Getty New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas and quarterback Aaron Rodgers speaking at a media event.
The New York Jets could use a unique recruiting pitch to lure one of the most intriguing free agents to the team this offseason.
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report recently projected the contracts for the top free agents at every position. He predicted that Dallas Cowboys second-team All-Pro offensive tackle Tyron Smith would come to New York on a fully guaranteed contract.
It would be a one-year deal for $12 million with all of it guaranteed. Smith, 33, would become the No. 17 highest-paid left tackle in football with that salary, per Over The Cap.
“The window for this Jets team isn’t going to stay open that long. And given that these Jets are firmly living in the now, signing a veteran like Smith makes sense,” Davenport explained.
Smith Would Fill the Jets Biggest Need This Offseason
Aaron Rodgers got hurt in the Week 1 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. He was pressured from the left side after an unsuccessful cut block from veteran Duane Brown.
The No. 1 goal this offseason for the Jets is to create as reliable a wall as you can with the resources that you have available.
Leonard Floyd brings down Aaron Rodgers and the new Jets QB is being evaluated for an injury.
Zach Wilson is in the game for the Jets.
The Jets are in a win-now window and everyone’s tuchus is on the line in 2024. If this regime fails to make the playoffs and doesn’t create some noise everyone will be gone.
With so much pressure to make something happen in the immediate, the Jets need a reliable pass protector to cover Rodgers’ blindside. There is no one better suited for that role than Smith.
Last season Smith finished with the best pass block grade of any offensive lineman in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus (89.3).
There are other younger options available in free agency but none of them are as good as Smith is. The priority for the Jets is the short term, not the long term.
The Jets Need to Protect Themselves Ahead of the NFL Draft
I’ve been told by draft experts that there are two legitimate left tackles in this 2024 class. Those two are Joe Alt out of Notre Dame and Olu Fashanu out of Penn State.
Alt is unlikely to be available when the Jets are on the clock with the No. 10 overall pick. Fashanu is more up in the air at this point, but at this stage, it’s looking unlikely.
The majority of the other offensive tackles in this class appear to be right tackles exclusively.
The Jets need starters at both tackle spots, but left tackle is the more important spot of the two. If the team is unable to fill that hole ahead of the draft they will be in an extremely desperate position.
When other teams know what you need in the draft that is a dangerous spot to be in. The Jets could protect themselves against it by buying a left tackle on the open market.
Not only would that ensure Rodgers has a reliable blindside protector, but it would also increase the team’s flexibility on draft day. They would no longer be pigeonholed into taking a left tackle at pick 10. Instead they could let the board fall to them and make the best decision for the team based on who was available.