Trio of Jets’ free agent signings have yet to take their physicals due to COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic has prevented Breshad Perriman, Connor McGovern and Greg Van Roten from completing their physicals with the Jets.

Under normal circumstances, Breshad Perriman, Greg Van Roten and Connor McGovern’s contracts with the Jets would have been signed, sealed and delivered by now. Physicals would have been completed days ago, making the trio officially part of the organization.

Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic has prevented life from being anything but normal lately. With all of the major sports seasons halted and people confined to their homes in quarantine, times are extremely unusual.

Even though it is in the middle of the offseason, even the NFL has been impacted by the virus. Team facilities have been essentially vacated. Executives and coaches working from home, while players are forced to find ways to stay in shape on their own. Free agency has gone on remotely, but players have not been able to take physicals with their new teams due to travel restrictions.

Because of this, the Jets “introduced” Perriman, McGovern and Van Roten via conference call on Friday despite their physicals having not yet been completed. Teams almost never announce free agent signings before they are official, but with the times being what they are, the Jets and many other teams have announced signings with the expectation that physicals will be able to take place at some point.

During the conference call, McGovern said that there is language in his contract that spells out the ramifications of a failed physical. The same goes for Perriman, Van Roten and any other free agent around the league that has yet to take their physical. McGovern is confident that he will pass his physical with flying colors, but any worry about physicals that previously would not have existed is the latest sign of the trying times we are living through today.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Perriman, McGovern and Van Roten will all suit up for the Jets next season. It’s just going to take them a bit longer than it usually does for them to officially become part of the organization.

Jets GM Joe Douglas explains his ‘disciplined’ approach to free agency

Jets general manager divulged his reasoning for handing out so many one-year contracts in free agency on Wednesday afternoon.

Unlike his predecessor, Jets general manager Joe Douglas is not a big fan of handing out lengthy contracts.

Douglas spoke via conference call on Wednesday to discuss New York’s dealings in free agency and preparations for the 2020 NFL Draft. During the call, Douglas divulged his preference for handing out short-term contracts to free agents, citing the malleability it allows him to work with moving forward.

“We feel these signings give us flexibility in the draft,” Douglas said of the many one-year deals he has handed out.

Not only do short-term contracts give Douglas the flexibility to approach the draft as he wishes, but they also allow New York to start building for the future sooner rather than late. Douglas said the one-year contracts he dished out will allow the Jets to re-sign players in the middle of the season.

What exactly does that mean? If Douglas likes what he sees out of a player in the middle of the year, he can extend him with a contract he deems appropriate, giving him a head start on building the following year’s roster before the offseason rolls around.

Short-term contracts also afford Douglas some much-needed financial flexibility. They allow the Jets to avoid keeping underperforming players on their books for longer than needed. They also prevent a lucrative contract from hampering New York’s ability to spend when needed.

“Our plan was to be strategic and disciplined,” Douglas said. “We wanted to be disciplined financially.”

Douglas and the Jets certainly stuck to their guns and remained disciplined throughout the first wave of free agency. Even some of the multi-year deals Douglas handed out, like George Fant’s, are essentially one-year contracts based on the allocation of guaranteed money.

Spending a lot of money in free agency during the spring does not always equate to wins. Douglas’ approach to his first free agency and his firmness in not going over the dollar amount he believes a player is worth indicates he is well aware of this.

Not every contract Douglas hands out in his tenure as Jets general manager is going to be a short one. At some point, Douglas is going to have to expand his spending to land a player he desires. With that being said, let Douglas’ first go-around in free agency serve as a message to a fanbase that got used to Mike Maccagnan spending lump sums on free agents every offseason.

Douglas is going to go about his business in a way that not only helps the Jets win now, but allows the organization to maintain the finances to help it be a winner in the future as well.

Jets re-sign backup QB David Fales

The Jets re-signed backup quarterback David Fales to a one-year deal on Tuesday.

The Jets returned to a familiar face on Tuesday, re-signing backup quarterback David Fales to a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Fales served as New York’s No. 2 quarterback behind Sam Darnold for most of last season. He appeared in two games last season but did not attempt a single pass.

Fales joined the Jets in the middle of September as a free agent signing. The 29-year-old spent training camp with the Lions but did not make Detroit’s final 53-man roster. New York released Fales five days after signing him, but brought him back on Oct. 4 to serve as Luke Falk’s backup while Darnold was sidelined with mononucleosis. Once Darnold returned, Falk was released and Fales remained on the roster.

Fales’ return to the Jets makes sense considering his familiarity and knowledge of Adam Gase’s offensive scheme. Having worked with Gase and Jets offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains in Chicago, Miami and New York, Fales’ experience in Gase’s system is important with changes to the offseason schedule pending due to the coronavirus pandemic. A new backup quarterback would not have much time to learn the playbook in an abbreviated offseason, while Fales is already fluent in Gase’s system.

Still, the Jets might want to consider a more capable backup.

