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The Jets' 6-2 finish has given the franchise a renewed sense of hope, even though GM Joe Douglas didn't want to use that word. Hope, he said, is "not a strategy." The only way they can really capitalize on their strong finish is with a plan.

And they'll need a good one, too, because while Douglas is right that "Going 6-2, that's not luck," it's also not the sign of a finished product. The Jets were a disappointing 7-9 overall this season and did not look like a franchise on the verge of a long-awaited breakthrough. They have big, gaping holes throughout their roster.

So there is a lot of work still to do.

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Jets GM Joe Douglas has a lot of work to do this offseason as he begins to reshape the roster the way he wants it to be. And he'll start with the Jets' 23 unrestricted free agents -- most of whom will likely be gone when he's done.

Here's a look at those players -- and whether Douglas should keep them or not -- plus the lone restricted free agent, and a few other players who could be, and perhaps should be, offseason salary cap cuts:

The injury bug continues to hit the Jets' offensive line, as rookie tackle Chuma Edoga reportedly has a Grade 2 MCL sprain, head coach Adam Gase confirmed on Monday.

Edoga has started at both left and right tackle for the past eight games, but that will likely change with this injury. 

"It's going to be week-to-week," Gase said during his Monday conference call. "I don't want to put an exact timeframe on it, but we'll see what this week brings us and then see how he feels as we go."

Jets head coach Adam Gase entering another week coming off a win at home, searching for his team's first win streak of the season. They have a good chance to make that happen against the lowly Redskins, whose only win this season came against the Dolphins. 

During his daily presser before practice, Gase was brought to the attention of some of his players saying this franchise as had a hard time sustaining success, though. Just when it looks like they've turned the corner with a big win, they end up taking a loss the next week to counteract it. 

That's why Gase is determined to focus solely on this week, and not have the win in the back of his mind. For him, the past week -- win or loss -- doesn't matter. 

It was announced by Jets head coach Adam Gase that TE Chris Herndon and G Brian Winters suffered tough injuries during the win over the Giants on Sunday. Now, it's the last game the two Jets will play this season. 

The Jets announced via Twitter that both Herndon and Winters have been placed on the season-ending IR. Herndon suffered a fractured rib, while Winters re-dislocated his shoulder and may need surgery. 

This is particularily tough for Herndon, who had the exact opposite sophomore campaign (or lack thereof) than his rookie season, where he proved to be a playmaker at the tight end position.

The Jets win over the Giants in Week 10 came as a costly one. 

Head coach Adam Gase said two starters, tight end Chris Herndon and offensive lineman Brian Winters, both suffered extensive injuries. 

Herndon, who was making his season debut, fractured a rib. Winters re-dislocated his shoulder and may need surgery. 

The Jets lost some protection for Sam Darnold in their tight matchup with the Giants Sunday, as right guard Brian Winters has been ruled out for the remainder of the game with a shoulder injury.

On a 3rd-and-11, Darnold tried connecting with Robby Anderson for the first down, but Anderson couldn't complete the catch before being taken down hard to the ground. The receiver was shaken up on the play and seemed to hurt his shoulder/collarbone, but was able to leave the field under his own power and eventually return to the game.

Back at the line of scrimmage, Winters was hit by another member of the offensive line and went down holding his shoulder area. He too was able to leave the field on his own after trainers came to check on him while down on the field. 

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After his second interception of the game, with the Jets already trailing, 24-0, Sam Darnold was catching his breath on the sidelines, lamenting the blitzes that kept breaking through the offensive line. It was clear he was either rattled or, at the least, confused by what he was seeing.

That's when the ESPN mic caught him saying "I'm seeing ghosts."

That's not a good sign for a quarterback, but it's clear that's what was happening. He was under so much pressure in the pocket, forced to deal with pass rushers coming from everywhere, he couldn't get an accurate read on the coverage. He was seeing things that weren't there, and not seeing things that were there.

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After a disappointing start to the season, the Jets vowed to work towards improving matters coming out of the bye week. They made two lineup changes - one enforced due to injury and one that was apparently a coach's decision - but it didn't seem to help as they gave up a season-high 10 sacks in the loss to the Eagles.

