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.

5 players the Jets could trade this summer

The Jets don’t have many tradeable assets but they could ship off these five players to save money and grab more draft capital.

Joe Douglas made headlines this past season when he boldly stated he would always pick up the phone to discuss trades for any of his players. While he categorically stated this past week that he wouldn’t trade the two focal points of the trade deadline in 2019 – Jamal Adams and Le’Veon Bell – Douglas will likely field calls on other players this summer in his quest to build a competitive team.

The Jets don’t have many tradable assets this offseason besides Adams and Bell, so the trade market for Douglas’ players isn’t great. He’ll likely look to offload expendable and expensive players who were darlings of the previous regime in order to acquire additional draft capital.

With that in mind, here are five players the Jets could trade this offseason.

ILB Avery Williamson

Williamson is also a salary cap cut candidate but could be a good trade chip if a team values a productive, veteran inside linebacker. He’s still a good linebacker and is only 27 years old and led the Jets with 144 tackles in 2018 before missing the 2019 season with a torn ACL.

For the Jets, this would be a way to shed Williamson’s $8.5 million cap hit without incurring the $2 million dead cap hit that would come with cutting him. They would also recoup some sort of compensation. He’d be a great addition to any defense, but it’s unclear if he has any trade value other than a late-round pick.

Pages: 12345

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.

5 free agent targets who perfectly fit Gregg Williams’ defense

The Jets need pass rush and secondary help. These five free agents are the perfect fit for Gregg Williams’ defense.

Gregg Williams conjured a miracle in 2019.

He took a defense devoid of top-tier talent – save for Jamal Adams – and turned them into of the better units in the league. Williams’ defense finished seventh in yards allowed, 16th in points allowed and second in rushing yards allowed. Without the help of the defense, the Jets aren’t a seven-win team in 2019.

The defense isn’t perfect, though, and Williams needs Joe Douglas to find solid contributors in free agency to improve it. Two positions of great need include outside linebacker and cornerback. Not only were those some of the weaker units this past season, but the top players for the Jets at those positions are also set to hit the open market unless re-signed. If Douglas doesn’t keep players like cornerback Brian Poole or linebackers Jordan Jenkins and Brandon Copeland, free agency will be the first place for him to look.

Williams will need a competent pass rusher as well. He didn’t really have that in 2019 – though Jenkins finished with a career- and team-high eight sacks – and instead used Adams as his primary pass rusher. The Jets blitzed on 39.2 percent of dropbacks and knocked down opposing quarterbacks on 8.9 percent of dropbacks, but finished with only 35 sacks. The Jets need to find players who can turn those blitzes into sacks.

Here are the top five free agents who fit Gregg Williams’ defense.

EDGE Yannick Ngakoue

The Jets need a powerful pass rusher who can win at the line of scrimmage and get to the quarterback. Ngakoe has done that with ease since entering the league in 2016 with at least eight sacks in each of the past four seasons. He finished 2019 with only 27 pressures and eight sacks but would immediately inject a skillset the Jets haven’t seen in years.

Ngakoue’s regressed a bit since his torrid 2017 campaign – 12 sacks and six forced fumbles – but he still posted at least a 76.8 pass-rush grade in 2018 and 2019. He won’t be cheap but the Jets need to invest salary cap in the pass rush and Ngakoue is the best intersection of price and production Williams will need for his defense.

Pages: 12345

Rams 2010s All-Decade Team: Defense and special teams

Breaking down the best defensive and special teams players to play for the Rams during the 2010s.

Despite an up-and-down decade on offense, the Rams have had one of the better defenses in the NFL since Jeff Fisher took over as head coach in 2012. They had a fearsome pass rush even before Aaron Donald arrived and their secondary has always been a tough out for opposing quarterbacks. The Rams became known for their defensive identity before Sean McVay arrived, and they continued to shine under McVay and Wade Phillips.

There are a lot of players deserving of a spot on the Rams 2010s All-Decade Team, at least compared to the other side of the ball. To choose this group, we only factored in the achievements of a player during their time with the Rams between 2010-2019. For example, Chris Long’s first two years with the Rams did not affect his status on this list.

You can read the selections for offense here. We’ll start with the defensive line, and we’ll end with special teams.

Defensive end/EDGE: Robert Quinn (2011-2017) & Chris Long (2010-2015)

Since the Rams ran two different styles of defense last decade, we’ll be combining some positions here. But this is one of the most obvious choices of the entire list.

