Jets bring Brian Poole back on bargain deal

The Jets have re-signed slot cornerback Brian Poole to a 1-year deal worth $5 million.

The Jets still need some help on the outside, but their slot cornerback will remain the same in 2020.

The Jets are-signing Brian Poole, according to multiple reports. He’s getting a one-year deal worth $5 million, according to the New York Post’s Brian Costello.

It’s another prove-it deal for Poole after he signed a one-year deal worth $3.5 million last offseason. Poole was the Jets’ best cornerback in 2019. In 14 games, Poole had 48 total tackles, one safety, five pass breakups, one interception and one touchdown.

The Jets couldn’t afford to lose Poole. He was the best slot corner on the open market and they weren’t going to get anybody better, especially at that price. It was thought that Poole would get a bigger deal elsewhere, but it looks like he took a bit of a discount to stay in New York.

With Poole back, the Jets have at least one known starting cornerback on the roster. Trumaine Johnson is going to be cut and Darryl Roberts could join him. Bless Austin was decent in the short time he was on the field last year, but he is still just a second-year player,.

More than likely, Poole will be the longest-tenured cornerback on the roster heading into 2020.

Why haven’t the Jets cut Trumaine Johnson yet?

The Jets could save $8 million on Trumaine Johnson’s dead cap hit if there’s a new CBA in place.

If you’re wondering why the Jets haven’t cut Trumaine Johnson yet, there’s a reason for that.

As noted by ESPN’s Rich Cimini, New York should be waiting to see what happens with the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. If a new CBA is agreed upon, it has a direct impact on Johnson’s dead cap hit when he does get cut by the Jets.

Under a new CBA, the Jets could divide Johnson’s $12 million cap hit over two seasons. In 2020, it would be $4 million, while in 2021 it would be $8 million. As long as the Jets label him as a “June 1” cut, they’re able to go through with this method of paying Johnson.

The current CBA doesn’t allow a team to designate a player as a “June 1” cut since the agreement is up after this season. So, if the NFL and NFLPA can’t come to an agreement on a new CBA, then the Jets would be responsible for all of Johnson’s $12 million dead cap hit in 2020.

The Jets have until March 20 to see if a new CBA is implemented. Johnson’s $11 million salary for 2020 becomes fully guaranteed on March 20.

A new CBA would provide New York with an extra $8 million in cap space. However, if the current CBA is still in place, it’s not going to stop the Jets from cutting Johnson. The corner has been a disaster during his two seasons in New York. In 17 games, Johnson has 57 total tackles, seven pass breakups, five interceptions and one touchdown.

Whether it’s under the new CBA or the current one, Johnson won’t be a Jet in 2020. It’s just a matter of when.

Jets interested in cornerbacks Chris Harris Jr. and Byron Jones

The Jets are showing interest in both Chris Harris Jr. and Byron Jones.

With the Jets in desperate need of cornerbacks, they’re looking at the cream of the crop of the free agent market.

According to Denver 7’s Troy Renck, the Jets are showing interest in Broncos free agent Chris Harris Jr. However, they do have company with the Cowboys, Raiders, Lions and Texans expressing interest in the former All-Pro.

Additionally, according to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano the Jets are interested in Cowboys cornerback Byron Jones. Jones is seeking at least $15 million per year, but the Jets are not expected to land him. The Eagles are seen as the favorite to sign Jones.

Harris is on the back end of his career at age 30, going on 31. He didn’t have one of his better seasons in 2019 with 44 total tackles, six pass breakups and one interception. However, Harris is still one of the most established corners in the league. He would come a little cheaper than Jones, as he made $12 million from Denver last season.

As for Jones, he’s three years younger than Harris at age 27. In 2019, Jones had 37 total tackles, six pass breakups and one forced fumble.

At this point in their careers, Jones would be the better option than Harris, but he also comes at a steeper price. The Jets haven’t fared well in recent years handing out hefty contracts to free agent cornerbacks. They gave Trumaine Johnson a five-year, $72.5 million deal in 2018. He’s expected to be cut this offseason. In 2015, the Jets signed Darrelle Revis to a five-year, $70 million deal. Revis lasted two seasons.

The Jets are going to have the cap space to sign a premier free agent cornerback, but they might be reluctant to pay a lot of money for one given their other needs. New York would like to come away with at least one offensive lineman in free agency as well as a receiver and possibly an edge rusher.

Report: Jets have strong interest in Panthers CB James Bradberry

According to The Athletic’s Connor Hughes, the Jets have a lot of interest in Panthers cornerback James Bradberry.

The Jets are in need of a cornerback this offseason, and it appears they have one in their sights.

According to The Athletic’s Connor Hughes, the Jets have strong interest in Panthers cornerback James Bradberry. However, they do have company for Bradberry’s services. The Jets are among 22 teams to make calls for Bradberry, as the Panthers are not expected to use their franchise tag on him once the new league year opens.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Bradberry is seeking $15 or more million per year on a new deal. The Washington Redskins pose a threat as a potential suitor, as Ron Rivera was Bradberry’s former coach down in Carolina.

Bradberry, 26, is entering his fifth year in the league out of Samford. He had one of the best seasons of his career last year with 51 total tackles, one sack, 12 pass breakups and three interceptions. He’s only missed four games in his entire career and only one in the last three seasons.

New York desperately needs solid cornerbacks after playing with a lot of unestablished players in 2019. Gregg Williams did a fantastic job with what he had, but at some point he needs to have some talented cornerbacks.