In his appearance on ESPN Radio's Michael Kay Show on Monday, Adam Gase stated that the team is going to work some different combinations of players in practice to try and figure out which lineup works best. They will be keen to be competitive over the next few weeks to try and turn the season around, but with Sam Darnold returning to action on Sunday, protecting their prized asset becomes their number one priority.

Despite the gaudy sack numbers, was the offensive line really any worse on Sunday? A breakdown of the film reveals that only one of the sacks was registered within 2.5 seconds, as stand-in quarterback Luke Falk was slow to process, didn't get rid of the ball quickly enough, and didn't do a good job of moving around to extend plays.

The Jets took a step in the right direction as quarterback Sam Darnold returned to practice Wednesday, but New York's injury report remained cluttered with key players on both sides.

While the Jets' starter recovers from mononucleosis with an eye on a return at some point in October as the day-to-day recovery continues, linebackers CJ Mosley (groin) and Jordan Jenkins (calf) were among those held out.

While neither Darnold nor Mosley has not played since Sept. 8's 17-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the season opener, Jenkins missed Sept. 22's 30-14 loss to the New England Patriots.

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The Jets spent the last three years deep in a rebuilding process, hoping for a better tomorrow. But with two moves over the last week, new GM Joe Douglas has made it clear that he believes tomorrow has finally arrived.

No, the acquisition of a 34-year-old, recently-retired center (Ryan Kalil) and a trade for an oft-injured guard (Alex Lewis) aren't the moves that will push the Jets over the top or even into contention. But what they do is signal a new, more aggressive, even urgent approach from the front office. Both players are under contract for only this season. Together, they could cost the Jets more than $10 million.

Rebuilding teams don't make short-term, expensive moves like that. Those are the moves of a general manager who thinks his team can win now.

Jets new GM Joe Douglas said he was going to scour the waiver wire to see if there was anyone the team could add this summer. But this new addition came right before he hit the wire. 

The Jets have added more offensive line help in Alex Lewis, SNY's Ralph Vacchiano confirmed on Monday.

Lewis wrote on his Instagram on Monday that the Ravens had released him, but the Jets actually swooped in before he officially was to spark a trade with Baltimore. Vacchiano is hearing the payout is a conditional seventh round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Jets will also inherit everything left on his rookie deal, which is one year worth $2.025 million.

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The Jets weren't very aggressive in what was a shallow free agent market for centers back in March. They seemed content to go with Jonotthan Harrison at that position. Or at least former GM Mike Maccagnan did.

But coach Adam Gase was reportedly uncomfortable with that decision, and now new GM Joe Douglas found a solution. In the GM's first big splash since he was hired in June, he lured Ryan Kalil, a five-time Pro Bowl center, out of retirement on Thursday.

And that could be a huge boost to the Jets' offensive line.

In a surprise, C Ryan Kalil is coming out of retirement to join the Jets, the team announced Thursday.

The 34-year-old Kalil retired after last season, but is returning on a one-year, $8.4 million deal, SNY's Ralph Vacchiano confirmed

Kalil -- who has been named to the Pro Bowl five times -- weighed in on the move when tweeting shortly after the news broke:

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Over the next month or so, we're going to be reviewing some of the top draft prospects at each position to assess some potential candidates that the Jets will show interest in. We continue today with a look at the 2019 interior offensive lineman class.

Jets needs: centers and guards

The Jets are probably looking for two new starters on the offensive line, as left guard James Carpenter is out of contract and the team already declined center Spencer Long's option. Veterans Dakota Dozier, Jonotthan Harrison and Brent Qvale, each of whom has started a few games on the inside within the past few seasons, are all also out of contract. Any of them might be re-signed for depth, but is unlikely to be considered an adequate option to start.

INDIANAPOLIS - Mike Maccagnan and Adam Gase set the stage for an aggressive offseason for the Jets when they met the media at the NFL scouting combine last week, in part because they have no choice. They have a depleted roster, tons of cap room, a high draft pick, and a willingness to trade.

So how will they reshape their roster? They didn't exactly lay out a blueprint. But from their press conferences and plenty of info from NFL sources, here are 10 things we learned about the Jets' plans while they were at the combine...

1. The Jets aren't trading for Antonio Brown

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The NFL's offseason is now underway it's going to be one of the most important in the history of the Jets' franchise. They have a new coach, they have a franchise quarterback, and they have about $100 million in salary cap room to spend on a relatively barren roster.