Robert Quinn’s 2013 season was one for the ages. Quinn recorded 19 sacks, 23 tackles for loss, 34 quarterback hits, seven forced fumbles, and even scored a touchdown. He was named a First-Team All-Pro, the only All-Pro selection of the decade for a Rams defensive player not named Aaron Donald, and won the PFWA Defensive Player of the Year award.

The rest of Quinn’s tenure with the Rams wasn’t too shabby. He totaled 62.5 sacks in his seven years with the team, which is tied for the fourth-most in franchise history. He’ll likely go down as one of the more underrated Rams.

Though Chris Long’s numbers weren’t as flashy as Quinn’s, he was a perfect complement to him on the other side of the defensive line. In addition 45.5 sacks and 56 tackles for loss during his six years with the Rams last decade, Long was a locker room leader, a team captain, and a well-respected teammate. Players have long been vocal about how much they enjoyed playing with him.

Despite spending eight seasons with the Rams, Long will be remembered for what he accomplished in his three seasons after leaving. He won back-to-back Super Bowls with the Patriots and Eagles in addition to being selected as the Walter Payton Man of the Year in his final NFL season. Regardless, the bulk of his career starts happened with the Rams, and he’s more than deserving of a spot on this list.

Honorable Mention: William Hayes

Pages: 123456

Should the Jets trade for Lions CB Darius Slay?

Joe Douglas would have to give up too much in a trade and too much at the negotiation table to warrant going after Lions CB Darius Slay.

The Jets need to fix their secondary, and one of the best cornerbacks in the league is on the trade block.

The Lions have talked to “multiple teams” about trading cornerback Darius Slay, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Slay, coming off his third consecutive Pro Bowl, has been looking for a new contract since the beginning of the 2019 season. Now he may finally get his wish as the Lions begin to shop him.

Despite his skill, the Jets shouldn’t be looking to trade for Slay. It would be a mistake for general manager Joe Douglas to give up draft capital and sign Slay to a big extension considering his age and the other holes on the roster.

For one, the Jets can’t afford to part with any picks and don’t have many players worth trading. They have eight picks in the 2020 draft, and it’ll likely take at least their fifth-round pick (No. 141 overall) to acquire Slay. The Ravens gave up a fifth-round pick and linebacker Kenny Young for cornerback Marcus Peters in 2019, so the Jets would be looking at that price as a starting point in any talks with Lions.

Considering Slay is two years older than Peters and coming off a down season, there’s a chance the Jets could get a good deal for him, which might not be a bad move. But the problem isn’t so much the trade for Slay as the contract he would command once he joined the Jets.

Slay wants to become the highest-paid cornerback in the league and insinuated as much on Twitter this month. Right now, that title belongs to Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard, who has $15.05 million yearly average salary. Slay will count $13,368,750 against the cap, which puts him slightly above ninth, ahead of Stephon Gilmore. While Slay wants at least $15 million a year, Spotrac values him just under that number – $14.9 million – with a four-year, $59,735,712 deal. That contract is doable, but it’s still a lot of money to give an aging cornerback, even for one of the best in the league.

Slay is still the epitome of a consistent shutdown corner even after turning 29 in January. Slay made the Pro Bowl for his third consecutive season after he allowed a completion rate of only 58.3 percent and a passer rating of 86.9 when targeted, according to Pro Football Focus. Slay can still run step-for-step with the best cornerbacks; he was only burned on 3.4 percent of his assignments and had an average target separation of 1.07 yards. However, he did see his fewest interceptions and pass breakups since 2016 and his age could easily catch up to him, much like Darrelle Revis when he rejoined the Jets in 2015.

Would a player of Slay’s caliber make the Jets secondary better? Theoretically, yes. But the Jets have been down this road before. They signed a 28-year-old Trumaine Johnson to an exorbitant five-year, $72.5 million contract with $45 million in guaranteed money in 2018 and are already looking at releasing him just two years into that deal. Douglas cannot afford to make the same mistake again and give up draft and roster capital in the process for the opportunity to spend more money.

Younger players like Tre’Davious White and Byron Jones will likely set or reset the cornerback contract market this offseason, and both are much younger than Slay. It would be less risky to try and sign a player like Jones for big money or look at cheaper options in free agency like James Bradberry or Jalen Mills. Both are veteran players who wouldn’t command a salary like Jones or Slay and would give Douglas the cap flexibility to shore up other positions of the need. The Jets would be better served going down that route, grabbing talented draft prospects with their eight picks and possibly even re-signing slot cornerback Brian Poole.