The Jets haven’t had a lot luck lately when dealing out big money for cornerbacks. Most notably, the Jets handed Trumaine Johnson a five-year, $72.5 million deal in 2018. He’ll likely be cut in the coming weeks. The Jets also signed Darrelle Revis to a five-year, $70 million deal in 2015 that lasted for all of two seasons. Both of those were at the hands of former general manager Mike Maccagnan, though.

The draft is also a place the Jets can get cornerbacks, more specifically in the middle rounds. Whether it’s in free agency or in the draft, this team needs cornerbacks to keep their defense afloat next season.

Cap Cut Candidate: Should Jets move on from CB Nate Hairston?

The Jets should move on from cornerback Nate Hairston after a miserable first season with New York.

Nate Hairston was thrown into the Jets’ cornerback mess after a preseason trade with the Colts last year. However, Hairston struggled mightily in Gregg Williams’ defense, which led him toward the bench during the back half of the season despite New York sustaining multiple injuries at the position.

Hairston has one more year left on his rookie deal that he signed with Indianapolis. He got a salary bump of $1.4 million because he played a certain number of snaps last season. If the Jets keep him, he will count for $2.1 million against the cap. If they move on, they’ll save all of that money.

Joe Douglas needs as much money as possible to revamp this roster and Hairston didn’t exactly prove that he’s worth keeping. He played poorly on the outside and was on the sidelines for four of the last seven games of the season. The Jets need to clean out their cornerback room after last year’s performance and bring in players who can play the position well. It’ll be up to Douglas if Hairston should be part of that group next season.

Pros of keeping him

If the Jets want to have some depth at cornerback, then keeping Hairston wouldn’t be such a bad idea. In 11 games, Hairston recorded 21 tackles, three pass defenses and an interception. He flashed some raw talent at times and was strong at finding the football.

Since Hairston was acquired in the preseason, he didn’t get much time to learn Williams’ system. Williams proved last season that if you give him time to work with a cornerback, he can make them better. That could be the case with Hairston with a full offseason. Given that and his cheap contract, Hairston has a chance to stick as a depth piece in case of any injuries.

Pros of cutting him

The Jets can’t wait much longer for Hairston to figure it out. He’s a fourth-year player out of Temple who has already been traded once. The Jets can add more depth pieces via the draft or free agency who are more talented than Hairston at this stage of his career.

Hairston does come on the cheap, but the fact that many other cornerbacks on the roster last season jumped him on the depth chart shows some red flags. The Jets can use his money to upgrade the cornerback position or another position on the roster.

The verdict

Given how much playing time Hairston lost at the end of the season, all signs point toward his release. The Jets need to clean house with their cornerbacks and Hairston should be included. Williams is one of the best defensive coordinators in the league, but his powers don’t work on everybody and it certainly didn’t work with Hairston.

If Douglas chooses to keep Hairston, he’ll be buried at the bottom of the depth chart fighting for a backup spot. But Douglas would be wise to move on from him and see what else he can find.

5 New Year’s resolutions for the Jets in 2020

Here are five New Year’s resolutions the Jets should have in 2020.

Drama was abundant for the Jets in 2019.

The year included a new coach, a new general manager, a few big-name free agents, a couple of hopeful draft picks and a lot of injuries. And that’s just the basic stuff. In the end, the Jets finished the regular season with a 7-9 record and missed the playoffs for the ninth straight season. Now the hope is to start the new decade with a fresh start for Gang Green.

So, in keeping with New Year’s tradition, here are a few resolutions the Jets should have for 2020.

Protect Sam Darnold

The Jets have failed for years to find their franchise quarterback and now they finally think they have one in Sam Darnold. It’s time to do whatever it takes to protect him.

New York’s offensive line was one of the worst the NFL has ever seen. It allowed the fourth-most sacks in the league this season with 52. The offensive line featured nine different combinations and 11 different players.

Joe Douglas has always prioritized improving in the trenches and that should be the first thing on his to-do list this offseason. Whether it’s in the draft or in free agency, the Jets need five new offensive linemen to protect their most-prized asset.

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Jamal Adams, Sam Darnold think Jets are ‘not that far away’ from contending

Jamal Adams and Sam Darnold don’t think the Jets are that far away.

The Jets are riding high following their sixth win of the season over the Steelers on Sunday.

Six wins are the most the Jets have had since 2015 when they won 10 games, but failed to reach the playoffs. New York has won five of its last seven games after starting the season 1-7.

At this point of the year, players are looking at any success as a glimpse of hope for the future. Jamal Adams is starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“We’re not that far away, man, we’re really not,” Adams said. “I want people to understand that. It might seem like it is, but we have to put our head down and keep grinding.”

Every team wants to have some momentum heading into a new season, but in reality, it doesn’t make a difference. Even when the Jets were playing some of their best football at the end of last season, it meant nothing for this season. Sometimes when a team is playing well for a stretch, it overshadows the problems that the team needs to address. The Jets are in that territory.

New York has numerous holes it needs to fill this offseason. The entire offensive line needs to be patched up. Gang Green also needs two starting cornerbacks. The Jets still lack an edge rusher and need a true No. 1 wide receiver to help out Sam Darnold.

“I think we’re not too far away,” Darnold said. “We do need to play more consistent football, especially on offense, but there are definitely some bright spots that we can continue to work on this offseason.”

It’s nice to see the team finally starting to put things together after a forgettable first half of the season. However, this little hot streak shouldn’t fool anybody. There are still going to be significant changes upcoming in the offseason despite the team’s performance over the last half of the season.