General Manager Mike Maccagnan can turn things around quickly. Or he could turn the Jets into an even bigger mess.

He's already begun making his plans to reshape the roster for the 2019 season, of course, and beginning Monday he can start to put that plan into action. The big day for the Jets will be the start of NFL free agency on March 13, but there will be plenty of cuts, restructured contracts and other maneuvers in the next few weeks as they get ready.

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The Jets were more competitive this week, but still fell 27-13 to the AFC East-leading New England Patriots. Let's review three of the best and worst performances from Sunday's game.

Winners

QB Josh McCown

It was far from his best game as a Jet, but McCown passed for 276 yards and a touchdown in a steady performance that at least served the purpose of getting some of the Jets' offensive weapons involved and keeping New York in the game.

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The Jets dropped to 3-6 with a disappointing loss in Miami on Sunday. Let's evaluate three of the New York's best performers and three players who struggled.

Losers

QB Sam Darnold

While some of his struggles were in part attributable to the poor performance of his offensive line, Darnold had an erratic performance that saw him throw a career-worst four interceptions, one of which was returned for the game's only touchdown. He was also lucky not to be intercepted on a few more errant throws.

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The Jets lost by two touchdowns to the Chicago Bears on the road Sunday. Let's evaluate three of the New York's best performers and three players who struggled.

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In Sunday's 42-34 win over the Colts, Jets QB Sam Darnold put together his most complete performance as a pro, completing 24 of 30 passes for 280 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Let's look at some specific examples before we draw conclusions...

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In Sunday's win over the Broncos, the Jets controlled the game on the ground. As the running game racked up well over 300 yards, it opened up more things for Sam Darnold, and he was able to take advantage with a career-high three touchdown passes. Most importantly, the Jets won the game, putting a stop to a potential downward spiral that could have doomed their season.

Let's break down how Darnold performed...

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The Jets suffered a dispiriting 31-12 loss on the road in Jacksonville on Sunday afternoon. Let's break down how each unit performed...

Quarterbacks

Sam Darnold didn't throw an interception this week, although he had one negated by a penalty flag. He only completed 50 percent of his passes and was sacked three times as the Jets were shut out in the first half and didn't get into the end zone until the fourth quarter. Darnold missed on some deep balls, which could have made the game closer...

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The Jets blew a 14-0 lead and lost 21-17 to the Browns on Thursday night. Let's break down how each unit performed.

Quarterbacks

Rookie Sam Darnold had his worst game so far, although he was arguably somewhat hamstrung by an overly conservative game plan. He completed 15 of 31 passes for 169 yards and threw two interceptions.

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The Jets suffered a disheartening 20-12 defeat to the Dolphins in their home opener on Sunday afternoon. Let's break down how each unit performed.

Quarterbacks

While Sam Darnold passed for over 330 yards and a touchdown, the Jets missed several opportunities to get back into the game. There is cause for concern over Darnold's ability to see the field as he didn't anticipate a safety sitting on the route on his first interception and failed to see a couple of wide-open receivers that were open for potential big plays...

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Over the next few weeks, we're going to look back at last year's rookies in an effort to assess what their role will be in 2018 and where we can expect them to make improvements on what they brought to the table last year.

Elijah McGuire had what looked like being a breakout performance against the Jaguars in Week 4, when he racked up 131 yards on 12 touches, including a spectacular 69-yard touchdown run. However, that breakout never fully materialized as he struggled to produce much over the rest of the year, other than the occasional flash. Will he be able to earn a more significant role in 2018?

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Brian Winters remembers everything about the moment his 2017 season went off the rails. He remembers the time, the place, the play, and without question, the pain.

"It was second quarter in Oakland (in Week 2) with five minutes to go before half when we were driving in to the north end zone. I still remember it like it was yesterday," said the 26-year-old guard. "It was an outside zone play and (running back) Bilal (Powell) was trying to stretch it outside of me, so I went to continue to push my guy through. And as soon as I pushed through I felt like a pop."

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In 2017, the Jets outperformed most preseason projections, many of which considered them to be the league's worst team with some even suggesting they'd be historically bad on offense, and would struggle to win a game as a result.

