then not have him in when rosters expand.  Jets site now has the above "3 more signees" article as "4 more signees" and lists Okoye.

Worthy is seriously fast, but small.  Another guy from the Texans.  There have been a bunch of guys they signed from Houston and I don't think this is the first one that was only there after Maccagnan left.  I assume that Maccagnan still has some friends there in their scouting department and will probably poach some of those guys this year.

Seems weird they signed Adrien Robinson.  I wonder if he was hurt.  A Giants final cut last year, they never had him back despite using numerous street free agents.  He is super athletic, so I guess he is worth a gamble, but the Giants didn't go back to that well. 

[kelly]

It's already Mock Draft Season, and the Big Lead is the latest outlet to get in on the act. But who does the Big Lead have the Jets taking at No. 20? You know you're dying to find out, or you wouldn't be reading this.We've laid out what the Jets' needs are this offseason. We've also taken a look at some players they might want to consider in the first round, along with some quarterbacks they might contemplate taking, should quarterback even be a position the Jets hope to address in the draft. (It might be!)

Anyway, the Big Lead has the Jets taking Alabama inside linebacker Reggie Ragland. The explanation:

Major needs on an aging OL and massive need for an edge rusher, but Ragland is an ILB thumper who has star written all over him. David Harris turns 32 later this month. Jaylon Smith of Notre Dame is very, very tempting here. But a 10-win team that was playoff worthy may not have a large window (see Revis, OL, Marshall, Fitzpatrick) and needs instant impact players.

Not only will Harris soon be 32, but the Jets' other inside linebacker, Demario Davis, could be headed for free agency. And Erin Henderson, who platooned with Davis in the final six games and played more snaps in the season finale, is without a contract for 2016.But either way, the Jets do need to begin thinking about life after David Harris (who is under contract through 2017), and Ragland right now looks like the only surefire first-rounder among inside linebackers. Picking him wouldn't be a bad option. But, again, it's still very early in the pre-draft process.

>      http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/01/nfl_mock_draft_2016_an_inside_linebacker_for_jets.html#incart_river_index

[kelly]

The New York Jets' braintrust already is hunkered down in meetings, plotting an off-season plan. It'll be less hectic than last year for general manager Mike Maccagnan, who was new on the job, but 2016 will present its own unique set of challenges.

Here's a primer on where the Jets' stand in terms of the salary cap and free agency :

How much cap space will they have?

The 2016 cap reportedly will fall somewhere between $150 million and $153.4 million. Right now, the Jets have $134.8 million committed to the cap, according to NFLPA records. The number will be adjusted based on the amount of unused cap space carried over from 2015. The Jets don't have much of a carryover -- perhaps close to $3 million. Do the quick math, and you'll see the Jets figure to have a minimum of $18 million in cap room. It's certainly a far cry from a year ago, when they had more than $50 million at the start of free agency.

Which players have the biggest 2016 cap hits?

The top 10: Darrelle Revis ($17 million), D'Brickashaw Ferguson ($14.1 million), Brandon Marshall ($9.5 million), Nick Mangold ($8.6 million), Eric Decker ($8 million), Antonio Cromartie ($8 million), Buster Skrine ($7.75 million), David Harris ($7.5 million), Marcus Gilchrist ($5.6 million), James Carpenter ($5.6 million). Here's a scary thought: Six of the 10 will be 31 or older.

How can they create more cap room?

The Jets don't have a lot of bloated contracts, so they can't magically create a ton of room by dumping a few players. They can loosen things up a bit by cutting Cromartie ($8 million savings), Jeremy Kerley ($1.3 million) and Jeff Cumberland ($1.9 million). They also have to address Ferguson's contract. His $14.1 million cap charge is a league-high for offensive linemen in 2016. Obviously, that's prohibitive. Look for the Jets to do something before the start of the league year, when a $1 million roster bonus is payable to Ferguson. If they save, say, $4 million by restructuring Ferguson, now you're talking about $33 million in cap room if the aforementioned players are released. It sounds like a lot of dough, but it's really not. Why not? Keep reading.

