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.

In another addition of Jets Wire’s free agent profile, let’s evaluate Ryan Kalil’s free agent situation.

Pros of keeping him

Kalil performed below expectations in his first season with the Jets, but he did get a late start in training camp.

Kalil was signed by the Jets in late July after Douglas convinced him to come out of retirement. The Jets were hoping that he’d help out Sam Darnold in reading opposing defenses, but he was unable to stay healthy for the majority of the season. When Kalil was healthy, he struggled to hold up in run and pass blocking, as did the rest of the offensive line.

Kalil should be cheap given his age and how he played last season, so if the Jets want to have a veteran presence in the locker room, then why not bring him back as a backup or mentor for a new young center?

Cons of keeping him

The Jets are going to want to get much younger in the trenches and Kalil doesn’t fit that profile.

The offensive line had a lot of wear and tear on it and that included Kalil. He played like a player who was on the last leg of his career. Kalil didn’t assist Darnold much in picking up blitzes, as he was one of the league’s most sacked quarterbacks.

At this point in his career, Kalil doesn’t provide much value to a rebuilding team, so it would be a waste of money to bring him back even for one more year.

The Verdict

Assuming Kalil even wants to continue his career, New York should move on. There was a reason the Jets gave him a one-year deal: to find out of he was still the player he was in Carolina. It didn’t take long to see that he clearly wasn’t.

Kalil got one last paycheck out of the Jets in 2019 and didn’t do much to earn it. He should probably retire again, but the Jets should definitely find a new center regardless.