The Jets decided to bolster their defensive line by picking Fort Hays State DT Nathan Shepherd with the 72nd overall pick. 

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If you're a team like the Jets, still in the beginning stages of a total rebuild, you can take a chance on raw players like Nathan Shepherd, a Canadian who was a smallish linebacker in high school before growing into an NFL-caliber defensive tackle at Division II Fort Hays (Kan.) State....

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The Jets own the third pick in this year's draft, their highest since 1996. How have they drafted in the first round over the past five years?

2017: Safety Jamal Adams, No. 6

It's too early to tell how Adams' career will pan out, but the signs so far have been promising. He started every game in his rookie year as the Jets' secondary definitely played better than it had in 2016. On the field, Adams had his ups and downs, but he showed flashes of brilliance in a versatile role. Off the field, he's played a big part in the ongoing culture change that has galvanized the team and has also been a useful tool in player recruitment.

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Jets GM Mike Maccagnan made it clear he had no worries about the state of the Jets' defensive line heading into the offseason. Sure, they've lost a lot of talent in recent years, trading Sheldon Richardson, cutting Muhammad Wilkerson and not re-signing Damon Harrison.

But they still have Leonard Williams, the sixth pick of the 2015 draft, and despite a down season last year, the Jets have huge expectations for him.

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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.

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Three years ago, the Jets seemed to have the makings of the best defensive line in football. They added Leonard Williams to a line that already featured Mo Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, and Damon Harrison. The potential seemed to be huge.

Now Wilkerson, Richardson, and Harrison are all gone, and Williams is coming off a disappointing, two-sack season. So, it makes sense that the Jets will spend a bunch of their $90 million or so of salary cap space in upgrading their defensive line

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The Jets have seen Sheldon Richardon, Damon Harrison, and Quinton Coples depart within the past few seasons. With the departure of Muhammad Wilkerson thought to be imminent, they suddenly find themselves in a position where they lack depth on the defensive interior.

In addition, a potentially promising pipeline of young depth hasn't really materialized. Deon Simon and Claude Pelon couldn't crack the rotation, and spent most of the year on the practice squad, while Lawrence Thomas became a full back. Leonard Williams will be back, but his 2017 season was arguably just as disappointing as Wilkerson's, and he might find that teams can more readily gameplan around him if he's not surrounded with the same kind of talent...

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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Another year has come and gone without the Jets winning the Super Bowl. Even the Philadelphia Eagles now have ended their forever Super Bowl drought. If you're counting, that's 49 straight Super Bowls that have been played without the Jets.

Can the 50th time be their charm?

What's old may be new again if the Jets and Sheldon Richardson have their way.

The former Pro Bowler and the club will be looking at a possible reunion this offseason when the 27-year-old becomes a free agent, reports the Daily News.

The Jets (5-7) face the Denver Broncos (3-9) on Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Here's what's going on Tuesday:

Need to know

The Jets return to practice on Tuesday after head coach Todd Bowles gave the team the day off following "Victory Monday" in celebration of Sunday's 38-31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. 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.

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter: The Jets once again gave a good account of themselves in this game, but they had too many defensive penalties and the offense dried up in the fourth quarter, enabling Miami's come-from-behind win. Despite knocking Jay Cutler out of the game, the Jets were unable to protect a 28-14 lead, the first time since 1999 they've had a two score lead in the fourth quarter and not won. Let's start this week by breaking down the performances on the defensive side of the ball:

Defensive Line

Once again, the defensive line didn't generate any sacks, but this was an extremely encouraging performance. Leonard Williams and Muhammad Wilkerson combined for five quarterback hits, and each stuffed a couple of runs as the Jets held Miami to just 53 yards on 25 carries. Williams almost picked up his first sack on a blitz from middle linebacker that led to Jamal Adams recording the sack cleaning up, while Wilkerson intercepted a tipped pass to set up a touchdown. Moreover, they both looked more powerful and explosive than they have in recent weeks. Hopefully this is a sign that they are getting closer to 100 percent...