Which free agents are deserving of big bucks?

The Jets have three players who will command significant contracts -- Ryan Fitzpatrick, Muhammad Wilkerson and Damon Harrison. His poor finish notwithstanding, Fitzpatrick had a record-setting season and could land a new deal that averages at least $10 million annually. They won't mortgage the future for Fitzpatrick, 33, but veteran starting quarterbacks don't come cheaply. Wilkerson could end up with the franchise tag, which projects at $16 million. Harrison considers himself the best nose tackle in the NFL, so you have to assume he wants to be paid like it. That means at least $4.5 million a year. As you can see, the money goes quickly. It will be difficult to re-sign Harrison, especially if he hits the open market.

Who are the Jets' unrestricted free agents?

Aside from Fitzpatrick, Wilkerson and Harrison, their free agents are Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell, Stevan Ridley, Chris Owusu, Kellen Davis, Ben Ijalana and Willie Colon on offense. On defense, we're talking about Leger Douzable, Stephen Bowen, Calvin Pace, Demario Davis, Jamari Lattimore, Erin Henderson, Darrin Walls, Antonio Allen and Jaiquawn Jarrett. Kicker Randy Bullock also will be a free agent. The restricted free agents are Kenbrell Thompkins, Zach Sudfeld and Ryan Quigley.

Who stays and who goes?

Fitzpatrick and Wilkerson will be back. It sounds like Todd Bowles really wants to keep Harrison, but it'll be tough. They'll try to re-sign Ivory and Powell, but don't be surprised if both leave. Hey, you can't keep everybody. The Jets could be looking at a total overhaul at running back. Demario Davis isn't likely to return; he lost playing time to Henderson, who is worth re-signing on a one-year deal. None of the other free agents is a must have, although players such as Douzable, Walls and Allen can be depth players for the minimum salary.

Does Maccagnan have a blockbuster move up his sleeve?

Aside from keeping his own big names, it'll be tough to made a splashy move because of the cap situation. That, coupled with the fact they have only six draft picks, means they will have limited resources. That's problematic because this team, despite winning 10 games, needs an infusion of young talent. One bargaining chip could be Sheldon Richardson, but his trade value is hurt because of the uncertainty surrounding a possible suspension. They could try a tag-and-trade with Wilkerson, but those are rare and his broken leg complicates the issue.

What are their positional needs?

They need speed at running back, an edge pass rusher, at least one new starter on the right side of the offensive line and a kick returner who actually scares opponents.

>      http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/57838/addressing-the-jets-salary-cap-free-agency-issues-as-offseason-begins

[#27TheDominator]

Cimini makes no mention of cutting Breno.  Interesting.  I wonder if that is his take from listening to Bowles or just his WAG.

[kelly]

-- Mike Maccagnan hasn't had much time to judge his performance in his first year as the New York Jets' general manager.

There are too many other things to do - such as focus on next season.

''I probably won't catch my breath until after the draft,'' Maccagnan said Thursday while meeting with reporters for the first time since November.

The Jets went 10-6 in Todd Bowles' first season as coach, but missed the playoffs after losing the regular-season finale at Buffalo.''We're happy with the progress we made,'' Maccagnan said. ''I think in a perfect world, you're hoping to be a team that competes for the playoffs and we came one game short, and that was disappointing.''

New York started 4-1, but then hit a tough stretch in which it lost four of five to sit at .500.Then, things turned around, with the Jets winning five straight to put themselves right back into the postseason picture. Huge seasons from Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Chris Ivory and Muhammad Wilkerson were all contributors.But now comes the hard part: Trying to build off that and actually reach the playoffs next season.

