New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas was asked a common question at the scouting combine: How aggressive will his team be in free agency?
“I would say, there’s a lot of different avenues, a lot of different tools to improve your roster,” Douglas said earlier this month. “Free agency is one of those tools. And so, I think we have a good opportunity. We have assets that we’ve acquired and we have financial flexibility. So again, there’s a lot of conversations that need to be had in the next coming days and weeks before this kicks off. But we’re gonna get this team better, any avenue we can.”
So far, the Jets have had hit after hit, at least when projecting these players to their new homes. In the comprehensive list of free agents put together by myself and Mark Schofield, Gang Green’s five signings to date — tight end C.J. Uzomah, guard Laken Tomlinson, cornerback D.J. Reed, safety Jordan Whitehead, and edge-rusher Jacob Martin — all got grades of at least A-, and there are three A+ marks on the list, which is the most for any team so far.
It’s obviously important for a team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2015, and hasn’t made the playoffs since 2010 — back in the Rex Ryan days.
Let’s take a look at each of these new Jets players, why they’re such great signings, and how they fit into what Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh and his staff wish to achieve in 2022…. and beyond.