The 5 biggest free agent busts in Jets history

Jets Wire breaks down the five biggest busts in Jets history.

The Jets have earned some notoriety for their poor decisions in the NFL draft over the years, but some of the moves the team has made in free agency aren’t much better.

Whether it was a signing that did not work out due to injury or simply underwhelming play, these moves go down as some of the worst in franchise history. With that being said and free agency right around the corner, here are five of New York’s biggest free agent busts.

Trumaine Johnson

When the Jets inked Trumaine Johnson to a massive five-year, $72.5 million contract in March 2018, they thought they were getting a top-flight corner entering his prime.

Instead, Johnson has been a massive disappointment. He was benched in the middle of last season before landing on season-ending injured reserve with an ankle injury in November. Johnson was not much better in his first season with the team, struggling to keep up with receivers who shouldn’t have had any chance to beat him down the field.

After only two seasons with New York, Johnson is likely headed out the door. All things considered, he could go down as the biggest free agency bust in franchise history when it’s all said and done.

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How likely is it the Jets’ top 10 cap hits remain on the roster?

Jets GM Joe Douglas will have some big decisions to make regarding players who will greatly affect the Jets’ 2020 salary cap.

Joe Douglas enters his first offseason as Jets general manager with a lot of questions surrounding the team.

He didn’t acquire most of the players on the roster and probably isn’t as invested in them as the previous regime. Douglas inherited a flawed team, both in the contracts of some of its players as well as the production from those players. This will be his time to take a long look at the books and determine who is worth the money they’re being paid and who isn’t.

The Jets have until March 18 to decide which players they’ll keep prior to the beginning of free agency and the 2020 league year. The Jets currently have the 10th-most cap space in the league at $56 million, per Spotrac, and that number will grow when Douglas decides to cut some big-money contracts early.

With that in mind, here are the top-10 cap hits for the Jets in 2020 and the likelihood they remain on the roster.

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Morris Claiborne enjoying small role in Chiefs secondary

The Jets didn’t want to keep Morris Claiborne in 2019, but he’s contributing in a small role on the Chiefs.

Cornerback was one of the most polarizing positions on the Jets roster this season. Between the ineptitude of Trumaine Johnson and Darryl Roberts and the rise and fall of Bless Austin and Arthur Maulet, the Jets rarely saw consistent play in the secondary.

One player who New York missed was veteran cornerback Morris Claiborne, who the Chiefs signed after the Jets let him walk this offseason. Claiborne had two solid seasons in New York as one of the team’s top outside cornerbacks, but the Jets wanted to go younger in their secondary and decided not to offer Claiborne another contract.

“I enjoyed it,” Claiborne said on his time with the Jets. “I felt like I had two solid years of playing, going out starting, being the No. 1 corner. … I feel like the two years I was there, my stats were career highs in both years there.”

He’s not wrong. Claiborne set career highs in interceptions, pass breakups and total tackles during the 2018 season and he finished his Jets tenure with 100 combined tackle, three interceptions and 22 pass breakups in 30 games. After watching Johnson and Roberts struggle throughout the season, Adam Gase and Joe Douglas probably wish they retained Claiborne for just another year.

Claiborne’s time in Kansas City got off to a rocky start. The Chiefs signed Claiborne to a one-year, $1.5 million contract on August 8, but he was suspended for the first four games of the season after violating the league’s substance-abuse policy and only played in a handful of games after being activated on October 3. He played in eight games, averaged 24.75 snaps per game and finished with 14 total tackles this season. Though he missed both of the Chiefs’ playoff games with a shoulder injury there’s a chance he suits up for the Super Bowl.

“It’s awesome,” Claiborne said about playing for a Super Bowl. “It makes everything worth it. When I look at all of these cuts on my knees and shoulders, this is what it was all for.”

Clairborne came with a ton of injury concerns after only playing half of his total games between 2013-2016. He shook off those concerns during his two years in New York, though, and appeared healthy in Kansas City until his most recent shoulder injury. Clairborne could get another shot with the Chiefs or another team next season, but he’ll turn 30 a few days after the Super Bowl and didn’t prove to be a huge contributor in 2019. If he doesn’t get another contract this offseason, there’s a chance the former first-round pick would retire.

Jets Free Agent Profile: What to do with CB Brian Poole?

Jets Wire takes a look at whether or not New York should bring back cornerback and impending free agent cornerback Brian Poole.

Before Joe Douglas can focus on who he plans on targeting in free agency come March, he’ll have a handful of in-house decisions to make.

The Jets have 32 players set to hit the open market this offseason. Some don’t figure to factor into New York’s plans for 2020, while others it’s safe to assume the Jets would like to keep around for a while. Either way, Douglas has a lot of work to do in his first offseason on the job.