''One nice thing about our season, I thought, was watching the team kind of come together in the locker room, and that's some of the stuff - those intangible things - that are hard to judge,'' Maccagnan said.''I thought at the end of the season, we came together and did some nice things and statistically, we did good things, but I felt good that we got closer to maybe being a team that could go in there and compete for a playoff spot every year.''

Here are some things to know from Maccagnan's state-of-the-franchise sit-down as the offseason begins :

MO'S MONEY: Wilkerson is scheduled to be a free agent this offseason, and has been looking for a long-term extension with the team. He broke his right fibula against the Bills, and Maccagnan said the recovery time is about six months.The GM doesn't think the injury will not affect negotiations with Wilkerson, who had a career-high 12 sacks this season. Maccagnan did acknowledge that the Jets would like Wilkerson back, and ''absolutely'' could use the franchise tag on him - or any of the team's other free agents.

WILL FITZ STILL FIT?: Fitzpatrick is coming off a career season in which he set the franchise record with 31 touchdown passes. During the Jets' five-game winning streak, he threw for 13 TDs and just one interception.But in the game against Buffalo,Fitzpatrick was intercepted in each of New York's final three possessions.Still, Fitzpatrick established himself as a leader after taking over the starting job when Geno Smith had his jaw broken by a punch from Ikemefuna Enemkpali in August.

He could command somewhere around $10 million a year, but Bowles has already said Fitzpatrick will go into next season as the starter - if he returns.''We'd like very much to get him back, obviously based on how he played this year,'' Maccagnan said. ''But I don't really want to get into the speculation aspect of it. I would simply leave it at: We'll see how this thing works out.''

THE ''OTHER'' QBs: Maccagnan said Bryce Petty made ''a lot of progress'' in his rookie season after being drafted in the fourth round out of Baylor. He added that the Jets are ''very excited'' about having another offseason to work with him.Smith played in just one game this season, leading to speculation that the team could potentially cut ties with the 2013 second-rounder. Maccagnan said ''he's under contract'' and liked how Smith handled the training camp incident and progressed during the season. The GM added that the team will see how Petty and Smith continue to develop in the offseason, without committing to any scenario.

D-LINE SHUFFLE?: Nose tackle Damon Harrison is considered one of the league's best run stuffers and is in line for a big payday in free agency.''In a perfect world,'' Maccagnan said, ''we would like very much to have Damon back in the organization.''With Wilkerson and Harrison scheduled to be free agents, Maccagnan acknowledged that the salary cap could be a factor in keeping the line together. But, he added: ''Hypothetically or philosophically, it's not impossible.''

FREE AGENCY: The Jets won't have as much cap space as they did last offseason, when Maccagnan went on a spending spree to bring in the likes of Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, Buster Skrine, James Carpenter and Marcus Gilchrist, and trade for Fitzpatrick and Marshall.But they'll be somewhere in the middle of the pack, and that should be enough to ''target players,'' which Maccagnan said will be the approach. He added that the goal is to try to keep as much of the team in place as possible while making it more competitive - and setting up ''the longer-term sustainability.''

>     http://sports.yahoo.com/news/jets-maccagnan-turns-focus-offseason-free-agents-210923448--nfl.html

[kelly]

-- In a better-late-than-never, season-ending session with reporters, New York Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan gave a state-of-the-team update on Thursday. Most of the 30-minute sitdown focused on the upcoming offseason. Some thoughts and observations :

1. The Geno Smith clock is ticking: Reading between the lines, which is necessary with the always-measured Maccagnan, I came away with the impression Smith is far from entrenched in the team's 2016 plans. He's under contract, but we know that doesn't mean anything. Maccagnan said some nice things about Smith, going so far as to overstate his mediocre performance against the Oakland Raiders, but he stopped short of committing a roster spot.Maccagnan said he wants "to see how Geno and Bryce [Petty] progress in the offseason, and go from there -- and that's assuming we're able to re-sign Ryan [Fitzpatrick]."

Translation: Smith will be expendable if Petty, entering his second year, is able to show he can be trusted as the No. 2.

