Getty A pair of former Green Bay Packers teammates running out of the tunnel ahead of an NFL game.
The New York Jets continue to add new pieces to the puzzle.
According to the NFL’s transaction report, Gang Green hosted veteran offensive lineman Billy Turner on a free-agent visit on Monday, May 1.
Shortly thereafter the team officially announced that they had signed the former North Dakota State product to a one-year deal.
Let’s get it, @Big_Mountain77!! Welcome to NY 🛫
NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero revealed that the one-year contract has a maximum value of $3.25 million.
Billy Turner Has Some Aaron Rodgers, Nathaniel Hackett Connective Tissue
The 31-year-old spent three seasons with the Green Bay Packers from 2019 through 2021 and overlapped with Aaron Rodgers during that time.
In addition to his direct connections to A-Rod, Turner also has a direct tie to the Jets’ new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
Hackett worked with Turner for those three seasons in Green Bay and last season with the Denver Broncos.
All in all the longtime NFL veteran has appeared in over 91 career games and has made 75 starts.
Turner originally entered the league back in 2014 as the No. 67 overall pick in the third round. He has played for four different NFL organizations and the Jets will be his fifth.
This move provides some much-needed depth at the offensive tackle spot. During the 2023 NFL draft, the Jets didn’t address that position until the third day of the draft.
Billy Turner Brings Plenty of Versatility to the Table for the Jets
Rich Cimini of ESPN shared the snap breakdown for Turner throughout his 10-year career in the NFL:
- Left tackle: 247 snaps
- Left guard: 466 snaps
- Right guard: 2,015 snaps
- Right tackle: 2,052 snaps
Billy Turner brings a lot of versatility to the #Jets. Snap breakdown for his career:
LT 247
LG 466
RG 2,015
RT 2,052
The ability to play four different positions on the offensive line will be a major help to the Jets. Last season when the team experienced a slew of injuries in the trenches, players were constantly forced to flip positions to fill the voids.
Turner might provide some versatility, but not everyone in the offensive line room does.
Cimini indicated that Duane Brown and rookie Carter Warren will be exclusive left tackles, in theory. With Turner and Max Mitchell manning the right side.
In addition to those guys, the Jets have four other players that can comfortably bounce to either side of the formation in Mekhi Becton, Cedric Ogbuehi, Greg Senat, and Eric Smith.
A glance at the #Jets tackle positions:
LT Brown, Warren (R)
RT Turner, Mitchell
LT/RT Becton, Ogbuehi, Smith, Senat
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic said all of the movement this offseason on the offensive line is Joe Douglas “trying to guard against last year’s injury disaster.”
#Jets options at OT:
Duane Brown
Mekhi Becton
Max Mitchell
Billy Turner
Carter Warren
Cedric Ogbuehi
Joe Douglas trying to guard against last year’s injury disaster.
To be candid, I’m not sure what NFL general manager would’ve been able to overcome the historic amount of injuries the Jets had on the offensive line.
It was just a series of unfortunate events with the majority of the team’s injury issues all coming at the same position. Injuries are the sort of thing that seems to balance on a year-to-year basis so the Jets are due for some luck in 2023.
However the Jets can’t just count on luck, they’ll have to try and create some of their own by putting themselves in the best position possible.
With Rodgers in the fold, the Jets have to make sure that they’re surrounding him with as much protection and as many playmakers as possible. This Rodgers thing can’t fail because the Jets didn’t protect him or they’ll never live it down.
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