Brian Poole signed with the Jets in February after the Falcons let him go following the most productive season of his career. It wound up being Mike Maccagnan’s best move of the offseason, as Poole was New York’s best cornerback throughout 2019.

The Florida product earned only $3 million last season. It’s safe to assume he’s in line for a raise considering the way he performed for the Jets. Should Douglas pay the man? Let’s evaluate the situation in Jets Wire’s latest free agent profile.

Pros of bringing him back

The Jets took a chance on Poole and he repaid them by turning in impactful performances on a weekly basis. In a year in which New York’s cornerbacks were simply not good, his presence was much-needed.

Poole was excellent both in coverage and helping out in run support around the line of scrimmage. It’s rare that a nickel corner is willing to get physical at the line and be a willing tackler, but Poole was exactly that throughout 2019.

Saying the Jets are thin at cornerback entering 2020 would be an understatement. Trumaine Johnson and most likely Darryl Roberts are on their way out the door. Bless Austin showed promise last season but still has a long way to go. Arthur Maulet is a free agent. Letting Poole walk given the current state of the cornerback room would be a mistake.

Cons of bringing him back

Poole struggled with injuries at the end of 2019, missing two of New York’s final four games. His production also dipped a bit in the second half of the season with only 14 tackles and one pass breakup after a red-hot start to the year.

The verdict

There’s a reason why the cons part of this free agent profile is so short. Poole should without a doubt be back with the Jets in 2020.

Yes, his production did dip slightly at the end of the season, but it wasn’t realistic to expect the Florida product to rack up double-digit tackles every game for the whole season. The fact of the matter is, Poole is the perfect player to play the nickel in Gregg Williams’ defense. His physicality and coverage skills play perfectly into what Williams likes to do.

Poole’s going to be worth a good amount on the open market, but he won’t be getting a contract that is out of New York’s price range. Douglas needs to do what he can to ensure Poole is back in green and white next season.

5 potential veteran cuts that would give Jets more cap space

Here are five potential veteran cuts for the Jets during the offseason.

With the offseason nearing, the Jets are going to have to make some important roster decisions with their veteran players.

There’s going to be a lot of turnover with Joe Douglas in his first season as general manager. Most of the players currently on the roster were not brought in by Douglas, but by Mike Maccagnan. So it won’t be hard for him to move on from some of them since they aren’t his guys. The Jets are projected to have about $60 million in cap space to begin, but they could get close to $80 million with some significant cuts.

With that being said, let’s take a look at a few potential veteran cuts for the Jets this offseason. The first one is a no-doubter…

Trumaine Johnson

Trumaine Johnson has made the decision for the Jets to move on from him an easy one with his efforts over the last two seasons.

Johnson was signed to a mega five-year, $72.5 million deal in 2018 by Mike Maccagnan and has been a waste ever since. Johnson’s play on the field has been dismal, as opposing wide receivers burn him constantly. He can’t defend the deep ball, nor can he stick with anyone on a crossing route. In two seasons, Johnson had 57 total tackles, seven pass defenses, five interceptions and a touchdown.

When the Jets do cut him, they’ll take a dead cap hit of $12 million but will also save $3 million. At this point, the dead cap hit is worth not having Johnson around any longer.

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The biggest disappointments from the Jets’ 2019 season

Here are the most disappointing players and coaches for the Jets in 2019.

After much anticipation heading into the 2019 season, it ended in typical Jets fashion: a losing record and another year without making the playoffs.

The Jets signed multiple marquee free agents in the offseason and drafted some highly-touted rookies to add to their core of players. However, it all never came to fruition as the Jets put themselves in a deep hole with a 1-7 record. They finished the year at 7-9.

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest disappointments the Jets had in 2019.

Le’Veon Bell

The Jets signed Le’Veon Bell to a massive four-year $52.5 million deal with the expectation that he would be one of the best running backs in football. Instead, he had the worst season of his pro career.

Bell rushed for 789 yards this season, his lowest since 2015. It was also the fewest rushing attempts (245) Bell had in a full season’s worth of work since his rookie year. In the passing game, Bell was expected to be a safety net for Sam Darnold, but that wasn’t the case. He only had 461 receiving yards, which was his lowest dating back to his rookie season.

Now the question remains if Bell will be back next season. His name swirled around during the trade deadline, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he is dealt in the offseason. If 2019 was Bell’s only season with Gang Green, it will go down as another bad free agent signing for the Jets.

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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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And just like that, Trumaine Johnson was gone

Jets cornerback Trumaine Johnson didn’t answer any questions about his Jets tenure.

Well aware that his time with the Jets is coming to a close, Trumaine Johnson got out of One Jets Drive in a hurry on Monday. It was odd to see the cornerback moving so quickly.