The second-year GM seemed a bit uncomfortable when presented with this scenario: If Fitzpatrick bolts in free agency, how would you feel about Smith as your starter? "Uh, I would say right now it would be interesting, you know," he said. "That's a question more to see how he does in the offseason."

Prediction: Smith's status will be an issue for the next few months because, heaven knows, the Jets won't provide any clarity.

2. Maccagnan is confident he can re-sign Fitzpatrick: Reiterating what Todd Bowles said at the end of the season, Maccagnan said he'd "like very much to get him back, obviously, based on the way he played this year." The Jets want Fitzpatrick, and his value is greater to them than any other team. I'd be surprised if he's not signed before the start of free agency.

3. Muhammad Wilkerson will get the franchise tag: No, Maccagnan didn't come out and say it, but he strongly suggested it will happen if they can't agree on a long-term contract. The new twist in the story is Wilkerson's surgically repaired broken leg, which will require a six-month rehab, according to the Jets. Maccagnan downplayed the injury as being a potential factor in negotiations, but we'll see. The Jets have been dragging their feet for several months, and the injury could provide a built-in excuse to buy more time with the tag.Wilkerson won't be happy, of course. No player wants the restriction of the franchise tag. They might not see him in the flesh until training camp.

4. The Jets are hungry for "Snacks," but ...: Bowles has made it clear he wants to re-sign talented nose tackle Damon Harrison, who, like Wilkerson, is headed to free agency. Maccagnan echoed that sentiment, saying, "In a perfect world, we'd like to have Damon back in the organization."Thing is, the perfect world happened last offseason, when Maccagnan stepped into the ideal salary-cap situation -- endless riches to spend. It's an imperfect world now, meaning there will be serious cap restrictions. Maccagnan claimed "it's not impossible" to keep the talented defensive line together but didn't sound confident. If he can retain Harrison and Wilkerson, along with Fitzpatrick, it'll be a winning offseason.

5. Bowles and Maccagnan are opposites: For Bowles, it was all about making the playoffs. That was the measuring stick for the season. Maccagnan said it was "disappointing" to fall short in the final game, but he didn't convey disappointment. He said he's "happy with the progress we've made," adding, "I kind of felt good that we started to become closer to being a team that could go in there and compete for a playoff spot every year." Maccagnan is the big-picture guy, and maybe his approach complements the win-now Bowles, but competing for a playoff spot won't cut it anymore. They should've made it this year. The honeymoon is over.

>       http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/57971/analyzing-gms-state-of-the-jets-including-geno-smiths-cloudy-future

[#27TheDominator]

5. Bowles and Maccagnan are opposites: For Bowles, it was all about making the playoffs. That was the measuring stick for the season. Maccagnan said it was "disappointing" to fall short in the final game, but he didn't convey disappointment. He said he's "happy with the progress we've made," adding, "I kind of felt good that we started to become closer to being a team that could go in there and compete for a playoff spot every year." Maccagnan is the big-picture guy, and maybe his approach complements the win-now Bowles, but competing for a playoff spot won't cut it anymore. They should've made it this year. The honeymoon is over.

>       http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/57971/analyzing-gms-state-of-the-jets-including-geno-smiths-cloudy-future

This smells a little like Idzik's first offseason.  Now THEY HAVE TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS OR ELSE.  The team exceeded expectations, but they had a weak schedule.  In 2013 they had a horrible point differential but were 8-8, in 2015 they played two historically sh*tty divisions.  Personnel moves were graded on the usual - new guy installing his system curve.  Everything looks good now, but we have to improve - only we have no RB under contract.  We have two $10M+ players to pay/replace, one on each side of the ball.  We are cap strapped.  The draft may turn out well, but Smith sucked, Petty did nothing, Mauldin showed promise but was no full time player.  Specials were a shambles.  Plenty of opportunity for this to go off the rails.

