From a wide lens view, the New York Jets 2022-23 season was a step in the right direction. It went from 4 wins the year prior to 7 wins this year. But ultimately, they have fallen short of the goal of making the playoffs—something the Jets haven’t done in 12 years.
Heading into year three of the Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh marriage, the expectation is that they take another step forward into making the playoffs.
Here are three moves the Jets MUST make this offseason to make the playoffs a reality:
1. Figuring out What to do at Offensive Coordinator:
Due to the Jets offensive struggles in the past two years, they have recently announced that they have parted ways with OC Mike Lafleur.
Now, where do they go from here?
This job opening is one that Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas will have to sell to potential candidates. When asked what Saleh’s sales pitch would be, he said,
“We do have a top-5 defense, we’ve got a really good young group of skill guys, going to attack the heck out of the OL & we are going to be aggressive as heck when it comes to QB play.”
People around the league believe this opportunity to turn this offense around could be a nice ‘resume builder’ that could lead to opportunities as a head coach.
But with a team that must take a step forward into the playoffs next year, it comes with a level of pressure some coaches may want to stay clear of.
Reports are that the Jets are casting a “wide-net” in their search for a new OC.
NFL Insider Ian Rapoport recently reported strong candidates, with the expectation more names will emerge.
Other names to watch out for in the next few days are Derrell Bevell (Dolphins QB Coach) & Nathaniel Hackett (Broncos OC), who both have coaching ties to Saleh. Both have had a level of success as play callers in the past.
2. Sign or Trade for Veteran Quarterback:
Jets owner Woody Johnson recently spoke to the media and gave some insight on the offseason plans.
When asked if he would be willing to spend what it took to upgrade at QB, he said,
“Absolutely…That’s the missing piece.”
Last time Woody went all in on a quarterback, the Jets landed Hall of Famer Brett Favre. With many of the cornerstone players being on rookie contracts, there is no better time to land a big-name QB.
According to Jets reporter Connor Hughes, there are three quarterbacks the Jets believe they could acquire to upgrade at the position significantly.
• Jimmy Garoppolo
• Derek Carr
• Lamar Jackson
Jimmy G:
Jimmy has been linked to the Jets due to his connection with Head Coach Saleh, as they all spent time together in San Francisco and even made a Super Bowl run in 2020.
Out of the last 50 possible games for the 49ers, Jimmy has only been available to play in 32 of them. Therefore durability will be a factor in whether they peruse him or go in another direction.
But oddly enough, Jimmy is a proven winner. In his 74 games played, he has managed a draw-dropping .716 winning percentage, which ranks amongst the best in NFL History. Believe it or not, Jimmy has a 10-2 record in games he throws 0 TD passes.
He may not be the most attractive QB option, but with a team who wants to win with a great defense and run game, Jimmy could prove to be the guy for the job.
Derek Carr:
It seems as if Derek Carr tenor with the Raiders may be coming to an end via his latest tweet.
Raiders and Carr have agreed to work together to find a trade partner, and according to Draft Kings, the Jets have the best odds of landing him at +400.
It seems as if the Jets will be aggressive in the Carr sweepstakes, as there have already been rumblings that it could happen as soon as early February.
If a trade isn’t worked out by February 15th, the Raiders will be forced to cut Carr before his $40.4M salary over the next two years becomes guaranteed. But if Carr hits the open market, expect more teams such as the Buccaneers, Saints and Panthers to get involved in trying to acquire him.
Carr currently has a no-trade clause but does present an attractive destination due to their young stars, such as OROY favorite Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall. Not to mention the Jets have a championship-level defense ready to win now.
Since they wouldn’t have to trade away many assets for Carr, it would allow them the flexibility to add more pieces around him.
Lamar Jackson:
Right now, it may seem like a long shot for Lamar to play anywhere else but in Baltimore for the 2023 season. Ravens are expected to place the franchise tag on him at the end of the year, but there are rumblings that Lamar is unhappy with how his contract negotiations have been handled.
Lamar last played on December 4th due to a knee injury, and it doesn’t seem likely that he will play during the playoffs.
The question is, is the knee truly hurt? Or is Lamar protecting himself for what is set to be a major payday this coming off-season?
Connor Hughes from SNY said
“The Jets will do everything they can to position themselves to make a very compelling offer for Lamar.”
The deal would include multiple first-round picks and a player in return for the NFL’s most dynamic player Lamar Jackson.
The downside is the blockbuster deal would limit the ability to build a stronger team around him. Still, when having the opportunity to land a transcendent-type player, you do everything in your power to make it happen.
3. Trade for DeAndre Hopkins
Jordan Schultz, theScore’s NFL insider, reported that the Arizona Cardinals plan to trade All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins this offseason.
Hopkins currently has two years and $34.26 million left on his contract but is reported to seek a new deal with his new team.
The five-time pro bowler is 30 years old and has only played in 19 of 32 games over the last two years due to injury and a six-game suspension at the beginning of the 2022 season.
When he has played, he’s been highly effective. While only playing nine games this year, he leads the Cardinals with 717 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
The Jets offense has lacked another playmaker at Wide receiver to pair with rookie Garrett Wilson and Hopkins would be the perfect pairing.
The last time the Jets traded for a wide receiver over 30 was Brandon Marshall in 2015, which resulted in a 1500-yard and 14-touchdown season.
Can history repeat itself?
