2022 Jets FA signings (Merged)

[maury77]

7 minutes ago, JoJoTownsell1 said:

How many tight ends in the NFL wouldn't be the #5 option on that team? 

And there are definitely zero free agent TEs That would be a better option than those 5 guys. 

The point wasn’t that he should have been better than the guys listed, it’s that no one was focusing on him because they were focusing on the other guys.

[Rangers9]

Well I hope we can finalize our backup Qb positions soon before all reasonable QBs have signed. If that means signing Flacco and White they should do it asap. In the past the Jets have been too slow acting on this. 

[Bleedin Green]

It's a solid move as when you're talking FA, this is by no measure a huge deal.

Not necessarily the answer for the team, but certainly an upgrade for one of the Jets' greatest weaknesses for a very long time.  This  move at least makes TE less of a desperation need than it was yesterday, which is a key to FA, if only to keep you from desperately reaching in the draft.

For how much some may want the Jets to go TE in the 2nd, that's not the kind of mindset a team should ever have.  If the way the board falls they have a few TEs with 3rd round grades, or a LB or DB with a 1st round grade that slipped all sitting there, they can't get themselves obsessed with only one position, and Uzomah at least helps make it easier not to.

However, this also is far from stopping the team from continuing to do plenty more at the position, if they find others that they like.

[JetPotato]

This is great and all, but I want to feel stuff like this DURING the season too. 

[ZachEY]

2 hours ago, Jet Life said:

Add another in the draft 

 

2 hours ago, Lith said:

Should not impact the priority to draft a TE on day 2.

 

2 hours ago, Jimmy 2 Times said:

I like the signing and hope they add 1-2 more in the draft.  

 

2 hours ago, jetstream23 said:

Add a TE at #38 in the Draft,

 

2 hours ago, xJayce said:

I wouldn't be surprised if we draft another TE in the 3rd. 

 

2 hours ago, Jetsfan4life90 said:

Yeah, I hope Trey McBride is still a target in the draft. 

 

2 hours ago, Joe W. Namath said:

We will still be drafting Trey McBride in Round 2.

 

2 hours ago, RedBeardedSavage said:

I’m about it. Still add one… maybe 2 in the draft,

 

2 hours ago, Jets723 said:

I think we will draft a TE in Round 2 or 3 

 

1 hour ago, New York Mick said:

Good signing but they still need to draft one. 

 

1 hour ago, JiFapono said:

Still need to draft a TE. 

 

1 hour ago, doitny said:

 we got to draft a good TE.

 

1 hour ago, The Crusher said:

I honestly don’t know but I think we may still be drafting  a guy. I mean, kinda still have to, right?

 

1 hour ago, johnnyjet said:

I definitely think we draft a TE.

 

16 minutes ago, Irish Jet said:

 Would still draft another.

Wondering if the Jets may still draft a TE?

[jetstream23]

1 minute ago, ZachEY said:

Wondering if the Jets may still draft a TE?

That's a genius suggestion. Tell JD.

[greenwave81]

6 hours ago, Bowles Movement said:

Fant has one more year on his contract.  If they cant re sign him they could still draft Oline that is a super sub  and competes for OT this year and next.  If he beats out Fant they keep Fant as a sub or trade him for a pick or player-OTs have value.  If they extend Fant then your contention becomes much more likely.

Not only that, but we have no idea what the NYJ CS's opinion of Becton is at this point.  They watched him ALL last year in his quest to get back on the field after watching him all pre-season. The new regime may not have very high hopes for Mekhi.

While I sincerely doubt the Jets will draft an OT in the first round this year, I would completely understand if they do....because a 30+ yo  LT in the final year of his deal and a young questionable draft pick coming off a missed season due to an injury is no sure solution at OT.

[Irish Jet]

7 minutes ago, ZachEY said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wondering if the Jets may still draft a TE?

Last time the idea was this popular we traded for Doug Jolley. 

[The Crusher]

7 minutes ago, ZachEY said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wondering if the Jets may still draft a TE?

 

[Sperm Edwards]

Needed: a TE2 who could start the whole season if required, so they won’t need to reach for a TE in the draft because they left the hole open.

Signed: a legit starting TE, surely with the idea of drafting someone else - probably day 2 - who *gasp* may not reach his career ceiling as he starts the fall of his rookie season, particularly since they need someone to help in pass protection and rookie pass catchers usually suck at it.

$8MM/year is more than I’d expect his contract to be, but we’ve been saying this about a lot of guys and I think it’s just fans not yet used to this extra year of inflation following an artificially low cap ceiling in ‘21. Having him at TE didn’t stop the Bengals from reaching the Super Bowl, and since the game was so close, maybe they win it if he didn’t recently sprain his MCL. 

We’ll see overall this season, but given the FA options at the position - and the extreme need - it seems like a solid signing.

[Long Island Leprechaun]

Connor Orr in SI on Uzomah. Makes enormous sense why he will help Wilson.