[kelly]

The Jets' offseason is underway, and there are plenty of questions about how they plan to build on last season's promising debut for coach Todd Bowles. 

So let's answer some of those questions here in our weekly mailbag. 

@DarrylSlater there's strong OLB free agency class. Do you think the Jets sign one to a multi-year deal?

1:18 PM - 13 Jan 2016

 

I think that's possible. But remember, the Jets don't have a ton of salary cap space entering free agency (more on cap space below). It's clear the Jets have a major need at the outside linebacker/edge rusher spot. Lorenzo Mauldin, a rookie in 2015, showed flashes of potential. But what else do the Jets have? Not much. Strong-side linebacker Calvin Pace is a 35-year-old pending free agent. The Jets cut rush outside linebacker Quinton Coples, a former first-round draft pick, during the season. Some mock drafts have already projected the Jets to address their outside linebacker need that way.

 

The Jets have the 20th overall pick, and Georgia outside linebacker Leonard Floyd has been mentioned as a possible target. In terms of pending free agent 3-4 outside linebackers, you're looking at Von Miller, Tamba Hali, Aldon Smith, Nick Perry, and Courtney Upshaw as probably the highest-value options. The Jets likely won't have enough cap space to splurge on a top-end outside linebacker like Miller. But there are certainly other options out there in free agency. As you mentioned, it's a strong group. 

 

> http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/01/mailbag_how_should_jets_address_issues_at_outside.html#incart_river_index

[kelly]

At his season-ending press conference last week, general manager Mike Maccagnan wouldn't reveal whether the Jets plan to draft a quarterback this year,which makes sense,considering Maccagnan has nothing to gain by showing his hand to the rest of the NFL.But in a subsequent radio interview with WFAN's Mike Francesa, Maccagnan opened up a bit more on his philosophy for finding a quarterback. He did it by relating a story from when he interviewed for the job 12 months ago with a group that included former Washington GM Charley Casserly and Hall of Fame ex-Packers GM Ron Wolf, who assisted in the process as consultants."It's funny," Maccagnan told Francesa. "When Ron Wolf was in the interview process—I got a chance to spend a few days with him before I was actually hired. And Ron, he asked me a question in the interview about, hey, how do you go about finding a quarterback? What's your philosophy on finding or developing quarterbacks?

"And I gave this very long, detailed answer; that was in the interview, actually. A couple days later, I was kind of waiting to find out what was going to happen. I was here on the weekend; this was after the second interview, and I went out to dinner with Ron and Charley, kind of waiting to see what happened."I remember asking Ron, 'Hey, you asked me that question.' ... So I asked him [the same] question; I thought I was going to get this long, complicated, like really detailed [answer]. And Ron sort of said, 'Well, you draft one every year.'

"And it was that simple kind of logic—now I'm not necessarily going to say I'm going to go out and draft one every year, but the thought process, when you really drill down on it, was it's such an important position, you do take them, but you also take them with the idea of developing them. And that's where the conversation proceeded."Maccagnan had made it clear in his presser last week he's not into drafting a quarterback just to draft a quarterback. Rather, he said he would evaluate quarterback along with every other position and determine whether to take one based on where a given quarterback is on the Jets' draft board once the Jets get a chance to make any one of their six picks.

Quarterback is kind of a forever problem for the Jets. Ryan Fitzpatrick is due to become a free agent, but he and the Jets have expressed a mutual desire to stay together. Fitzpatrick is 33, and while his performance in 2015 was encouraging, his three interceptions in the must-win finale at the Bills left a lot of fans cold. The Jets also have Geno Smith and Bryce Petty, and Petty was selected in last year's fourth round specifically so the Jets could give him time to develop.And that, more than anything else, is indicative of Maccagnan's quarterback philosophy."[It's] so often that young quarterbacks get thrown into the fire way too quickly," Maccagnan told Francesa. "Really, with Bryce, it was nice to have the ability to just let him kind of sit, soak, take it in, because it can affect their development. Now, on the flipside, we have an offseason with Bryce, and a lot of that's going to be very impactful with how he develops. And then we'll probably have more of a gauge of where he's at this coming preseason when he actually gets out there and has to play. But it's a guy we like."

