Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh patrolling the sidelines of an NFL game.
Everyone has ideas on what the New York Jets should do this offseason.
Some think they should make a blockbuster trade and others think they’ll sign a slew of big young names in free agency.
Only general manager Joe Douglas knows what he is going to do. With that in mind, an insider has sources inside the building that have shared a new philosophy change up top.
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An Old Wise Sage Could Be Coming
Rich Cimini has been covering the Jets for over 30 years and has developed some pretty reliable sources over that time span. This week he shared some interesting insight into what Douglas might be thinking this offseason.
Historically speaking Douglas has chased players coming off of their rookie contracts. That would place those players in their mid-20s. While it is a small sample size, that has seemingly been his bread and butter during his time with the Jets.
Although Cimini says that could be changing this year with an “added wrinkle”:
“Sources say Douglas [is] looking to add veteran leadership to the locker room” which could expand that typical age window.
He then listed several names of older players that “could be on the radar”:
- Ryan Jensen, center, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Brandon Scherff, guard, Washington Commanders
- Laken Tomlinson, guard, San Francisco 49ers
- Zach Ertz, tight end, Arizona Cardinals
The commonality among all of these players is their age. They’re all at least 30, if not older.
Addressing a Misnomer Among the Fan Base
There is constant speculation among the fan base on social media about who the Jets should pursue in free agency and through the trade market.
Perhaps the biggest misconception is the Jets shouldn’t add insert player “because he is old” this offseason.
The normal follow-up to this take is they aren’t “a championship contender” so instead, they should save all their money and assets for younger options.
That is crazy talk, just because you aren’t a piece or two away, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be aggressive in adding pieces and getting better. Regardless of age.
The key to any team is balance.
Sure do the Jets need young and talented players? Of course, they do, but they can’t completely ignore a group of players because they’re older. That would be naive.
While they may not be the same players they used to be, what they do bring is leadership and the Jets need that in droves.
It was a collective effort for Gang Green last year to bite the bullet and bring in a massive youth movement, knowing there was going to be a lot of growing pains.
While the results were unspectacular at 4-13, there was unquestionable growth and development. Now is the perfect time to pair those young ascending talents with an ideal complement of veterans at a variety of key positions.
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