How can the Jets, Chargers and Patriots get back on track? These offseason moves could get them to playoff contention in 2024.
www.espn.com
Can somebody unlock this for me? Fully twist that fukkin dagger that the Jets have put in me. Fill me up with some more false hope.
1. Rule Aaron Rodgers out for the rest of the season. I'll start with an in-season decision. As much as Rodgers might want to prove he defied the skeptics in
recovering from a torn Achilles in a matter of months, putting a 40-year-old quarterback working his way back from a major injury behind this Jets offensive line would be malpractice.
Let Rodgers throw passes on the field to some local kids at halftime to show off his recovery. Putting him in front of a live pass rush and having him
reinjure the Achilles is the only thing that could make this New York season worse.
2. Retain Robert Saleh, but move on from Nathaniel Hackett. The next question is what to do with the staff. Given that the Jets are all-in to win a title in 2024 with Rodgers, they have to try to build the best possible staff to compete for a championship. Saleh's handling of
Zach Wilson has left much to be desired, but there's no doubting his defensive bona fides. The Jets rank third in the NFL in expected points added (EPA) per play allowed and fifth in points allowed per possession. Replacing Saleh would likely mean hiring an inferior defensive coach, which would set the defense backward in a season in which they have to be dominant.
Replacing Hackett, however, is simply a necessity. He
was brought in to help convince Rodgers to accept a trade to the Jets, but he has not been an effective offensive playcaller. Even in Rodgers' brief stint as a starter this season, he reportedly didn't like the
cut-block quick game calls Hackett made for two of Rodgers' pass attempts, the second of which led to the Achilles injury. (Rodgers has since come out and
defended Hackett and the offense.) Making Hackett an offensive adviser or giving him a murky role so he can hang out at the facility with Rodgers is fine, but he can't be the chief offensive architect and playcaller for an offense with championship aspirations.
Who would take Hackett's place? Ironically, given Rodgers' success with Matt LaFleur, one logical candidate would be Mike LaFleur, who was
fired by the Jets after last season. If the Bears move on from Luke Getsy, the Jets could import him as another former Rodgers confidant in Green Bay. Eric Bieniemy could be one-and-done in Washington because of Ron Rivera's impending departure, while Ken Dorsey was better than many believed while building a top-10 offense with the Bills over the past two seasons. Unless the Jets believe Rodgers is going to retire if Hackett is not in charge, they need to have a more robust offensive brain trust in place.
As for Rodgers' other friends in New York, the choices might decide themselves.
Randall Cobb and
Billy Turner are free agents and unlikely to return.
Allen Lazard disappointed and was made a
healthy scratch in November, but his $10 million base salary in 2024 is guaranteed. The Jets won't be able to cut Lazard. I would suggest they should keep him around as a token of support to Rodgers, but I wonder if there's a way to both satisfy Rodgers' desire for old pals and upgrade at receiver ...
3. Trade Lazard and a 2025 first-round pick to the Raiders for Davante Adams. If the Jets are going to bring in some of Rodgers' old friends, they had might as well go after the good ones. Adams turns 31 on Christmas Eve and has seen his numbers drop this season, but it seems fair to assign at least some of the blame to a Raiders offense impacted by both quarterback and coaching changes. If the Jets are going to take a risk on anybody, they had might as well
go after the best receiver Rodgers has ever had.
Adams is under contract for $17.5 million in 2024 before his contract rises dramatically in 2025, meaning he might be a one-year rental. I wouldn't typically suggest trading a first-round pick for a receiver on the wrong side of 30 under those circumstances, but the Jets are incentivized to win now and would also unload Lazard's $10 million salary on the Raiders. They would also get to keep their 2024 first-round pick, which they'll need to address next season's roster.
If they are hesitant to spend that much on a rental wide receiver, I can understand bringing back Lazard, hoping he looks renewed with Rodgers in the fold and using the 2025 first-rounder to address next year's team in other ways. I don't think they can find a match on trading that 2025 pick for a veteran offensive tackle, but they could use it to get a pick in the bottom third of the first round in 2024 and add a player up front who can help immediately.