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- On the day the Jets re-signed Muhammad Wilkerson in the summer of 2016 to a blockbuster, five-year, $86 million contract, they made it clear they were banking on him and not Sheldon Richardson. Fourteen months later, Richardson was traded.

The biggest story of the Jets' offseason was their purge - Mike Maccagnan's systematic dismantling of the roster by getting rid of every high- or moderately-priced veteran he could find. Some were outraged, considering it to be proof that the GM didn't know what he was doing. Others thought it was proof of the Jets' plan to tank.

Just curious: Is anyone complaining now?

Never mind that the Jets are 2-2, proving that even if they're not good, they certainly are more capable than anyone gave them credit for being. Just look at the long list of veterans Maccagnan purged from his team. Look at what they're doing - or not doing in most cases. Look at how far they've fallen from what they were.

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A year after finishing with the sixth-worst record in the NFL, the Jets are expected to be among the league's worst teams in 2017. How bad are they supposed to be? Maybe not historically bad as some suggest, but they are still in a rebuild.

LAST YEAR

5-11, last place AFC East

In the latest episode of The Jet Stream, Jeané Coakley and former Jets guard Willie Colon look back at the Sheldon Richardson trade, and discuss whether the deal was a thumbs up or thumbs down for Mike Maccagnan. Later, Jeané and Willie discuss the team's cuts, and preview the Jets' Week 1 matchup with the Buffalo Bills.

Click below to listen!

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Two weeks ago, Todd Bowles went bold, promising in a radio interview that the Jets are "not going to be a terrible team." He promised a tough, scrappy team that will be competitive and "win more games than everybody ever expected."

Considering the way the Jets have systematically torn down their roster since last year, that was some really tough talk from an embattled head coach. It was an unexpected, though probably welcomed, show of brashness. But it begged the question:

WR Jeremy Kerley, who the Jets signed on Tuesday, participated in practice with the Jets on Wednesday.

Kerley, 28, spent last season with the 49ers, where he caught 64 passes for 667 yards and three touchdowns. He signed a three-year extension with the 49ers in March but was cut over the weekend.

"I didn't want to be anywhere else. …This is the place where I felt the most comfortable," Kerley told reporters Wednesday. "At the end of the day, it was kind of the perfect fit."

The Jets added defensive lineman Lawrence Thomas to their practice squad on Tuesday and released defensive lineman Patrick Gamble.

The Jets had just added Gamble to the practice squad on Monday along with offensive lineman Geoff Gray, wide receiver JoJo Natson and cornerback Terrell Sinkfield.

The Jets claimed four players off waivers on Sunday and added eight players to the practice squad over the past two days.

The New York Jets' defensive linemen are adjusting to life without Sheldon Richardson after the franchise traded him to the Seattle Seahawks for wide receiver Jermaine Kearse, a 2018 second-round pick and swapped seventh-round picks.

Though Richardson was a former Pro Bowler, hesd coach Todd Bowles said the Jets' depth up front was a reason they could afford to trade the 26-year-old Richardson.

"That was our deepest position at the time," Bowles said, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini. "Obviously, we have three other guys that can play and we have [Mike] Pennel that can play and we have Claude [Pelon] that can play. You don't replace a guy like that, you just do different things."

Newly-acquired wide receiver Jermaine Kearse said he feels he has a lot to prove after the Seattle Seahawks traded him to the Jets for defensive end Sheldon Richardson.

"I'm here to do whatever I can to help this team win games," Kearse told reporters on Monday. "... I got a chip on my shoulder and I have a lot of things to prove."

The Jets acquired Kearse, who is entering his sixth season in the league, on Friday when they dealt Richardson, a 26-year-old Pro Bowl defensive end entering the final year of his contract, to the Seahawks. The Jets also received Seattle's 2018 second-round pick, and the two teams agreed to swap seventh-round picks.

"It was a good move for both parties," head coach Todd Bowles said on Monday. "... We needed an extra wide receiver, we needed an extra pick and they got a good player."

