Jets Free Agent Profile: What to do with LT Kelvin Beachum?

Jets Wire takes a look at whether or not New York should bring back cornerback and impending free-agent left tackle Kelvin Beachum.

Before Joe Douglas can focus on who he plans to target in free agency come March, he’ll have a handful of in-house decisions to make.

The Jets have 32 players set to hit the open market this offseason. Some don’t figure to factor into New York’s plans for 2020, while it’s safe to assume the Jets would like to keep others around for a while. Either way, Douglas has a lot of work to do in his first offseason on the job.

Kelvin Beachum has served as New York’s starting left tackle for the last two years. He performed well as Sam Darnold’s blindside protector, but has battled a bevy of injuries and isn’t getting any younger. Should Douglas keep the veteran around for another year? Let’s evaluate the situation in Jets Wire’s latest free agent profile.

Pros of bringing him back

The Jets struggled mightily in the trenches in 2019, but Adam Gase and company never had to worry about what Beachum would bring to the table on a weekly basis.

When healthy, Beachum delivered in both run and pass protection He helped keep the pocket relatively clean and Darnold off his back more often than not.

Beachum is not an elite left tackle anymore, but he gets the job done better than most. It’s tough to find reliable tackles on the open market and rookies take some time getting used to dealing with NFL edge rushers. With that in mind, Douglas should at least consider bringing the veteran back for another go around.

Cons of bringing him back

Beachum missed four games in 2019 due to injury and played through a variety of ailments down the stretch, including two sprained ankles.

Beachum will turn 31 before the beginning of next season. Considering how physical things get in the trenches, it’s worth questioning Beachum’s durability moving forward. Yes, he toughed it out through injuries last season, but will he be able to do the same in 2020? That might not be worth betting on.

The verdict

It’s tough to let solid players walk, but the Jets need to get younger on both sides of the ball. If New York was a sure-fire contender heading into next season, the decision on Beachum would be an easy one. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

He’s not going to be easy to replace, but odds are Douglas and the Jets elect to move on from Beachum in the offseason. Look for Douglas to target an offensive tackle with New York’s No. 11 overall pick to fill the void.