Although the season ended with a whimper after Josh McCown's season ending hand injury in December, the Jets still won five games. Even so, they found themselves last in the AFC East for the second straight year.

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The Jets have too much business to attend to in the next seven weeks to get too deep into their draft plans just yet. They have about $90 million in salary cap space to spend in free agency first.

And what they buy with that will be a key factor in what they do with the sixth overall pick in the NFL draft.

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The Jets have too much business to attend to in the next seven weeks to get too deep into their draft plans just yet. They have about $90 million in salary cap space to spend in free agency first.

And what they buy with that will be a key factor in what they do with the sixth overall pick in the NFL draft.

The offensive line was a huge disappointment for the Jets in 2017, especially on the interior. In 2016, Wesley Johnson started eight games for the injured Nick Mangold, and the line didn't seem to suffer too badly. However, he struggled throughout the 2017 season after moving into the full-time starter role.

Guards Brian Winters and James Carpenter also failed to play as well as they had in 2016, although that may partly have been caused by Johnson struggling on their inside shoulder.   Injuries were also an issue here, with Winters in particular playing most of the season hurt, and eventually requiring surgery on an abdominal issue.

Dakota Dozier's performances in relief of Winters over the past few years have some people wondering if it was really wise to give Winters a big money extension, when Dozier doesn't appear to be much of a downgrade. However, he's out of contract now, so the Jets may need to replenish their depth.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive: The Jets started over last offseason and actually built themselves a nice core of talent. They have many young, inexpensive players they can build around this spring.

They certainly have the tools to build around them - perhaps as much as $100 million in cap room, the sixth overall pick in the draft, and some extra picks too. And that's good, because even though the Jets exceeded expectations last season, they were still 5-11, and have plenty of holes to fill.

Now, as they get ready to begin Phase 2 of their rebuilding project, here's a look at their biggest needs.

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The Patriots predictably disposed of the Jets effortlessly in the season finale, winning 26-6. From the Jets' perspective, the game was fairly meaningless, and they used it to get another look at some of the players whose future roles with the team are uncertain.

Let's break down the offensive performance from Sunday's game...

Brian Winters was placed on injured reserve just before the Jets season finale on New Year's Eve against the Patriots and has a message for his fans.

Winters has soldiered on to play in 13 games this season after tearing his abdomen and abductor muscles in week two.

"It is with great disappointment that I finish out the 2017 season on IR," Winters wrote on Twitter. "During the second quarter of game two, I completely tore my abdomen and abductor muscles. I tried as best I could to get out there and kill it every game but my body just ain't allowing me to push it any further. I'm confident that with surgery and rehab I'll be back better than ever next season."

The Jets placed G Brian Winters on injured reserve with an abdominal injury, ending his season, the club confirmed Wednesday. DL Deon Simon was actiavated from the practice squad.

Winters was injured in the second game of the season against the Raiders and missed next week's game against the Dolphins. He played through the injury until he was scratched from New York's game against the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday.

Winters, who also ended last season in IR, started 13 games at right guard for the Jets, who drafted him in the third round in 2013 out of Kent State.

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The Jets were competitive again, as they have been in every home game this year, but struggled to generate enough offense or any impact plays on defense. Meanwhile, the Chargers managed to keep their playoff hopes alive in a sloppy game that saw the teams combine for 18 punts. For New York, there's the sense that the conclusion of the season next week will predominantly be a relief to players and coaches alike for the Jets.

Let's break down the offensive performance from Sunday's game:

Quarterbacks

Bryce Petty was once again erratic and is doing little to convince anyone he has much of a future at this level. Statistically, he's been worse than he was last year, and the Jets' resolve to get him to throw downfield more often didn't manifest itself, as he averaged just four yards per attempt for the day and threw just one pass in the third quarter -- the only quarter in which the Jets scored any points.

The Jets ruled right guard Brian Winters out for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers and did not disclose whether defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson would play.

Winters has been dealing with an abdominal injury and did not practice on Thursday. Either Dakota Dozier or Brent Qvale will start in place of Winters, who has started in 13 games this season.

Wilkerson, who was benched for last week's game against the New Orleans Saints for showing up late to practice, returned to practice for the third straight day, however head coach Todd Bowles did not say whether or not Wilkerson would play.