So: If Maccagnan does draft another quarterback, don't look for that quarterback to get plugged in right away as some kind of instant franchise savior. Fitzpatrick will likely be back. But beyond that? This thing's going to take time. And that's the plan.

>    www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/01/how_does_mike_maccagnan_plan_to_find_a_quarterback.html#incart_river_index

[kelly]

It is college all-star game season. The top NFL Draft prospects get invited to the Senior Bowl. Lesser prospects end up in games like the East-West Shrine Game and the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Apparently there was a new game created this season called the Tropic Bowl for even lesser prospects. The game singled out Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan to thank him for attending.

According to the game's official website, 27 NFL teams and 4 CFL teams sent representatives to scout.

The fact the Canadian Football League is sending scouts was an indication of the talent level in this game. Five NFL teams did not even send a scout. The Jets sent their general manager. Is this an indication of the emphasis the Jets are putting on thorough scouting of the college game and leaving no stone unturned to find hidden gems? I will leave that for you to decide.

>    http://www.ganggreennation.com/2016/1/20/10802834/new-york-jets-offseason-mike-maccagnan-attended-tropic-bowl

[kelly]

EA Q&A: Jets’ Needs Come Into Focus

@eallenjets GM Mr. Allen! Q1. Drafting priority. RB or OLB or bestplayer Q2. Give one positive and one negative about the current roster Thx

EA: Since free agency precedes the draft, let’s start with the running back position.

Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell and Stevan Ridley all have expiring contracts. Ivory, who earned his first Pro Bowl trip, went over the 1,000-yard mark (1,070) for the first time and also totaled a career-high 8 TD in 2015. Bilal Powell, who scored touchdowns in Weeks 13, 14 and 15, was a key cog down the stretch. Although Powell missed five games, he posted career highs with 47 receptions and 388 receiving yards. Powell provided the same kind of late-season spark that Ivory gave the unit early in the campaign. The Jets will put their free agency board together and assign figures to where they’d like to get the various contracts done at. While the Jets would like to retain as many of their own free agents as possible, not everyone will return. GM Mike Maccagnan has expressed the desire for a speed edge/finesse-type pass rusher while acknowledging it’s very seldom that healthy productive pass rushers reach the open market. There are many things to like about the roster. The Jets have an elite defensive line and you could make an argument that the Brandon Marshall/Eric Decker combination is the top WR tandem in football. There is impressive depth at the corner position and Calvin Pryor could become one of the NFL’s better safeties. Both Maccagnan and head coach Todd Bowles said they would like to increase the speed on this team in 2016.

@eallenjets @nyjets who is more important Chris ivory or Bilalpowell

12:08 PM - 20 Jan 2016

 

EA: Both. Ivory was the catalyst early, but the Jets made a great adjustment when Bilal Powell returned from injury at Houston in Week 11. After consistently facing loaded boxes and with Brandon Marshall battling through a high ankle sprain, the Jets needed another weapon and Powell provided just that especially as a receiver but as a rusher as well. You think about the scoring run against the Cowboys and then the 56 rush yards in the OT triumph over the Patriots. It should also be noted that Ivory, who led the AFC in rushing, pitched in with a career-high 30 receptions himself. Both were important to this football team and look no further than Week 17 if you needed further evidence. While Powell was inactive, Ivory was limited throughout the practice week and still managed to rush for 81 yards.

 

@eallenjets who do you think jets fans should keep an eye on as far as fa targets, both of our own and others?

