The New York Jets might have a secret solution to one of its biggest issues heading into the offseason.
Both of Gang Green’s starting offensive tackles from 2023, Mekhi Becton and Duane Brown, are scheduled to be free agents. Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic told me on “The Boy Green Show” that neither is expected to return.
Offensive line analyst Brandon Thorn recently explained why the answer to the problem might be right under the nose of the Jets.
“I wouldn’t rule out Carter Warren from Pittsburgh [as a starter at offensive tackle]. I know Damien Woody liked him,” Thorn told Will Parkinson on TOJ Talks. “There is a decent shot that he could become a starter [ahead of the 2024 season]. That is potential as well, so just keep that in mind.”
The #Jets might already have a starter at offensive tackle on the roster 👀
@BrandonThornNFL told @Willpa11 that ‘he wouldn’t rule out’ Carter Warren as a potential starter heading into the 2024 season, ‘I think there’s a decent shot that he could become a starter.’
Brandon…
Warren’s Development Could Be a Massive Coup for the Jets
“Ideally if you could fill [offensive] tackle with someone that is on the roster that would be best. Finding two tackles [in the same offseason] is very difficult,” Thorn explained to Parkinson.
The Jets have limited assets with their draft picks and available cap space. The more holes they can plug themselves in-house, the better off they will be.
Warren still has three years left on his $4.5 million rookie contract. NFL experts say the window to win is typically on a quarterback’s rookie contract. However, QB isn’t the only position that you can reap benefits from.
Warren’s base salary for the upcoming 2024 season is $915,000. During his rookie campaign, he got reps at both left [107 snaps] and right tackle [294] respectively, per Pro Football Focus.
Warren, 25, appeared in eight games and made five starts in 2023. He entered the league as the No. 120 overall pick in the fourth round in 2023.
If he ended up starting at either left or right tackle next season the Jets would have an advantage over 99% of the other NFL teams. Warren’s $1.1 million cap hit would rank No. 45 among the highest-paid left tackles and No. 50 among the highest-paid right tackles in the NFL, per Over The Cap.
While other teams would be paying mega dollars for a starting offensive tackle, the Jets could be paying relative pennies. That would free up resources to be used in other areas of need on the offensive side of the ball.
A Consistent Theme in Mock Drafts for the Jets
If you read mock drafts you will likely come across a very common trend.
On Monday, February 19 the Jets official website put together a compilation of mock drafts from an array of NFL experts.
All six mocks that were included had the Jets selecting an offensive tackle with the No. 10 overall pick in the first round.
Four different offensive tackles were featured on the list: JC Latham out of Alabama, Amarius Mims out of Georgia, Taliese Fuaga out of Oregon State, and Joe Alt out of Notre Dame.
Another Mock Draft to start your Monday.
While this is the thought process in the middle of February, there is still time for things to change. If the Jets view Warren as a possible starter at one of the tackle spots and they ink a player in free agency, perhaps the team can go in a different direction with its first-round pick.
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Jets Have Hidden $4.5 Million Starter Already on Roster: Analyst