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Sheldon Richardson is an incredibly talented defensive end with the potential to be dominant at times. He's only 26 years old, too, and may have only scratched the surface of what he can do in the NFL.

He is, on the surface, the kind of player a team should build around.

But the Jets still made the right move to trade him - and they made a terrific deal...

The Jets have traded DL Sheldon Richardson to the Seahawks for WR Jermaine Kearse, SNY's Ralph Vacchiano confirmed. 

The Jets will also received the Seahawks' 2018 second-round pick as well as both teams swapping their seventh-round picks. 

The Jets have been trying to trade Richardson since last season due to his lack of maturity, per ESPN's Rich Cimini. Recently, his words about former teammate WR Brandon Marshall didn't come to the liking of head coach Todd Bowles.

Bryce Petty and the Jets stormed back after falling behind 29-3 at the half, scoring three touchdowns in the final two quarters, but a failed two-point conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter doomed the comeback attempt in a 32-31 preseason loss to the Giants on Saturday >> Box score

Petty, who left in the second half with a knee injury, was 15-for-18 and threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns in relief of Christian Hackenberg. Hackenberg returned after Petty's injury and finished 12 for 21 with a touchdown and two interceptions. Veteran quarterback Josh McCown did not play.

Matt Forte had 10 carries for 43 yards and two catches for one yard, while Bilal Powell had a big day receiving, hauling in four catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. He also had seven carries for 32 yards. ArDarius Stewart had four receptions for 63 yards and two touchdowns for the Jets.

The Jets, who scored 28 points in the second half, limited the Giants' offense to just three points in the final two quarters. Julian Stanford had eight tackles, including two for a loss, while Lawrence Thomas had five tackles. Buster Skrine had two tackles and two pass deflections and Marcus Williams broke up three passes. Sheldon Richardson had a sack and Juston Burris had an interception.

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Todd Bowles plans to name his starting quarterback sometime early next week, which means his answer should become pretty clear by late Saturday night.

Unfortunately at the moment there's nothing clear about it at all.

New York Giants offensive lineman Justin Pugh is ready to go up against New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson on Saturday after their brief Twitter spat last month.

When Pugh took a shot at the Jets in early July, Wilkerson responded by saying he should be ready for the annual Jets-Giants preseason game ...

New York Giants offensive lineman Justin Pugh is ready to go up against New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson on Saturday after their brief Twitter spat last month.

When Pugh took a shot at the Jets in early July, Wilkerson responded by saying he should be ready for the annual Jets-Giants preseason game...

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Todd Bowles has had more than enough of the Sheldon Richardson-Brandon Marshall feud.

After 11 months of sniping back and forth between the two of them, and one day after Richardson reignited the war by ripping Marshall in a radio interview, the Jets coach made it clear he's had enough of their fighting. Bowles even grew testy with the media when asked about Richardson's latest remarks.

Jets DE Sheldon Richardson has taken another shot at former teammate, Giants WR Brandon Marshall, as he called him "drama queenish" after games last season. 

In an interview on The Michael Kay Show, Richardson recalled how Marshall supposedly acted following Jets' losses last season. It was the reason the two had altercations in the first place. 

"That whole situation was sticky because we lose and he did little things that were drama queenish," Richardson said. "Dogging out this guy, that guy. It's everybody's fault except his. And there's a reason this, a reason that, and everybody pointing the finger when you losing, and then no one wants to say something to him. Then I say something to him, and I'm the criminal, the bad guy, and the media just ran with it."

 Jets DE Sheldon Richardson has taken a shot at former teammate, WR Brandon Marshall yet again as he called him "drama queenish" after games last season. 

In an interview on The Michael Kay Show, Richardson recalled how Marshall supposedly acted following Jets' losses last season. It was the reason the two had altercations in the first place. 