The Jets (5-9) face the Chargers (7-7) on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Here's what's going on Tuesday:

Need to know

The Jets practice today at Florham Park. SNY's Ralph Vacchiano will be attending practice this week. Follow @RVacchianoSNY on Twitter to keep up with all the latest Jets news and rumors.

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Despite being heavy underdogs, the Jets gave a solid account of themselves this week, exploiting some sloppy play from the Saints to make Sunday's game competitive deep into the fourth quarter. In the end, the Saints' offensive playmaking abilities were too much for the Jets to keep up with, but at least they quieted those critics who had been saying they'd get blown out again.

Let's start this week by breaking down the performances on the offensive side of the ball...

Jets DE Muhammad Wilkerson is out for Sunday's game against the game after he was benched for showing up late to the team facility Friday. 

Wilkerson will not travel with the team to New Orleans as it was a 'coaching decision,' according to head coach Todd Bowles. Wilkerson supposedly showed up to the facility "very late," a source told SNY's Ralph Vacchiano. This is the third straight year the 28-year-old has been benched for being late. 

This season, Wilkerson has been underperforming with only 3.5 sacks and 46 combined tackles. 

As he has done for the last month, RB Matt Forte (knee) was on the sidelines during the Jets' practice on Wednesday. 

LB Mo Claiborne (foot), RB Eli McGuire (ankle), DB Rontez Miles (hamstring), OL Brian Winters (abdomen/ankle) and DB Rashard Robinson (excused) joined Forte as inactives.

LB Bruce Carter (groin) and LS Tom Hennessy (concussion) were limited.

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Any lingering hopes of the Jets remaining in playoff contention were put to rest by a struggling Broncos team that was met with scant resistance in their 23-0 win. This continues a season-long pattern of futility on the road for this Jets team, which drops to 5-8 on the year and now seems destined to end up 5-11 for the season season in a row.

Let's start this week by breaking down the performances on the offensive side of the ball:

RB Matt Forte, G Brian Winters, and WR Robby Anderson are all active for the Jets on Sunday in their road matchup against the Denver Broncos. 

Anderson was questionable after being limited in practice due to a hamstring injury, while Forte has been hampered by a knee injury. Winters has dealt with an abdomen issue.

QB Christian Hackenberg, CB Derrick Jones, CB Jeremy Clark, OLB Freddie Bishop, LB Bruce Carter, OLB Ben Ijalana, and OL Jonotthan Harrison are inactive for the Jets.

Jets head coach Todd Bowles was ecstatic about how short his post-practice press conference was on Friday. 

Bowles, who is usually reserved, couldn't hold in his happiness after the press didn't have any more questions for him.

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Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson will play in Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos despite being limited at practice on Thursday due to a hamstring injury, head coach Todd Bowles told reporters on Friday.

The Jets listed running back Matt Forte (knee) and offensive guard Brian Winters (abdomen, ankle) as questionable, while linebacker Bruce Carter was ruled out due to a groin injury.

Jets RB Matt Forte (knee) was a limited participant at practice on Thursday after missing on Wednesday. 

Only three Jets were kept out of Wednesday's practice: RB Matt Forte (knee), LB Bruce Carter (groin) and S Terrence Brooks (excused absence).

Forte has not practice since injuring his knee on Nov. 2 against the Bills, although he's played in each of the Jets' last two games.

CB Juston Burris (concussion) and RG Brian Winters (abdomen, ankle) were limited participants.

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The Jets overcame a shaky start to break out of their slump with their finest offensive performance of the season so far against the Chiefs. A late touchdown by Josh McCown gave the Jets the lead and the defense held on to preserve a 38-31 shootout win.

Let's start this week by breaking down the performances on the offensive side of the ball...

CB Juston Burris (concussion) is out for Sunday's game against the Chiefs.

DT Xavier Cooper (knee), RB Matt Forte (knee), and G Brian Winters (abdomen, ankle) are all listed as questionable.

For the first time since Nov. 2, Forte (knee) was able to take part in Jets practices, albeit as a limited participant, on Thursday and Friday.

Losers in five of their last six games, the Jets host the Chiefs at MetLife Stadium at 1 p.m. on Sunday.