In four NFL seasons, Fales has appeared in four games, completing 31 of his 48 pass attempts for 287 yards and a touchdown. The Jets will likely add a quarterback or two to compete with Fales for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart in training camp.

5 remaining free agents the Jets should be interested in

Jets Wire takes a look at five remaining free agents Joe Douglas and the Jets should be interested in.

The first wave of free agency is over, but that does not mean there are not a handful of standout players still available on the open market.

Jets general manager Joe Douglas spent the first couple of weeks of free agency revamping the offensive line, addressing the cornerback position, adding a deep threat to replace Robby Anderson and taking care of a handful of in-house free agents. Even with all of the work Douglas put in throughout the opening days of free agency, New York’s roster still has numerous holes that need to be filled.

Who can come in and fill those holes? Let’s take a look at five remaining free agents the Jets should be interested in.

Jadeveon Clowney

This one is a no-brainer, as Clowney is not only arguably the best remaining free agent on the market, but easily the best remaining pass rusher.

Considering their need for an EDGE, Clowney should be at the top of the Jets’ free agent board right now. New York is rumored to be in the running for the former No. 1 overall pick’s services, so it’s safe to assume that he is at this point.

Clowney has battled injury and inconsistent play throughout his career, but he is worth taking a risk on. The Jets have rolled the dice on far less talented pass rushers in the past.

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Jets littered with holes on special teams after first wave of free agency

Jets Wire examines Gang Green’s current special teams situation and why things have to change sooner rather than later.

Jets general manager Joe Douglas did some good work improving New York’s roster throughout the first wave of free agency. He revamped the offensive line, added a new deep threat at wide receiver, brought back a pair of in-house free agents and inked a new starting cornerback.

There is one group littered with holes that Gang Green’s first-year general manager did not address, though.

While the Jets have improved on offense and defense, special teams have been almost completely ignored. Douglas somewhat addressed the legmen by signing Brett Maher to a futures/reserve contract in December, tending Sam Ficken and signing 23-year-old punter Ian Berryman in February, but none of those moves come off as improvements.

It’s hard to blame Douglas for letting special teams fall by the wayside a little bit in the opening days of free agency. The Jets had much more pressing needs on offense and defense that required Douglas’ complete attention. Kicking and punting issues are usually solved either later in free agency or before training camp anyway, which does not make this some sort of major gaffe on Douglas’ part.

With that being said, the Jets can’t afford to ignore the numerous holes that could plague the unit in 2020 for much longer. Maher isn’t much of an upgrade over Ficken, which is saying a lot. He converted only 66 percent of his field goals last season, while Ficken hit 70 percent.

As for Berryman, he has never punted in a regular season game. That does not mean he isn’t up for the task, but it’s hard to justify replacing Lachlan Edwards, who remains an unrestricted free agent, with a player with no regular season experience just to save a little bit of money.

Special teams are just as important a facet of the game as offense and defense. Without a kicker who can consistently put the ball through the uprights and a punter that can flip field position, the Jets are going to suffer.

If there is any special teams coach that can make due what he is given, it’s Brant Boyer. As good as Boyer is at what he does, though, he’s not a magician. It might be a harsh criticism considering Maher and Berryman have yet to go through a single practice with the Jets, but it is seriously worth wondering if these two are capable of accomplishing what Boyer is asking of them.

It’s safe to assume Douglas’ work in this area is far from done. Competition will be brought in throughout the summer and the best players will ultimately win out. As it stands right now, though, things aren’t looking too hot for the Jets on special teams.

That has to change sooner rather than later.

Report: Jets were willing to give Robby Anderson $10 million per year

The Jets were not going to give Robby Anderson more than $10 million per year in free agency.

Jets general manager Joe Douglas sets a firm price on players and he doesn’t go over that number. Apparently, that was the case with Robby Anderson.

According to The Athletic’s Connor Hughes, Douglas was willing to pay Anderson $10 million per year, but no more than that. The Carolina Panthers ended up giving Anderson a two-year deal worth $20 million with $12 million guaranteed in the first year.

That was simply too much for Douglas and he let his No. 1 wide receiver walk away over an extra $2 million.

Douglas’ approach to free agency is unlike any recent Jets general managers. He’s very conservative with how he hands out money. Instead of paying top dollar for free agents, Douglas puts a certain value on a player and if it’s higher than he likes, he doesn’t sign that player.

In the case of Anderson, it was a tough decision. Anderson hasn’t shown that he’s true No. 1 wide receiver, nor that he’s deserving of such money. Anderson has been a solid receiver for the Jets over the last few years, though. He’s tallied at least 750 receiving yards and five touchdowns in each of the last three seasons.

However, Anderson has been inconsistent. There were games in which he was really good and others where he was nowhere to be found. The lack of a strong quarterback at times has played into Anderson’s lack of production, however.

Luckily for the Jets, Anderson is replaceable. They’ve already signed Breshad Perriman for $4 million cheaper than Anderson. Meanwhile, this upcoming draft class is loaded with wide receivers. So the Jets are going to have their chance to prove that Anderson was not worth the $2 million more he got from the Panthers.