"That whole situation was sticky because we lose and he did little things that were drama queenish," Richardson said. "Dogging out this guy, that guy. It's everybody's fault except his. And there's a reason this, a reason that, and everybody pointing the finger when you losing, and then no one wants to say something to him. Then I say something to him, and I'm the criminal, the bad guy, and the media just ran with it."

Jets DE Sheldon Richardson called Giants WR Brandon Marshall "drama-queenish" in the latest verbal jab between the two former teammates. 

Marshall and Richardson were first involved in an argument following the Jets' 24-3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3 last year when the two were yelling at each other in the locker room. Both of them downplayed the incident afterward, however the two have been going back and forth at each other for the past 10 months.

Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson and former Jets and current Giants wide receiver Brandon Marshall have been taking verbal jabs at each other related to how the Jets' 2016 season unraveled.

Marshall and Richardson were first involved in an argument following the Jets' 24-3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3 last year when the two were yelling at each other in the locker room. Both of them downplayed the incident afterward, however the two have been going back and forth at each other for the past 10 months.

Jets DE Sheldon Richardson, who the team was open to trading during the offseason, opened up about the trade talks surrounding him and said he's the best defensive lineman in the NFL.

"It's a business, bro," Richardson told Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News. "There was one team that asked me to take a pay cut ... and it was Seattle. And Washington too. There were a lot of offers. A lot of good offers. You'd be surprised."

Richardson, 26, is making $8.069 million this season and is eligible to be an unrestricted free agent after the season.

Jets DE Sheldon Richardson backs Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. in wanting to be the highest paid player in the NFL, per NY Daily News' Manish Mehta. 

Beckham has been getting backlash for stating he wishes to be the highest paid player some day. However, Richardson thinks he should based off of what he does for the league itself. 

"Honestly, I understand why he said that," Richardson said. "And honestly, he should be, because the NFL makes a lot of money off of him." 

"Why not? You can pretty much throw the ball anywhere in his direction and he'll go catch it. It all depends on your team, bro. If this guy's the guy that's getting it done day in and day out, he should be the highest (paid). Then you include the entertainment value that he brings to the Giants and football in general. You sell a lot of T-shirts and jerseys off his name, so why not? The dude is a superstar. There's no doubting that at all."

Sheldon Richardson needed his memory jogged a bit.

The colorful defensive lineman was asked Sunday what he thought of recent not-so-flattering comments by former teammate Brandon Marshall on the outlook for the New York Jets this season.

"Who?" Richardson asked playfully . "Who? I haven't heard that name in a while. I don't care what that guy says."

Bent, theJetsBlog.com

Projected starters: Austin Seferian-Jenkins

Projected backups: Eric Tomlinson, Jordan Leggett

Jets DE Sheldon Richardson says head coach Todd Bowles has been more strict than in the past, per Darryl Slater of NJ.com. 

Bowles has been left with a young team following the Jets' roster purge that including veterans like C Nick Mangold and LB David Harris. With his job possibly in jeopardy, he has been putting emphasis on working harder.

"It's completely different from the last couple years," Richardson said at minicamp. "A lot more strict now. We weren't loose [in the past], but it's a lot more strict now. It's even more enforced than what it has been in the past."

Quarterback Christian Hackenberg and Defensive Lineman Sheldon Richardson break down Jets minicamp and their expectations for the season.

Bent, theJetsBlog.com

Projected Starters: Jordan Jenkins, Lorenzo Mauldin

Projected Backups: Dylan Donahue, Josh Martin

Jets DE Sheldon Richardson wants to stay with the team for the rest of his caeer, but is not open to giving a hometown discount. 

The Jets, who finished 5-11 last season, are entering a rebuilding phase. But Richardson wants to be a part of it.

"A lot of guys just want to go jump on a bandwagon," Richardson told Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News earlier this week. "Older guys. Later in their career, it's easy to go jump into a good situation. It's a free market, so by all means, do your thing. But me personally, I like to make history, not be a part of it."

Jets DE Sheldon Richardson wasn't afraid to voice his disapproval of the Jets cutting veteran LB David Harris, per Manish Mehta of NY Daily News. 