 

EA: Jets fans are a knowledgeable bunch, so they’ll keep an eye on everyone. The headliners for the Jets in no particular order are

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell, Muhammad Wilkerson and Damon “Snacks” Harrison. The Green & White also have a pair of inside linebackers with expiring contracts in Erin Henderson and Demario Davis. Since signing as an unrestricted free agent in 2008, soon to be UFA Calvin Pace has led the team in sacks (43.0) and forced fumbles (14). Veteran guard Willie Colon is contemplating retirement. When Mike Maccagnan was asked about needs last week, he mentioned a speed pass rusher, more competition at the tight end position and repeated his belief of adding offensive linemen in the draft. He has repeatedly stated that he wants to keep most of his own players, augment his roster through free agency and ultimately build through the draft.

@eallenjets @nyjets would the jets consider drafting a RB like Henry with their #1 pick?

EA: I don’t think the Jets would NOT consider drafting a running back in Round 1, but you would probably say the same for every positon sans probably kicker and punter. There are two things that come to mind with Maccagnan in terms of the draft. While he will use need in order to break a tie, Maccagnan has always said teams get themselves in trouble by reaching for need. And he has maintained that you can’t miss on your picks Rounds 1-3, but teams really separate themselves between Rounds 4-7. Now we are a ways off, but if the Jets had a RB as the clear top prospect on their board when they go to select in Round 1 – they’d take that player.

@eallenjets whats going on with petty and smith if fitz comes back

EA: If Fitzpatrick re-signs with the Jets, Todd Bowles said he would be the starter.

Geno Smithis still under contract and the Jets liked the way he handled himself throughout the regular season. Maccagnan was asked about Bryce Petty in the Jets season ticket holder conference call and I’m going to write about the Baylor product in the days ahead. The Jets believe Petty has the physical ability to be a starting caliber QB in the future and they thought he progressed on the practice field during his rookie campaign.

>      http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-1/EA-QA-Jets’-Needs-Come-Into-Focus/2a8332be-bad9-434a-88e3-3eec674df416

[kelly]

Good morning, welcome to championship Sunday. Before you watch the games, here's a New York Jets mailbag for your reading pleasure :

@RichCimini How is this team going to build for the future when they are paying too much for a bunch of old guys? #jetsmail

11:15 AM - 22 Jan 2016

 

@RichCimini: Congratulations, Johnny. In 22 words, you captured the biggest question facing general manager Mike Maccagnan. He's being hailed as a genius for a strong first year -- voted Executive of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America -- but the landscape has changed. We're about to find out how he operates without a boat load of cap space.

Consider this sobering reality : Six of the eight highest cap charges for 2016 belong to players who will be at least 31 next season. They are: Darrelle Revis ($17 million), D'Brickashaw Ferguson ($14.1 million), Brandon Marshall ($9.5 million), Nick Mangold ($8.6 million), Antonio Cromartie ($8 million) and David Harris ($7.5 million).Do the math. The total is $64.7 million. Those six players, based on their current contracts, will eat up 43 percent of the projected cap, give or take a few percentage points. The official salary cap amount still hasn't been announced.

The point is, the Jets' payroll is top heavy with older players. You have to figure Ryan Fitzpatrick, 33, will crash the party when he signs his new contract. They have to get younger without sacrificing wins, and that's one of the hardest things to do in sports. They raised the bar with a 10-win season, so no one wants to hear anything about rebuilding.

The Jets need two things to happen :

1. The young players already on the roster have to take giant leaps forward. I'm talking about Devin Smith, Lorenzo Mauldin, Jace Amaro, Dee Milliner, Marcus Williams, Dexter McDougle, Quincy Enunwa and Brent Qvale, among others. This is where coaching comes in. Player development will be key for Todd Bowles and his staff.

2. Maccagnan needs a killer draft in April. He was hired because he's considered a college draft guru; well, start guru-ing. With only six picks, he should look to add picks through trades, but what options does he have? Muhammad Wilkerson? A tag-and-trade is very difficult to pull off. Besides, do you want to trade your best defensive player ? Sheldon Richardson ? Too much uncertainty with a looming suspension.

