The Jets need cornerback help and players like Logan Ryan and Jimmy Smith are still available in free agency.
As Joe Douglas continues to upgrade and solidify the Jets offensive line this offseason, the next positional group he needs to target is cornerback.
The Jets already brought back standout slot cornerback Brian Poole and retained Arthur Maulet to pair with Bless Austin, but there is still a need for a true shutdown defensive back in the shallow secondary. Douglas cut his 2019 starting cornerback duo – Trumaine Johnson and Darryl Roberts – already this offseason, and it’s doubtful Austin and Maulet proved enough in the second half of the season to deserve the starting jobs.
Most of the big-name free agents – Byron Jones, James Bradberry, Chris Harris – have signed elsewhere and the top trade target Darius Slay landed with the Eagles, but there are still several solid options out there for the Jets in free agency and the trade block.
Firstly, the Jets should look at acquiring two solid cornerbacks who are reportedly available: Washington’s Quinton Dunbar and Philadelphia’s Rasul Douglas.
Dunbar was Pro Football Focus’ No. 2 overall cornerback in 2019. He allowed only 55.7 percent of passes to be completed and finished with four interceptions and four pass breakups. He comes with a $4,421,875 cap hit in the final year of his contract, but the Redskins may want a lot for the promising cornerback.
Douglas isn’t nearly as good as Dunbar or some of the better free-agent options, but he’s still a young cornerback – he’ll be 25 in August – with a lot of potential. He didn’t haul in an interception in 2019 and only defended 10 passes but he still has starting experience and has the Philadelphia connection with Jets GM Joe Douglas, who could acquire one of his former players at a low price with a small $2,309,572 cap hit.
If Douglas can’t acquire either, he should look to free agency where the top prize and also the most expensive one left on the market is Logan Ryan. He proved to be a versatile cornerback in 2019 for the Tennesse Titans with 18 pass breakups, four interceptions, four forced fumbles, 4.5 sacks and 113 combined tackles. He also blitzed the second-most of any cornerback this past season, something Gregg Williams would love to add to his rush-heavy defense.
Ryan has all the requisite skills, but he’ll also cost the most. This is where things will get tricky for the Jets considering Douglas’ affinity for not overpaying. Similar cornerbacks have received anywhere from $20 million to $43.5 million this offseason, and Ryan would likely command a salary somewhere in the middle of that. The Jets need a mix of experience and production at this position at a reasonable cost, and while Ryan checks off the first two boxes, Douglas may look elsewhere for a cheaper option as he fills the rest of his roster.
That leaves the Jets with a dearth of mid-tier players if Ryan isn’t a target. Jimmy Smith, Prince Amukamara, Pierre Desir, Ronald Darby and Xavier Rhodes all have varying levels of production and would also have the ability to start immediately for the Jets.
Smith is the best of the group considering his experience and play-making ability as a 6-foot-2 shutdown cornerback. He has 107 games under his belt, but injuries have always been a problem for Smith. He missed seven games due to injury in 2019, has only finished a 16-game season twice in his nine years in the NFL and will be 32 in July. The Jets can’t afford to pay another aging cornerback big money in Williams’ defense, but Douglas worked for the Ravens when they drafted Smith 27th overall in 2011 and could bring him in on a cheap one-year deal like what the Bills gave Josh Norman.
Amukamara and Desir would be the next-best options for the Jets for similar reasons as Smith, but with similar flaws as well. Amukamara has 99 starts in his career but his production dramatically dropped in 2019 and he’ll turn 31 in July. Desir, meanwhile wracked up 50 tackles, 11 pass breakups and three interceptions but missed four games due to injury. Either would be great options for Douglas and both have proven ability as a starting outside cornerback.
The rest of the market gets a little inconsistent from there. Darby and Rhodes could be solid options but are true high-risk, high-reward candidates given their volatility. They should all be treated as buy-low options for Douglas, which wouldn’t be the worst thing to consider if Smith, Amukamara and Desir cost significantly more money.
Darby finished as one of the worst coverage cornerbacks in 2019 with a 41.0 Pro Football Focus grade despite posting solid numbers in previous seasons. He’s only 26 and already has eight interceptions and 65 defending passes in his five seasons. Rhodes is even riskier, as his descent from the best cornerback in the league to one of the worst hit rock bottom in 2019. Both Darby and Rhodes would only be options for Douglas if he wants extreme buy-low cornerbacks with proven potential.
Despite missing out on the best free-agent cornerbacks, the Jets can still significantly upgrade their secondary at a smaller cost in free agency or on the trade block. That’s the Douglas way and it could prove to help the Jets in the long run if they can find quality value at a position of need without ruining their future salary cap.
