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The New York Jets did a ton of offensive work through the first day of the legal tampering period, but they have finally turned their attention to the defensive side of the ball.
Rich Cimini of ESPN shared on Twitter that the Jets have come to terms with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead.
It’ll be a two-year deal for $14.5 million, per NFL Insider Josina Anderson. This will provide the Jets a short-term solution at safety and Whitehead the opportunity to hit the market again at the age of 26.
Although one of the most interesting fun facts for Jets fans is Whitehead is actually the cousin of future Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis.
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Finally Some Safety Help
The 24-year-old (who will turn 25 by the end of the week) now will plug and play as a starting safety for the green and white.
Right now the other starting safety written in pencil is likely Lamarcus Joyner who returned to the team on a one-year deal.
That is still subject to change based on what will transpire in the upcoming 2022 NFL draft.
On top of the youth, the other thing to like about Whitehead is his incredible versatility.
As Connor Rogers noted on Twitter, Whitehead has lined up at free safety, inside the box, covering the slot, at cornerback, and has even snuck down near the line of scrimmage.
This is a swiss army knife that Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich will be able to deploy all over the football field:
- Five interceptions
- 25 pass deflections
- Over 292 tackles
Despite being so young, Whitehead brings plenty of experience with over 59 games under his belt, including 55 starts.
The ascending safety earned a Super Bowl championship ring back in 2020 thanks to Tom Brady on the Buccaneers.
Secondary Is Coming Into Focus
The Jets also added former Seattle Seahawks cornerback DJ Reed Jr to the backend. He is only 25 years of age.
After some initial flirtations with players like Stephon Gilmore and Tyrann Mathieu, they ultimately shifted to a youth movement.
Now the secondary looks a lot different and makes you feel a lot better heading into the 2022 NFL draft at the end of April.
What all of these moves, both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball, Gang Green has full flexibility with their four top-38 selections.
Perhaps the clearest and most obvious need remaining on the board comes at EDGE rusher. According to the Pro Football Network, they have entered the Chandler Jones sweepstakes, so that should be an interesting race to watch as things heat up there.
Although it is still somewhat unclear how much moolah the Jets brass is willing to commit to the available pass rushers on the open market. They could very well save their dollars and spend them wisely on the cheap talent coming out of the draft.
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