Jets players spoke to the media one last time this year as they cleaned out their lockers, but Johnson had no interest in reflecting on his miserable tenure in New York. Instead, he wished every one a happy holiday and reminded them about his upcoming birthday.

“Happy New Years,” Johnson said. “My birthday is January 1.”

While not official yet, Johnson will not be returning to the Jets next season with his contract out of guaranteed money. If the Jets cut him before the third day of the new league year, they will save $3 million against the cap, but they’ll endure $12 million in dead money.

The 29-year-old cornerback was signed to a five-year, $72.5 million deal in 2018 by former general manager Mike Maccagnan. It ended up being one of the worst contracts in Jets history. Johnson couldn’t stay on the field because of injuries, faced team discipline and was downright atrocious when on the field.

In 17 games, Johnson had 57 total tackles, seven pass defenses, five interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and a touchdown.

Johnson also had behavioral issues in his two years with the Jets. At the end of the 2018 season, Johnson was benched in the season finale by Todd Bowles for violating team rules.

With Johnson’s exit coming, the Jets will be in the market for a new cornerback. New York’s cornerback depth was pushed to its limit with injuries to both Johnson and Darryl Roberts and it showed all season. Bless Austin and Arthur Maulet filled in admirably, but New York needs to upgrade the position this offseason.

Jets should take a look at former Buccaneers CB Vernon Hargreaves

The Jets need cornerback help, and 2016 first-round pick Vernon Hargreaves could be the answer.

With the Jets woefully thin at cornerback, New York should take a look at the recently-released Vernon Hargreaves III to fill a position riddled by injury and poor play.

Hargreaves could be a low-risk, high-reward move by the Jets considering his youth and potential. The former 11th overall pick in the 2016 draft only recently turned 24 and was one of the top prospects coming out of Florida just three years ago. He opened his career with a stellar rookie season with the Buccaneers (76 tackles, nine passes defended and one interception), but injuries plagued Hargreaves the past two seasons and he was ultimately cut after a brutal beginning to 2019.

Bruce Arians and the Buccaneers were dismayed by Hargreaves’ lack of enthusiasm and effort this season, culminating in Arians benching Hargreaves after he didn’t hustle on a 55-yard pass play against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10.

#Bucs HC Bruce Arians said he benched CB Vernon Hargreaves (#28) on Sunday because he didn't "hustle" trying to make a tackle. Today, Hargreaves was waived.

Here's the play Arians was talking about:pic.twitter.com/aObzciNgQV

— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) November 12, 2019

“He didn’t look like he was hustling to go in for a tackle,” Arians said of the play. “He was chasing somebody across the field, and he wasn’t running fast enough.”

Hargreaves, to his credit, didn’t back down from the criticism. He took full responsibility after the game for any perceived concerns about his effort.

“If that’s what coach saw that’s what he saw,” he said. “There’s no arguing with that – I need to hustle. Point blank. End of discussion.”

Hargreaves’ production has dropped off considerably since his rookie season and he has major injury issues – he missed all but one game in 2018 with a shoulder injury and seven games in 2017 with a hamstring injury. His 2019 hasn’t been much better, as he’s allowed a 111.9 passer rating when targeted (51st among cornerbacks), 12.3 yards per reception (37th), 5.7 receptions per game (77th), a catch rate of 63.8 percent (49th) and burned on 3.8 percent of his targets (71st), per PlayerProfiler.com.

Those numbers are all terrible. Sadly, they’re also better than every other Jets cornerback other than Brian Poole, who plays 61 percent of his snaps in the slot.

The Jets need a player like Hargreaves to play on the outside, especially if Darryl Roberts can’t play. With Roberts hobbled by a calf injury and Trumaine Johnson on injured reserve, the only healthy cornerbacks the Jets have on the roster are Poole, Nate Hairston (who was benched in the second quarter of Sunday’s game), sixth-round rookie Bless Austin, and undrafted rookies Arthur Maulet and Kyron Brown. Austin played well for the Jets in his first game of the year, but he can’t be expected to fix a Jets secondary that’s been leaky all season.

Hargreaves won’t be a game-changer for the Jets, but he’ll be an infusion of young talent in a depleted secondary. He’ll also be looking to prove himself in search of another contract. The Buccaneers picked up Hargreaves’ $9.954 million fifth-year option this offseason, but it’s only guaranteed for injury. If the Jets claim him, they could easily try him out for a few games and see how he fares in the offseason before committing to that price tag for the 2020 season.

Hargreaves also has a few former teammates on the Jets – Poole and safety Marcus Maye both played with Hargreaves in Gainesville in 2015.

The Jets are grasping at straws in the secondary right now. Hargreaves isn’t the player many expected him to be after his rookie season, but he’s young and experienced and could be a short-term solution for the Jets defense heading into the back-half of its schedule.