Slay is a great cornerback and deserves to be paid like one. The Jets shouldn’t be the team to sign that check, though.

6 cornerbacks the Jets should target in free agency

Jets Wire takes a look at six cornerbacks Joe Douglas and company should target in free agency.

The Jets struggled at multiple positions in 2019, but no unit was worse than New York’s cornerbacks.

Aside from Brian Poole, who is set to hit free agency, the Jets got little to no production out of their corners throughout the season. Trumaine Johnson and Darryl Roberts were downright awful. Bless Austin showed some flashes of potential in his rookie year, but found himself benched by season’s end. Arthur Maulet and Maurice Canady had their moments, but are not exactly proven starters that New York can rely on entering 2020.

Fortunately for Joe Douglas and the Jets, there are plenty of solid free agent cornerbacks available this offseason. Which ones should New York target? Let’s take a look.

Chris Harris

Although he is getting up there in age, Harris remains one of football’s upper echelon cornerbacks. Opposing quarterbacks seldom threw at the 31-year-old in 2019 as Harris anchored a Broncos secondary that ranked just outside the top 20 in passing yards allowed per game.

Harris is by far the best cornerback on this year’s free agent market. However, he is on the wrong side of 30 and will be worth around $11 million per year, according to Spotrac. The Jets have been burned handing out large contracts to aging corners in recent years, which could give the front office pause on pursuing the four-time Pro Bowler.

Will Douglas and company go all-in and take a shot at bringing Harris to the Big Apple? If New York deems the veteran worth his price tag, it will be firmly in the race for his services.

Pages: 123456

With Jets in need of a corner, is Josh Norman worth the risk?

The Jets need cornerback help, but Josh Norman shouldn’t be on their target list after a horrid 2019 season.

If there was a worse cornerback signing in recent memory than Trumaine Johnson, it would have to be Josh Norman.

Washington is releasing the veteran four years after signing him to a massive five-year, $75 million contract in 2016. He’s seen a drop in production every year since joining Washington, so Norman will now look to prove his ability once more.

And it just so happens the Jets are looking for secondary help…

Before he left the Panthers for a big payday, Norman was one of the best young cornerbacks in the league. Known as a lockdown receiver in Carolina, he allowed only 50 percent of his targets in 2015 and snagged six interceptions, broke up 29 passes and forced four fumbles from 2014-15.

Norman looked great in his first year with the Redskins – three interceptions and 19 pass breakups – but he was abysmal by the end of the 2019 season. He ranked among the worst cornerbacks with a 45.6 Pro Football Focus grade and allowed a 142.7 passer rating when targeted. Whether it’s his age or something worse, Norman just flat out stunk in Washington.

With the Jets on the verge of releasing fellow free agent bust Trumaine Johnson and in the market for a veteran starting cornerback, could Norman be an option? After the 2019 season he had, it better be a one-year prove-it deal or for much less than the $15 million per year salary he signed with the Redskins.

Norman allowed some of the worst numbers in the league and was ultimately benched at the end of the season despite the Redskins’ horrid record. He finished with a 10.9 percent burn rate, per Player Profiler, meaning receivers gained a five-yard advantage on him in downfield separation. Norman proved unable to lock down any opposing receivers, either, and gave up 69.6 percent of catches – an almost 20 percent jump from his final season in Carolina – 14.2 yards per reception and 2.7 receptions per game. His six pass breakups were also his lowest since 2013 when he only played in seven games.

The Jets need cornerback help for sure, especially if they drop Johnson and Darryl Roberts as expected, but Norman would have to come incredibly cheap for him to be worth the risk. If the Jets can land Norman at even half his yearly salary and for only one season, it would be a solid high risk, high reward option for a secondary in desperate need of help. Signing Norman would also give Douglas the flexibility to pay up for other positions of need throughout the roster.

However, the Jets can’t make the same mistake they did with Johnson and sign a big name for big money who could underperform. Douglas must be judicious with his money, and Norman might be a step in the wrong direction considering the trend of his production, his age (32) and outspoken demeanor. The Jets need team-first players bought into the vision of Adam Gase and Gregg Williams, and Norman hasn’t proven that he can do that yet in his career.

This is a move that makes sense for a low amount, but unless the Jets can sign Norman for pennies on the dollar, it’s probably money better spent elsewhere.

