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.

Trading for Demaryius Thomas was a necessary move once Quincy Enunwa went down with a season-ending neck injury, but things did not work out as well as Douglas would have liked with the veteran wide receiver in 2019. Thomas battled injuries throughout the season and struggled to consistently put together impactful performances when healthy. However, he emerged as a leader in the locker room and occasionally served as a reliable target for Sam Darnold downfield.

Is that enough to warrant a return in 2020? Let’s evaluate the situation in Jets Wire’s latest free agent profile.

Pros of keeping him

Thomas is getting up there in age, but is still a reliable downfield target thanks to his size and physicality.

Thomas caught 36 passes in 2019 and averaged 12 yards per reception. Those numbers are not too shabby considering he missed five games and had to share targets with Robby Anderson, Jamison Crowder and Ryan Griffin.

The Georgia Tech product is not the electric weapon he once was with the Broncos, but he gets the job done when called upon. That could be enough to entice Douglas to bring him back on a short-term deal next season.

Cons of keeping him

Thomas is 32 and has battled injuries throughout the last couple of seasons. He is still only a year removed from a major Achilles injury and has clearly lost a step since returning to the field.

The Jets can bring in a younger and cheaper player to fill Thomas’ role. His leadership might be irreplaceable, but the durability concerns might be enough to make Douglas think twice when it comes to re-signing him.

The verdict

It is highly unlikely Thomas returns to the Jets in 2020. There is really not much of a place for him on New York’s roster considering the direction the team is heading.

Why would Douglas re-sign an aging and declining receiver when Sam Darnold clearly needs more electric weapons to work with? Thomas is a good locker room guy, but that is not enough to save him in this situation.