It may be hard to believe, given the paltry point totals the 0-13 Jets have put up this season, but the coming offseason may see Gang Green turn over more parts of their defense than their offense.
On that side of the ball, just getting the coach/quarterback combination right would solve almost everything; sign a big-play receiver, maybe add an interior lineman, and voila – the Jets can field a functional attack that doesn’t make you avert your eyes every Sunday.
The defense poses more of a challenge for general manager Joe Douglas. Per overthecap.com, players accounting for 41.2 percent of their defensive snaps will be entering free agency, the fourth most in the league – versus the NFL’s seventh-lowest percentage of offensive snaps heading to the market (15.8 percent).
So, folks, how many of these guys do want to come back for 2021 after such a dysfunctional campaign? As much as you’d all like to blame departed defensive coordinator Gregg Williams for New York’s low rankings (30th in yards, 31st in scoring), the truth is that he didn’t have much to work with.
Here is an early breakdown, by position, of who should stay or go from this defense:
Defensive line:
Stay: Quinnen Williams, Folorunso Fatukasi, John Franklin-Myers, Bryce Huff, Jabari Zuniga
Go: Henry Anderson, Nathan Shepherd
Despite the poor effort from this group in last week’s 40-3 drubbing in Seattle, it’s still the cream of an otherwise withered crop. Anderson has been mostly invisible since inking a three-year, $25.2 million contract extension prior to last season and will be an easy cut (and $8.2 million in cap savings) this offseason, but Williams, New York’s third-overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, has certainly taken a big leap forward after an underwhelming rookie season. Williams leads the league with 34 run stops to go along with six sacks, per ProFootballFocus.com. Fatukasi is PFF’s seventh-highest graded interior lineman (300 snap minimum), and while Franklin-Meyers may not take down the QB very often (one sack), he gets in the neighborhood often enough to rank 11th with 41 total pressures.
Unfortunately, Franklin-Myers’ ascension was matched by Shepherd’s plummeting production – after a solid 2019 campaign, Shepherd has amassed just three total pressures in 99 pass rush attempts this season. Shepherd, who many forget is 27, was considered a bubble player out of training camp, so it seems likely that the Jets will take the $934,000 cap savings this offseason rather than giving him another go. On the other side of the coin, rookie third-round pick Zuniga will get another year to prove doubters (including me) wrong.
Edge Rushers:
Stay: Bryce Huff, Kyle Phillips
Go: Jordan Jenkins, Terrell Basham
In this premium position, the Jets got what they paid for. Now you know why Jenkins had few suitors last offseason before settling for a one-year, $3.75 million deal with the Jets. He registered just two sacks in 278 pass rush opportunities this season, which ended when he was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday. Of 48 edge rushers with at least 275 pass rush snaps, only five were as inefficient or worse. One was Basham, whose three-year deal also expires after the season. Undrafted rookie Huff and injured Phillips are cheap enough to return as depth pieces, but upgrading the talent in this area has to be a high priority for Douglas this offseason after years of neglect.
Inside Linebackers:
Stay: C.J. Mosley, Blake Cashman
Go: Neville Hewitt, Harvey Langi, Patrick Onwuasor, Frankie Luvu
Remember Mosley, last seen hobbling around MetLife Stadium during a Monday Night debacle 14 months ago before undergoing groin surgery and then opting out of this season due to COVID-19 concerns? Well, he will be returning to cash his $6 million check in 2021. Other than Cashman, who lives on IR, it wouldn’t be shocking if Douglas were to excise the rest of the position group. Hewitt, a pending free agent making $2 million this season, is an explosive tackler, but he’s just too slow in coverage to be relied upon in a passing league. JetsXFactor.com, which tracks every play, labels Hewitt as the Jets defender who has had the most negative impact this season. Langi has been only slightly less destructive, and Luvu, like Langi, plays like a whirling dervish, but opponents often exploit their exuberance. Luvu is only 24 and has special teams value, so he might be re-signed, but not as a premium option. Onwuasor came from Baltimore in free agency on a one-year deal with decent expectations, yet injuries have prevented him from playing a single defensive snap.
Cornerbacks:
Stay: Brian Poole, Bryce Hall, Blessuan Austin, Javelin Guidry
Go: Lamar Jackson, Corey Ballantine, Arthur Maulet, Elijah Campbell
Help wanted here as well. Slot cornerback Poole, the best player in this putrid unit, is on season-ending IR and will be a free agent after the season. Can the Jets bring him back on something close to the bargain one-year, $5 million deal he signed last offseason? They’d better hope so, because the next men up this season have been Maulet, whose versatility doesn’t overcome poor coverage and tackling, and Guidry, the diminutive undrafted free agent with a knack (in a very small sample size) for forcing fumbles. Hall (2020, fifth round) and Austin (2019, sixth round) are taking their lumps on the outside this season but should be back to battle for a CB2 role. Ballantine has had some good kickoff returns, but it says a lot about his defensive ability that the Jets would still rather go with Jackson, who will be entrenched forever in Jets lore for the Raiders game, than allow Ballantine to cover someone.
Safeties:
Stay: Ashtyn Davis
Go: Marcus Maye, Bradley McDougald, Mattias Farley, Bennett Jackson
Yet another defensive position group where Douglas will have to build from scratch. If he wasn’t going to pay Jamal Adams big money, how can he justify a deal with an eight-figure average for Maye? No matter Maye’s fourth-place PFF grade (400 snap minimum) this season, there always seems to be a glut of safeties on the market every offseason. On the other end of the PFF scale is McDougald, Adams’ replacement, who was credited with five missed tackles in the seven games he played. Good riddance to him and Farley, who gave up two touchdowns in Seattle while filling in for Davis, the overhyped rookie third-round pick who needs more time to learn about the pro game.
Punter/Long Snapper:
Stay: Braden Mann, Thomas Hennessey
Mann has had an up-and-down rookie season, but you have to love that his three tackles ties for the league lead among punters. Hennessey has three more years on his contract and hasn’t made any noticeable gaffes this season, which makes him a rare breed on these Jets.
For a FAN’s perspective of the Nets, Devils and Jets, follow Steve Lichtenstein on Twitter: @SteveLichtenst1
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