Jets owner, Woody Johnson, made the call to cut Harris as he looks to shed payroll for the upcoming season. Upon hearing the news, Richardson said what many were most likely thinking. 

"It shocked the s--t out of me," Richardson said. "It is a business. But after a while it don't become a business. Dave wasn't (greedy). I know him, so I know he would have taken something (a fair and reasonable pay cut). I know he wasn't busting nobody over there. He don't want to play for free, either."

Bent, theJetsBlog.com

Projected starters: Leonard Williams, Muhammad Wilkerson, Steve McLendon

Projected backups: Sheldon Richardson, Lawrence Thomas, Deon Simon

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - The Jets swear they are not listening to the noise outside of their locker room, where they are surrounded by a near-universal prediction of doom and gloom. Some are bracing for an historic disaster of a season. Some are embracing it, hoping that when the dark clouds disperse there's a rainbow leading to USC quarterback Sam Darnold.

But what if the Jets aren't just in a state of denial? What if they sense something different going on with their rebuilding team? What if their dysfunctional, ugly, 5-11 season last year was rock bottom, and now there really is nowhere to go but up?

Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson said he is committed to being with New York for the 2017 season amid trade rumors that have surrounded him over the past several months.

Richardson acknowledged he has heard the rumors and is open to the possibility that this season, his fifth since the Jets drafted him 13th overall in 2013, could be his last with New York.

"I'd be a fool not to be open to it," he said, according to Newsday's Bob Glauber. "I just want to go out there and have a great season. I can get my trade value to go up. I can get traded during the season. Might get a first-round, second-round pick. You never know."

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Sheldon Richardson may think that Brandon Marshall was the source of the Jets' unhappy locker room last season, but Marshall's new Giants coaches and teammates see him in an entirely different way.

"Brandon has been a breath of fresh air for us," head coach Ben McAdoo said on Thursday. "He comes out, he works hard at football, you can see he loves football. It's refreshing to have a guy that's been as productive as he has over his career and has played as long as he's played, being out here working the way he works; you can really see he loves the game."

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Brandon Marshall was well aware of the "15 reasons" Sheldon Richardson had to be glad Marshall is gone from the Jets, and he knew the questions were coming. He even began his first press conference with the Giants by saying "Sheldon Richardson questions, go ahead and open it up."

But Marshall tried not to open up about his running feud with his former teammate. He preferred to stay as much as possible on the high road instead.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Brandon Marshall was well aware of the "15 reasons" Sheldon Richardson had to be glad Marshall is gone from the Jets, and he knew the questions were coming. He even began his first press conference with the Giants by saying "Sheldon Richardson questions, go ahead and open it up."

But Marshall tried not to open up about his running feud with his former teammate. He preferred to stay as much as possible on the high road instead.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - He's been a disappointment on and off the field for most of the last two seasons, and he knows the Jets have tried their best to ship him somewhere else. Yet as the Jets begin preparing for the 2017 season, Sheldon Richardson is still on their roster.

And the Jets believe -- or at least hope -- he's returning more motivated than ever before.

"After just one day in OTAs, and watching him move around, this guy -- I shouldn't say (he has) a chip on his shoulder," said Jets defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers. "I think he kind of has something to prove."

That seems obvious given how the last two seasons have gone. He's been suspended twice -- four games in 2015 for violating the league's substance abuse policy, and once last season after he was arrested for resisting arrest and other traffic violations when he was caught driving 143 miles per hour with a loaded gun and a 12-year-old in his car. He also had a disappointing five sacks in 11 games in 2015, and a dismal 1 ½ sacks in 15 games last year...

Jets DE Sheldon Richardson took a swipe at former teammate Brandon Marshall on Tuesday after the Jets' first day of OTAs.

While answering a question regarding whether he wanted to remain with the Jets (he does), Richardson said the "locker room is a whole lot easier to get along with now."

After being asked why the locker room is better, Richardson said "let's just say there are 15 reasons why it's better." Marshall wore No. 15 with the Jets...