TE C.J. Uzomah to the Jets

One of my favorite moves of free agency so far, Uzomah gives Zach Wilson some serious peace of mind as an additional edge blocker and expert blitz pick-upper in the backfield. Watch some of the damage he was able to do in the backfield last year in Cincinnati. Had it not been for Uzomah, Joe Burrow may have been sacked 100 times. It always seemed like he’d fit ideally with an outside zone team given his quickness off the ball and his eagerness to block. Uzomah played well enough to price himself out of the Bengals’ market while the team spent their money on the offensive line. He was, behind the scenes, one of the team’s great “locker room guys” of the Super Bowl run.

GRADE: A

[BUM-KNEE]

Good news, it was a good day.

[RedBeardedSavage]

22 minutes ago, Long Island Leprechaun said:

Connor Orr in SI on Uzomah. Makes enormous sense why he will help Wilson.

TE C.J. Uzomah to the Jets

One of my favorite moves of free agency so far, Uzomah gives Zach Wilson some serious peace of mind as an additional edge blocker and expert blitz pick-upper in the backfield. Watch some of the damage he was able to do in the backfield last year in Cincinnati. Had it not been for Uzomah, Joe Burrow may have been sacked 100 times. It always seemed like he’d fit ideally with an outside zone team given his quickness off the ball and his eagerness to block. Uzomah played well enough to price himself out of the Bengals’ market while the team spent their money on the offensive line. He was, behind the scenes, one of the team’s great “locker room guys” of the Super Bowl run.

GRADE: A

Bringing back Berrios, signing LT3 and bringing in Uzomah - three players needed for the offense, but probably more importantly, all seem to be good for the team culture.

It was a good day. 

I had my fun ripping JD but definitely happy about a good day one here. 

Now don't F this up and pay some safety superhero money. 

[NJ]

Great move for us - keep'em coming. He may not be our long term solution at TE but is certainly an upgrade

[Jet Nut]

4 hours ago, Larz said:

The Cincinnati Bengals drafted C.J. Uzomah in the fifth round of the 2015 draft as a developmental prospect at tight end. Four seasons later, Uzomah has struggled to achieve the stats of a league-average player at the position. While he’s had to share snaps with Tyler Eifert and Tyler Kroft, both were injured early this year, and Uzomah failed to take advantage of the opportunity, producing a 57.4 grade that ranks 34th out of 41 qualifying tight ends.
 

 

at least it’s not Engram, that dude blows lol

its really great getting down voted by facts only when you post the facts ?

Nice copy and paste of a 2019 article.  Thats why I downvoted the pointless piece of SOJF material

 

[Hex]

8 hours ago, Bruce Harper said:

I am not the most detail-oriented fan but I do watch every game.  How bad is it that I don't remember this guy?

Probably only really blocked. I don't think they used him as a ball carrier much.

[Sperm Edwards]

18 hours ago, Hex said:

@Maxman wanted a new thread for all of the Jets signings, here it is.

 

List so far:

New Guys:

G Laken Tomlinson

Resigned Guys:

WR Braxton Berrios

FB Nick Bawden

FS Lamarcus Joyner

OT Conor McDermott

Missed it that they’d re-signed McDermott. Hope none of it’s guaranteed. I know they like as many repeat faces as possible for this OL, even among backups I guess, but he’s terrible.

Oh yeah, and PFF has McDermott and Fant ranked about on par with each other in both pass and run blocking. Made total sense, particluarly in pass protection, seeing how Fant gave up 1 sack all year and McDermott gave up 2 sacks in each of his 2 starts. 

[Jet2020]

6 hours ago, Lith said:

TE?  What does that stand for?  Have we ever had one of them before?

Dustin Keller was our best TE of the century by far and he was average. 

[WestCoastMole]

The big question regarding the acquisition of CJ Uzomah is what does Cincinnati do to fill in the hole. They are drafting number 31 in the first round of the draft. Have the Jets set themselves up to be sniped in their quest to land Trey McBride ?

[BurnleyJet]

Ah an actual Tight End what do you know. Good move solid player.

[mrcoops]

I don't get the negativity over this signing at all. Uzomah is a big TE who can run, block and catch.  He was a major asset for the Bengals in their Superbowl run, and a valuable weapon for Joe Burrow. I'm surprised that the Bengals let him get away, and even more surprised that it was the Jets who paid up to get him out of Cincy.

He was huge for the Bengals in their first two playoff games before he got injured, and fought to get back for the Superbowl. He's a leader and a great locker room presence - very important for a young team with a young QB.

I'm sure the Jets aren't done at the position, but this is a really good start.  And when is the last time we had a TE who could make plays like this?

 

[Fantasy Island]

I like the signing,  we needed a TE.

Would be a plus if he can dig lasers out of the turf before they skip.

getting players from winning cultures is a definite plus

[Dcat]

10 hours ago, LAD_Brooklyn said:

That's a lot of money for 450 yards. Hopefully he's a beast.

he has shown signs of that. We'll see.  I still want a TE in the draft. 

[Dcat]

10 hours ago, JoeWillieWhiteShoesHOF said:

So it’s shaping up to be draft a potential WR1 and ALL D.....I’m good with that, Wilson is the #1 priority as he should be and Douglas knows that.

