Editorial

Jets prepare to launch for the 2019 campaign

Admin - February 12, 2019

If you click over to Sportsbook Review, you will find all of the major online sportsbooks, chief among them Heritage Sports, and there you will see that the Jets are being dealt at about 80-1 to win next season’s Super Bowl. It would be a rags-to-riches story if Gang Green got to the big game but the offseason is where every team, and its fans, get to dream. What Jets' fans are hoping for is the continued growth of quarterback Sam Darnold and the team’s brass to surround the 21-year-old gunslinger with enough weapons to allow him to take the next step.

The silver lining in a 4-12 record is the No. 3 draft position the Jets currently hold. What makes New York's slot even more valuable is that there are several teams gunning for bigtime college quarterbacks to resuscitate their franchises. Teams like the Giants (No.6), Jaguars (No. 7), Broncos (No. 10) are all salivating at the prospect of landing the quarterback of their choice. Candidates include Ohio State's Dwyane Haskins, Missouri's Drew Lock, and Oklahoma's Kyler Murray with the Dolphins possibly putting together a package with the Jets to move from No.13 to No. 3. However, divisional rivals don't often play well in the sandbox together as the prospect of one or more of the components of any trade could come back to haunt one or the other for years to come.

Another reason why the moon and stars are aligned for New York is that this draft is deep in edge rushers and defensive tackles which the Jets so desperately need. The Cardinals and 49ers, holding the first and second overall picks, will both likely pluck a prized plum from that pool with the Buckeyes' Nick Bosa and the Crimson Tide's Quinnen Williams going one and two. The Jets could sit tight and select Kentucky's Josh Allen, Michigan's Rashan Gary, Houston's Ed Oliver, Clemson’s Christian Wilkins or Clelin Ferrell. However, if New York's scouting department has this high-end lot all graded about the same, then the fun begins. At that point, the Jets could kick back, crack open a cold one, and let the bidding begin. The worst that could happen is they move down to No. 13, Miami's spot, and still acquire an outstanding defensive lineman as well as a first-rounder next season as well as a few more picks.

The Jets have too many holes to shore up, which means the more draft picks the better. And then there is free agency. Wouldn't Antonio Brown look good in the Green and White? Perhaps the Jets' Pro Bowl Defensive MVP Jamal Adams said it best, "…for you to get Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown, that would be scary with Sam Darnold and Robby (Anderson) on the outside, Quincy (Enunwa), (Jermaine) Kearse and Chris (Herndon)" Adams told SiriusXM on radio row at the Super Bowl. "It would be dangerous."

Big money for Pittsburgh's dynamic duo to be sure but those moves would yield immediate results. The Jets' would go from rebuilding their foundation to erecting a skyscraper. Sam Darnold would have the complement of players he needs to get the Jets' offense up and running while they would still get an elite defensive lineman through the draft, plus a boatload of picks. Only time will tell how this all plays out but right now, the Jets are in the driver's seat and if they navigate this draft and negotiate successfully with impact players in free agency then the landscape of the AFC East could shift dramatically. After all, isn't it time for a change at the top?