As you can see, Maccagnan has a quandary. The work doesn't get any easier for the Executive of the Year.

>    http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/58110/too-many-highly-paid-older-players-could-impede-jets-progress

[kelly]

D-Line Depth Will Be Showcased in Mobile

Posted Jan 24, 2016

Eric Allen Sr. Reporter/Director, Internet Programming Email @eallenjets On the Inside

•  
•  

Senior Bowl Week Commences Monday in Mobile, Alabama

After a weekend snowstorm along the East Coast, NFL scouts might not be able to escape more precipitation in Mobile, Alabama this week. With rain in the forecast down south, many of the nation’s top seniors will attempt to enhance their draft prospects during Senior Bowl Week.“I think the Jets fans are going to really want to watch again that defensive line because there are some players that are listed as defensive linemen who I believe might be able to not only play that traditional 4-3 DE role but also as a 3-4 rush ‘backer,” said CBS draft analyst Rob Rang. “Noah Spence from Eastern Kentucky, an Ohio State transfer, is the most dynamic athlete among this year’s defensive linemen/outside linebackers. Edge rushers would really make a lot of sense with the Jets.”

The Jets interior defensive line remains one of the best in football and there are decisions ahead as both Pro Bowl DE Muhammad Wilkerson, who racked up 12 sacks last season and NT Damon “Snacks” Harrison, who totaled a career-high 92 tackles, have expiring contracts. GM Mike Maccagnan has expressed an interest in adding some more speed off the edge this offseason.“Bronson Kafusi from BYU has the length the Jets have shown a preference for as well and Tyler Fackrell from Utah State. You don’t necessarily think of great athletes from Utah State, but Fackrell reminds me a little bit of another former Utah State Aggie Bobby Wagner who had a splash performance in the Senior Bowl a couple of years ago and wound up being a very good inside linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks,” Rang said. “Fackrell is a completely different type of player as an edge rusher and he does have that sneaky athleticism that I believe is going to show up Senior Bowl Week.”

The Green & White added an intriguing young pass rusher last spring, selecting Louisville productive Lorenzo Mauldin in the third round. As the season progressed, Mauldin got more time and he finished his rookie campaign with 4.0 sacks.“Lorenzo Mauldin is a prime example of why I believe the Jets fans should be focusing in on the defensive line this year because Mauldin of course was a DE while at Louisville and made that transition outside a little bit as a linebacker. It just gives you a lot of versatility,” Rang said. “It’s a similar kind of skill-set of what Noah Spence provides and that’s why I think teams are going to be very much watching those defensive line battles this week in practice.”

While the North & South rosters were released Friday and this is a week for the seniors, Rang expects the underclassmen to steal the headlines in April.“I think we’re going to continue to see underclassmen dominate the first round,” he said. “In fact, I had only eight seniors among my top 32 prospects. I think we’re going to see that and I think the story of this year’s draft is going to be the defensive linemen – 11 defensive linemen among my personal 32 top prospects at this point.”

>   http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-7/D-Line-Depth-Will-Be-Showcased-in-Mobile/9cf76f8d-f9f9-418e-ac3e-f1c2d58f9b7d

[Lupz27]

The Jets offseason plan is about as clear as I've ever seen, the top brass isn't even trying to hide it.

Get faster, and players with high motors EVERY WHERE.  If you are good AKA Kerley, but slow sorry you don't fit without another special skill like a D Harris who is commander, and chief on the field for Bowles.

RB, and LB both Inside, and Outside are the 3 positions this will apply to most, and then they need to figure out the best OL solution, and if Fitz is coming back at QB, other than that I think things stay the same except maybe losing Harrison on the DL.

DL, WR, TE, and Secondary will for the most part be kept in tact sands Cromartie, and possibly Snacks.  And if they lose both the Jets will be looking in Rounds 3-7 for replacements not spending big money on the open market for them.