The Jets’ 4 biggest weaknesses after the first wave of free agency

Jets Wire takes a look at five positions the Jets still need to improve with the first wave of free agency in the books.

Joe Douglas has done a good job patching up a Jets roster in desperate need of talent so far in free agency, but there is still plenty of work for New York’s first-year general manager to do.

With the first wave of free agency in the books, the Jets have a revamped offensive line, a new deep threat to replace Robby Anderson in Breshad Perriman, a new starting outside cornerback in Pierre Desir and two in-house free agents in edge rusher Jordan Jenkins and cornerback Brian Poole. Most of Douglas’ moves to date have been solid, but that’s not to say New York’s roster is set heading into 2020.

Which positions do the Jets still have to address? Let’s take a look at some of Gang Green’s weaknesses with the first week and a half of free agency complete.

Running Back

The Jets are set with Le’Veon Bell as their starting running back, but there’s not much else behind him right now.

Ty Montgomery and Bilal Powell are both free agents, leaving New York with little depth at the position. Backup running back was likely low on Joe Douglas’ list of priorities with so many more pressing needs facing him in the opening days of free agency, but now is the time to find a tailback or two that can spell Bell when needed.

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Jets’ deal with S Marqui Christian falls through

The Jets and free agent safety Marqui Christian were unable to finalize a contract after agreeing on a one-year deal last week.

It was reported that the Jets agreed to a deal with free agent safety Marqui Christian last week, but it turns out that wasn’t the case.

A week later, the deal between Christian and the Jets has fallen through, according to the New York Post’s Brian Costello. The Jets ultimately decided to move on.

Last week, the Jets and Christian agreed to terms on a one-year, $2 million deal. However, the deal was never finalized and now it never will be.

Christian was projected to be the third safety on the Jets’ depth chart behind starters Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye. Christian has spent the last four seasons with the Rams after being drafted by the Cardinals in the fifth round in 2016 out of Midwestern State.

The 25-year-old has appeared in 55 games over his career, primarily on special teams. In 55 games, Christian has registered 61 total tackles and three pass breakups.

Robby Anderson rips Boomer Esaison’s report on Jets’ contract offer

Former Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson took to Twitter on Thursday to refute the report that New York offered him a four-year contract.

Former Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson is not a fan happy with a report that surfaced following his exit to Carolina.

Hours after Anderson signed with the Panthers on a two-year, $20 million deal on Tuesday, WFAN radio host Boomer Esiason reported that the Jets offered Anderson a four-year contract worth $40 million before he came to terms with Carolina.

“Robby wanted to take less years and wanted to bet on himself and obviously wanted to go play for a coach that he knows, cause the coach obviously down in Carolina was his coach at Temple, and he feels comfortable with that offense that they’re building around Joe Brady, their offensive coordinator down there,” Esiason said on Boomer and Gio in the morning on Wednesday. “So Robby decided to leave and essentially bet on himself cause he wants to be back at the free agent table in two years, and I don’t blame him.

“I don’t know if the Jets would’ve offered him the two-year deal. That I don’t know. But I do know that, according to my sources, that there was a four-year, $40 million deal on the table for Robby Anderson.”

Twenty-four hours after Esiason’s report, Anderson took to social media to refute it.

“False news,” Anderson said in a tweet that has since been deleted. “Y’all need to better jobs reporting and putting out fake news too ppl.”

It is unknown if the Jets ever made an offer to Anderson before he signed with the Panthers. However, it looks like the four-year deal that Esiason reported was never actually on the table.

After it seemed like a foregone conclusion Anderson would depart in free agency with his comments following the Jets’ 2019 season finale, the Temple product indicated that he wanted to return to the team a week before free agency kicked off. The two sides failed to come to terms on a deal, leading Anderson to reunite with his former college coach, Matt Rhule, in Carolina.

New York acted swiftly to replace Anderson, inking Breshad Perriman to a one-year deal worth $8 million in total value and $6 million in guaranteed money.

Projecting Jets’ 2020 starting lineup after the first wave of free agency

Jets Wire takes a crack at predicting Gang Green’s Week 1 starting lineup following the first wave of free agency.

With the first wave of free agency in the books, it’s time to take a look at who the Jets will trot out on the field come Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season.

Joe Douglas was a busy man throughout the first week of free agency, taking care of in-house free agents such as Brian Poole and Jordan Jenkins, revamping the offensive line, upgrading at cornerback and adding a speedy wide receiver to replace Robby Anderson.

There is still plenty of work to be done with lots of talented players still available on the open market and the 2020 NFL draft looming. That doesn’t mean it’s too early to take a crack at predicting New York’s starting lineup, though. Let’s take a look at who could be starting for Gang Green on opening day.

Quarterback

Starter: Sam Darnold

This one is a no-brainer. Darnold is entering his third season with the Jets and is New York’s franchise quarterback.

Year three is a big one for Darnold after a sophomore season that was marred by a bout with mononucleosis and inconsistent play. If Darnold takes the next step in his progression, the Jets will be heading in the right direction in 2020.

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