Wow a TE finally....what’s that?  Douglas knows what he’s doing, and there is a definite Plan.

Still should draft a TE prospect. 

[jamesr]

10 hours ago, Gen X Jet said:

Meh- disappeared in the playoffs and not a big threat in the regular season either.  Maybe better in our system?

He was injured in Q1 of the AFCCG, ruled out of the game and was doubtful to even play in the Superbowl.

CJ Uzomah in the 2021 regular season - 49 catches, 493 yards, 5 TDs.

CJ Uzomah in the 2021 playoffs - 15 catches, 146 yards and a TD. (Most of this was in 2 games).

For comparison ...

Ryan Griffin in the 2021 regular season - 27 catches, 261 yards and a 2 TDs.

 

 

[Dcat]

10 hours ago, Larz said:

The Cincinnati Bengals drafted C.J. Uzomah in the fifth round of the 2015 draft as a developmental prospect at tight end. Four seasons later, Uzomah has struggled to achieve the stats of a league-average player at the position. While he’s had to share snaps with Tyler Eifert and Tyler Kroft, both were injured early this year, and Uzomah failed to take advantage of the opportunity, producing a 57.4 grade that ranks 34th out of 41 qualifying tight ends. at least it’s not Engram, that dude blows lol

10 hours ago, munchmemory said:

Thank you, Larz, for educating these bandwagon jumpers.

Oh you slaves to stats.  Never seeing the larger picture.  Uzomah has flashed at times and is a solid signing, but let's address 2021.  When you have Chase, Higgins, Boyd AND Mixon to throw the ball to, you are not going to see a lot of action going towards the TE.  When your franchise QB is coming off a terrible injury, you use your big TE to protect his ass at every turn.

There's a lot more to this than Uzomah's stats.   

Downvoters are correct here.  And if that was an "education", then the entire school staff needs to be fired.

[Dcat]

10 hours ago, Lith said:

Solid blocking TE.  SHowed some promise as a receiver last year.  Better than anything we have had for the past few seasons.  Should not impact the priority to draft a TE on day 2.

exactly.  And with Chase..Higgins..Mixon..Boyd as outstanding targets, how much opportunity was CJ going to get in the passing game realistically?  He will have better opportunity here.  And he is a good blocker as the Bengals kind of needed to do everything to protect their star QB after that bad 2020 injury.  And we kind of need our TE to be able to do that a bit, ya think?    That's why you don't go after a TE like Engram who is useless in protection and the run game.  

This was a very good signing.  I still think they take a TE on day 2.  It's just a 3 yr contract and I don't know if or when the out clause will be. 

[Francis Sawyer 37]

10 hours ago, FidelioJet said:

Would like to see the details on the deal, but he's not a legit weapon.

Certainly an upgrade over what we had, but we still need weapons.

This guy with TE at 35/38 will be fine....

Yes he is a weapon.

Dude is really good but was over shadowed by the Bengals WR corp which I believe to be the best in the NFL.

[Dcat]

11 hours ago, Paradis said:

6.5 francos out of 10. 

Does that include Franco Harris or John Franco?  If so, I'm in.

[Mike135]

Love the pickup.  For him to produce 450+ yards on a team with those weapons is pretty impressive. 

[Copernicus]

2 hours ago, mrcoops said:

I don't get the negativity over this signing at all. Uzomah is a big TE who can run, block and catch.  He was a major asset for the Bengals in their Superbowl run, and a valuable weapon for Joe Burrow. I'm surprised that the Bengals let him get away, and even more surprised that it was the Jets who paid up to get him out of Cincy.

He was huge for the Bengals in their first two playoff games before he got injured, and fought to get back for the Superbowl. He's a leader and a great locker room presence - very important for a young team with a young QB.

I'm sure the Jets aren't done at the position, but this is a really good start.  And when is the last time we had a TE who could make plays like this?

 

Excellent post Coops, not surprised. I agree with all that you wrote and I would add that this also DOESNT  put us in a position where we MUST draft a TE at 35 and 38. Tomlinson and CJ Uzomah not only takes pressure off HAVING to draft at these positions but it also makes it not obvious to the other NFL teams the direction we are headed. I am all in on McBride, but if we don't land him I am totally fine with Uzomah, Yaboha, and either Ruckert, Wydermyer, or  Otton. Same could be said about the OLINE. 

[kmnj]

We have no tight end so he is an improvement but he is not more than an avg te and part of the reason he had opportunities is because of chase Higgins and  Boyd - he won’t get that here

 

[The Crusher]

2 hours ago, Fantasy Island said:

I like the signing,  we needed a TE.

Would be a plus if he can dig lasers out of the turf before they skip.

getting players from winning cultures is a definite plus

Oh you!  Haha 

[Sammybighead]

There’s negativity over this signing???

ALOL you guys are nuts. This guy can do everything well and is LEADER with heart at the TE position!!! Something we’re desperately lacking. Pair him with another high upside TE in the draft and you have something special. You can’t simply ignore Uzomah when he’s out there cause he can catch and run (also he won’t get Zach killed).

[Ken Schroy]

14 hours ago, SR24 said:

 

Nicely done JD.