The New York Jets could look to add some star talent to their defense in 2023.
Buffalo Bills linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and he figures to have plenty of suitors.
One of them could very well be the green and white.
The Jets play against the Bills twice a year being AFC East divisional foes and head coach Robert Saleh hasn’t hidden his love for Edmunds in the past.
“Avatar, that’s Tremaine [Edmunds]. He is like a unicorn in the linebacker world. I mean the guy is 6-foot-5, he has ridiculous length, speed, range, he’s got all of it. There isn’t anything he doesn’t have. He is special in every sense of the imagination. The amount of space he takes away by his mere presence in the middle of the field is unlike anything that has been seen in a very long time. I think [Brian] Urlacher would probably be one of those guys.”
#Jets HC Robert Saleh talked up #Bills LB Tremaine Edmunds (@maine_savage23), ‘he’s like a unicorn in the linebacker world’ + has ‘ridiculous speed, length, & range.’ He said the space he takes away is the best he has seen since @BUrlacher54: #NYJvsBUF #BillsMafia #TakeFlight
Jets HC Robert Saleh Could Bang Table for Bills LB Tremaine Edmunds
That sounds like the kind of guy that might make a pretty strong case behind closed doors to pursue this young man.
The 24-year-old, who will be 25 by the start of the 2023 season, is immensely talented.
Edmunds originally entered the league as the No. 16 overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.
In his five seasons in the pros, he has already earned two Pro Bowl nominations thanks to some video game production:
- Five interceptions
- 35 pass deflections
- Over 565 total tackles
- 6.5 sacks
According to Over The Cap, the Bills are $8.5 million in the red. This means they will have to make some roster moves just to break even, let alone create enough space to potentially fit a new Edmunds contract in.
Spotrac’s market value believes Edmunds could command a multi-year deal that pays him over $11 million annually on a new contract. Although with the recent extension for Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith, that asking price might be even higher than that.
Jets Have Some Big Decisions to Make at LB in 2023
In fairness, the Jets are $2 million in the red according to that same Over The Cap evaluation.
However, there are plenty of moves the Jets could make to immediately create more cap space. Gang Green is going to have to do something because two of their starting linebackers are set to be free agents this offseason too.
Both Kwon Alexander and Quincy Williams will hit the open market in March.
If the Jets pursued Edmunds, they’d likely have to let both Alexander and Williams walk in free agency.
Now getting into a bidding war for an inside linebacker isn’t normally a good strategy, but this appears to be a unique case.
When Saleh was asked about the possibility of selecting a safety in the top 10 of the 2022 NFL draft he said there are always exceptions:
“Depends on how good he is. I call them unicorns. I’d never want to take a linebacker in the first round, but Tremaine Edmunds was sitting there. He’s a unicorn in the linebacker world, same thing with a safety.”
Robert Saleh on drafting a safety top-10:
“Depends on how good he is. I call them unicorns. I’d never want to take a LB 1st rd, but Tremaine Edmunds was sitting there. He’s a unicorn in the LB world. Same thing w/ safety.”
Kyle Hamilton is a unicorn 🦄 #Jets
The Jets did this before back in 2019 when they won the CJ Mosley sweepstakes and they could do it again in 2023.
Not only would Edmunds help solve the linebacker issues, but the Jets could also directly hurt a division rival by stealing away one of their best players.
While this kind of move would cost a pretty penny, it might prove too tempting to pass up considering all of the variables involved.
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Jets Could Steal Young Pro Bowl Star From Rival in 2023