Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

Yannick Ngakoue clearly doesn't want to be a Jacksonville Jaguar, nor does he want to play under the $19.3 million franchise tag. He even scolded his team on Twitter on Tuesday for preventing him from "taking care of his family" and begged them "Let's move on."

So yes, teams are circling to see if the Jags have had enough and are willing to trade their 25-year-old pass-rushing star. At the moment, there's no indication that they are, but things could always change. And if it does, one thing is clear about this situation:

Trading for Ngakoue is going to cost a lot.

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter

The Jets' offensive overhaul continued with the addition of former Carolina Panthers guard Greg Van Roten over the weekend.

Much like George Fant, Van Roten took an unusual path to where he is now. The 30-year-old did a solid job over the past few seasons as a starter with the Panthers, but prior to that, he had been out of the league for several years and spent two years playing in the CFL. He didn't make his first NFL start until he was 28.

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter

Jets general manager Joe Douglas stated publicly that the team was going to make the offensive line a priority in free agency this offseason. And he wasn't kidding. So far, the Jets have agreed to terms with four new offensive linemen and re-signed last year's left guard, Alex Lewis.

Looking at the players the Jets have brought in, some very clear patterns have emerged, from which we can infer several things about the plans for Adam Gase's offense in 2020.

It's not completely clear where each of these pieces will fit into the offensive line next season, in part because the team probably hasn't finished in terms of its overhaul process. While it perhaps now seems unlikely they'll make a splashy move for a big name like Trent Williams, they could still opt to re-sign Kelvin Beachum and are still expected to draft at least one offensive lineman early on in next month's draft.

Through the first wave of free agency, Joe Douglas and the Jets have taken time to improve the team's offensive line -- their No. 1 offseason priority -- while also bringing back a number of their own players who had hit the open market.

With moving pieces now falling into place, here's a look at how the Jets' depth chart may be looking right now (or at least our best guess), though there's still work to be done ...

QUARTERBACK: Sam Darnold, Mike White

This offseason, much has been made about the Giants' backup quarterback situation, but the Jets could also use a veteran signal-caller behind Darnold. Trevor Siemian and David Fales, both of whom saw playing time with Darnold dealing with mono last season, are both free agents, and the Jets must add to the QB depth chart.

White is a former fifth-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys, but he doesn't have the experience many teams look for at the backup spot.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

The start of free agency has been a bit quieter than many expected it would be for the Jets. They took the important first steps towards rebuilding their offensive line, and brought back slot cornerback Brian Poole, too.

So far, though, that's it.

The official numbers aren't in on all of their new contracts yet, but it's believed the Jets have about $25 million or so left to spend under the NFL's $198.2 million salary cap. And there are several veterans they could easily cut to create another $20 million in room.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

From the first day he arrived at Jets headquarters, Joe Douglas made it clear his priority was fixing the Jets' offensive line. He inherited a mess, he could obviously see it, and he knew cleaning it up it was his most important job.

"You guys know how I feel about the offensive line," the Jets GM said at the scouting combine in February. "It's hard to have a good team without one."

The Jets' line isn't yet good enough to power their team, but as promised, Douglas certainly took steps in that direction during the opening days of free agency. He took a flier on tackle George Fant, re-signed the Jets' best lineman in guard Alex Lewis, and landed the best center on the market in ex-Bronco Connor McGovern.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

The Jets entered free agency figuring to be players for many of the top offensive linemen on the market. But just hours after the negotiating window opened, many of those linemen are gone.

That's not good news for the Jets, who were unable to sign any of the top tackles or guards on the board -- at least not yet. So with guards Brandon Scherff and Joe Thuney franchise tagged, guard Graham Glasgow signing with the Denver Broncos and right tackle Jack Conklin signing with the Cleveland Browns, where will the Jets turn?

They do still intend to sign free agent offensive linemen, according to a source, and one of their new targets is Carolina guard Greg Van Roten. They also have an interest in Stefan Wisniewski, who played for the Chiefs last season, according to a report in The Athletic. Both are 30-year-old veterans and obviously aren't the young linemen Jets GM Joe Douglas was hoping to find. But both would provide an upgrade to an offensive line that was a mess last season.

Cross one potential offensive lineman addition off the board for the Jets.

The Washington Redskins have placed their franchise tag on Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff.

SNY's Ralph Vacchiano notes that Scherff would have been high on the Jets' shopping list, but they never really thought he was going to hit the open market.

Originally the fifth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Scherff has become one of the best interior linemen in the league, earning three Pro Bowl invites in his five seasons. He's committed just 19 accepted penalties over those five seasons and has never been called for holding more than five times in a single year.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

The entire NFL knows that GM Joe Douglas is getting ready to overhaul the Jets' offensive line. The only question is how. They assume it'll be a mix of draft picks, big money free agents, and possibly a trade. And everyone has their theory on how he'll do it.

One consensus did emerge, though, at the NFL Scouting Combine last week. Multiple NFL sources said they'd be "shocked" or "surprised" or even "blown away" if Douglas didn't take an offensive lineman with the 11th pick in the NFL draft.

"How could he not?" said one NFL executive. "There are legitimately four starters that will go in the Top 15. They all have Pro Bowl potential. One, maybe even two of them, will be there for the Jets. He can't go wrong (picking a lineman). And he can get a receiver later.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

Free agency hasn't worked out well for the Jets. They spent a lot of money under former GM Mike Maccagnan and very few of those contracts have turned out to be worth the money. Some of them, in fact, now look like the worst deals the Jets have ever made.

So it's with that knowledge and a sense of great caution that the Jets head into their first offseason under new GM Joe Douglas. He's armed with about $50 million in salary cap space to spend, and likely a lot more coming when he's finished with his cuts. And he will spend, because he has to on a team filled with far too many holes.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

The Jets will head into the first free-agent signing period under new GM Joe Douglas with a ton of money to spend for the third straight year. This time they'll start with at least $50 million, and probably a whole lot more.

The question, though, is whether he'll spend it any better - or smarter - than former GM Mike Maccagnan did.

That remains to be seen, of course, but Douglas will have to begin this offseason erasing some of Maccagnan's mistakes. There are plenty of players on the roster with huge salaries who aren't exactly living up to the numbers. Douglas will have the opportunity to clear a few of them out.

After having the No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft in 2018 and 2019 and nabbing Sam Darnold and Quinnen Williams, the Jets find themselves all the way down at No. 11 for the 2020 draft.

But there will still be plenty of elite players to choose from.

Here's how the latest mocks see things shaking out...

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

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.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

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. 

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

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.

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter

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.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

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.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

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:

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter

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

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

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.

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter

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.

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter

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.

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter

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.

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter

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...

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter

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...

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter

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...

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter

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.

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter

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...

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter

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?

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

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."

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter

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.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

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.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

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.

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter

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.

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter

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.