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Solomon Thomas hasn’t lived up to his top-three draft pick status, but he can still bring value to the Jets after signing Monday.
The Jets added some depth on the defensive line Monday, signing former third overall pick Solomon Thomas to a one-year deal.
Thomas spent the first four seasons of his career playing under Robert Saleh with the 49ers. He suited up for the Raiders last season. The 26-year-old has scheme familiarity and plenty of experience in a winning culture, which should make him an asset for New York on and off the field.
Here are four takeaways from Gang Green’s newest addition in the trenches.
Get to know D.J. Reed, the Jets’ newest starting cornerback.
Joe Douglas addressed the Jets’ need for a cornerback during the first week of free agency, signing D.J. Reed to a three-year deal.
Reed came into his own with the Seahawks over the last two seasons and profiles as an instant impact player in New York’s secondary. Seattle’s secondary wasn’t necessarily star-studded in 2021, but Reed was an above-average contributor throughout the year and has what it takes to help the Jets right off the bat.
Here are five things to know about Gang Green’s newest cornerback.
The Jets landed Tyler Conklin, giving C.J. Uzomah a worthy partner. Thoughts on the Jets’ newest tight end:
The Jets gave their tight end room a makeover in the opening days of free agency, signing C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin as upgrades at the position.
Uzomah has gotten a ton of attention as New York’s new top tight end, but Conklin brings a lot to the table in his own right. He cracked the starting lineup and proved his worth with the Vikings in 2021. The Jets are hoping to benefit from similar production.
Here are five takeaways from Gang Green’s deal with Conklin.
New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas and his staff are hitting 2022 free agency with a series of big wins. Here’s why it’s such a great haul.
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.
Get to know a little bit about Laken Tomlinson — Gang Green’s newest star offensive lineman.
The Jets addressed one of their biggest needs during the first day of free agency, agreeing to sign Laken Tomlinson for three years and $40 million with $27 million guaranteed.
New York moved quickly to land Tomlinson, as the deal was reported shortly after Brandon Scherff agreed to sign with the Jaguars. Between his familiarity with Mike LaFleur’s offense and his overall skill set, the 30-year-old Tomlinson profiles as a fit on Gang Green’s offensive line.
Here are six things to know about the Jets’ newest star offensive lineman.
The Jets are adding an impact cornerback in D.J. Reed. What the move means for New York’s secondary:
The Jets entered free agency in need of an impact addition at cornerback. Bryce Hall took a step forward in 2021 and Michael Carter II and Brandin Echols showed promise as rookies, but setting out to find an impact veteran at the position was high on the priority list.
Joe Douglas took care of business on the second day of free agency, agreeing to terms on a three-year deal with former Seahawks cornerback D.J. Reed. Seattle’s secondary wasn’t necessarily star-studded in 2021, but Reed was an above-average contributor throughout the year and has what it takes to help the Jets right off the bat.
Here are five takeaways from New York’s deal with Reed.
The Jets landed themselves a new safety in Jordan Whitehead on the second day of free agency. What the move means for Gang Green:
The Jets got to work on addressing their secondary on the second day of free agency, agreeing to a two-year deal with former Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead.
Whitehead fills a major void on the back end of New York’s secondary. He also brings plenty of value with his experience in Tampa Bay and with an evolving skill set.
Here are five takeaways from Whitehead landing in the Big Apple.
The Jets have agreed to re-sign reserve defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd.
The Jets have agreed to re-sign defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Shepherd posted a career-high 28 tackles with New York in 2021. He also registered eight quarterback hits in 17 games (one start). Shepherd managed to make the most of his limited playing time and did a decent enough job as a run stopper on the interior of the offensive line when called upon.
In four seasons with the Jets, Shepherd has totaled 71 tackles, 27 quarterback hits, nine tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. The former third-round pick out of Division II Fort Hays State has appeared in 56 games and has nine career starts under his belt. He is the first Mike Maccagnan draft pick to receive a second contract with the Jets.
Re-signing Shepherd is the first move the Jets have made on the defensive line since the beginning of free agency. Foley Fatukasi departed New York and signed with the Jaguars less than 24 hours after hitting the open market.
The Jets completely changed the makeup of their tight end room by agreeing to a three-year deal with C.J. Uzomah on Monday.
Tight end has been an issue for the Jets for years. New York has received little from the position since Chris Herndon’s standout rookie season in 2018 and its offense has struggled as a result.
Joe Douglas made a move to rectify the problem on the first day of free agency, agreeing to terms on a three-year deal with former Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah. Uzomah helped Cincinnati make the Super Bowl as one of Joe Burrow’s favorite targets and profiles as a player who will make an instant impact in the Big Apple — even if he’s not the biggest name.
Here are six takeaways from the Jets landing Uzomah.
The Jets wasted no time addressing one of their biggest needs, agreeing to terms with OL Laken Tomlinson on the first day of free agency.
The Jets addressed one of their biggest needs during the first day of free agency, agreeing to sign Laken Tomlinson for three years and $40 million with $27 million guaranteed.
New York moved quickly to land Tomlinson, as the deal was reported shortly after Brandon Scherff agreed to sign with the Jaguars. Between his familiarity with Mike LaFleur’s offense and his overall skill set, the 30-year-old Tomlinson profiles as a fit on Gang Green’s offensive line.
Here are six takeaways from the Jets’ first marquee addition of free agency.
