A few years ago it seemed like the New York Jets may possess one of the top future safety tandems in the NFL with Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye.
Fast forward to 2022 and neither are likely going to be on the team.
Adams was dealt away in a blockbuster deal to the Seattle Seahawks back in 2019. While Maye ruptured his Achilles a few weeks ago ahead of free agency in March.
Who will be the two starting safeties next season for the Jets is a total mystery. One path the team should explore this offseason is getting creative on the trade market.
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Ripe for the Picking
The Jacksonville Jaguars have already started the beginning stages of interviewing candidates to become the next head coach. Urban Meyer was fired earlier this year due to a myriad of off-the-field issues that left owner Shad Khan with no choice.
With that unrest, there will no longer be any clear ties between the players on that roster and the new coaching staff coming into the picture in 2022.
That presents a golden opportunity for general manager Joe Douglas to do his best vulture impression and start circling 1 Jaguars Drive looking to take advantage of their unfortunate situation.
One player that should be near the top of that list is rookie Andre Cisco. The former member of the Syracuse football team was the first pick in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft.
Despite his lofty draft status, the talented defensive back has only started in one game so far this season. In 15 games Cisco has only played in 123 defensive snaps which is nothing short of strange.
This isn’t the first time that the former Jaguars coach has come under fire for not utilizing the talent on his roster.
Meyer infamously benched his star running back James Robinson which forced rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence to come out in a press conference with the media to fight for his teammate calling him one of the best players on the team.
The Missing Piece to the Defense
Jets fans got to see a glimpse of his ball-hawking potential when he nearly made a diving interception on an errant Zach Wilson pass. Ultimately the play was ruled incomplete with the ball touching the turf, but the point remains, you can see the otherworldly instincts Cisco possesses.
That is exactly what this Jets defense is missing.
The Jets defense has only six interceptions through the first 15 games of this season, which ranks 31st in the NFL.
Cisco left college as the FBS active leader in picks with (13) and had 12 of those interceptions in his first two collegiate seasons. Unfortunately, his junior campaign was marred by injuries which made it difficult to add to his ridiculous totals.
In this Robert Saleh defense, he could be the Ed Reed-like ball-hawk on the backend of the defense who can play centerfield. Obviously, that is lofty praise, but Cisco possesses elite instincts and he always seems to be near the ball. That is great tape study.
The former Syracuse product is only 21 years old and still has another three cheap years left on his rookie deal for just under $3.5 million total in base salary.
Douglas should make some calls and maybe a day three pick could get the job done. They also have a few player assets they could consider moving like second-year wide receiver Denzel Mims as an example.
Regardless, they should make a phone call and see if they can pry the young underrated gem off of the Jaguars’ hands. It would prove to be one of the best finds by Douglas during his tenure as GM.
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Jets Would Be Great Trade Destination for Young Defensive Ball-Hawk