Cap Cut Candidate: Should the Jets move on from CB Darryl Roberts?

Jets Wire breaks down why Darryl Roberts is a likely salary cap casualty this offseason.

Before free agency kicks off in March, Jets general manager Joe Douglas is going to have some decisions to make on players already at One Jets Drive.

Along with New York’s 32 impending free agents, there are a handful of players who could be shown the door in an effort to free up salary cap space. The Jets have $53 million to spend right now, according to Spotrac. That number could grow exponentially if Douglas parts ways with players eating up a large chunk of Gang Green’s payroll.

Among those who are a candidate to become a cap casualty is cornerback Darryl Roberts. After re-upping with the Jets last offseason, Roberts was one of New York’s worst cornerbacks in 2019. Should he be granted another season in the Big Apple to get back on track? Let’s evaluate the situation.

Pros of keeping

The argument in favor of keeping Roberts is extremely similar to the argument to hang onto Trumaine Johnson for another season. Parting ways with Roberts is not going to help an already underwhelming cornerback unit which features three impending free agents in Brian Poole, Maurice Canady and Arthur Maulet.

The Jets gave Roberts a three-year extension for a reason. Yes, the old regime handed out that deal, but a glance on Roberts’ film prior to 2019 shows a player who has the potential to be a solid contributor if he can put all of the pieces together.

Cons of keeping him

Roberts wasn’t just bad in 2019. He was downright pitiful.

Why would the Jets keep a player who performed so poorly for another year? It’s hard to see Douglas hanging onto Roberts considering he did not give an extension to, especially when he can save New York a decent amount of money by cutting him.

Roberts is owed $5 million next season. If the Jets cut him before June 1, they save $5.8 million and do not inherit any dead cap. With those numbers taken into account, this becomes an easy decision for Douglas and company.

The verdict

It’s hard to see any situation where Roberts is on New York’s roster past June 1. Douglas has the opportunity to part ways with a player who was dead weight last season and spend that money on a free agent corner who better fits defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ scheme.

It’s safe to assume Douglas will take that opportunity. Do not expect Roberts back in the green and white in 2020.

Cap Cut Candidate: Should Jets move on from CB Trumaine Johnson?

Should the Jets keep Trumaine Johnson for another season? Jets Wire says no way.

Before free agency kicks off in March, Jets general manager Joe Douglas is going to have some decisions to make on players already at One Jets Drive.

Among those who are a candidate to become a cap casualty is cornerback Trumaine Johnson. After signing a massive five-year, $72.5 million with the Jets in 2018, Johnson has been nothing short of a disappointment in his time with the team. Should he be granted another season to figure things out? Let’s evaluate the situation.

Pros of keeping him

The Jets are in bad shape at cornerback. Brian Poole is set to hit free agency and there is no guarantee he returns to the Big Apple next season. Darryl Roberts was awful in 2019 and is also a candidate to get cut. If Johnson is let go, that leaves New York with Bless Austin, Kyron Brown and Nate Hairston. Maurice Canady and Arthur Maulet are set to hit the open market.

Yes, Johnson has underperformed since joining the Jets. However, there is a reason why he was once the best cornerbacks in football. The 30-year-old has lost a step the last couple of years, but who is to say he can’t bounce back and put together a productive 2020 season? He did look good in training camp last summer before injuring his hamstring, after all.

Cornerback is New York’s weakest position group at this juncture. Why not give Johnson one last shot to get it right?

Cons of keeping him

There is really no point in keeping Johnson at his current salary. New York owes him $11 million next season. Johnson is not worth that number considering how he has performed the last two seasons.

If the Jets release Johnson before June 1, they would absorb $12 million in dead cap, but free up $3 million in cap space. That would allow Douglas to go out and sign a corner to replace him in free agency.

Not only does cutting Johnson make sense from a financial standpoint, but from a schematic point of view as well. Johnson found himself in defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ doghouse before landing on injured reserve. With the Jets looking to get younger, why would they keep an underperforming and overpaid veteran around?

The verdict

The argument that New York’s cornerback room would become even more of a mess without Johnson could give reason to believe he is worth keeping around for another year, but do not be fooled by this line of thinking.

Keeping Johnson does not solve anything. Just because he has a history of elite production does not mean he is magically going to return to that level of play. The Jets should not keep Johnson. Period.

The bottom line is, New York is better off without its 30-year-old, $72.5 million dollar man on the roster. It’s time to move on from arguably the worst free agent signing in franchise history.