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.

Frankie Luvu established himself as a solid piece on New York’s defense in 2018 as a situational pass rusher. Things didn’t go as planned for the Washington State product last season, as he struggled to get to opposing quarterbacks. Still, Luvu has plenty of traits that could warrant a return in 2020.

What will Douglas do with the former undrafted free agent? Let’s evaluate the situation in Jets Wire’s latest free agent profile.

Pros of keeping him

Luvu is coming off a down year, but there is still something to be said about what he brought to the table in 2018.

Luvu recorded three sacks and 11 quarterback hits as a rookie, demonstrating his ability to beat tackles rushing off the edge with relative consistency. He struggled to replicate his rookie year form in his first season playing for defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, but there is reason to believe he can right the ship in 2020.

Luvu turns 24 in September. Why let a young, talented pass rusher hit the open market when he can be kept at a cheap price?

Cons of keeping him

Luvu’s drop in production last season indicates that he might not be able to produce in Williams’ defensive scheme.

It’s confusing as to why Luvu struggled playing for the veteran defensive coordinator. Williams sometimes asks his outside linebackers to drop into coverage, but when Luvu saw the field, he was used mostly as a situational pass rusher. For whatever reason, his ability to get to opposing quarterbacks disappeared from September to December

Regardless of the reason, Luvu’s performance in 2019 is concerning and could put his future with the franchise in jeopardy.

The verdict

Luvu likely winds up back with the Jets in 2020 for a couple of reasons. For starters, there is no reason to give up on the young edge rusher just yet. One bad season does not mean he can’t get back on track with a little bit of refinery.

There is also Luvu’s status as an exclusive restricted free agent. Considering no other team is likely to offer him anything close resembling an above-average market value deal, the Jets can retain a young piece on the cheap. It doesn’t get much better than that for Douglas and company.