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[New York Jets]

New York Jets Flight Connections 07/06/25

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Today’s Jets links for your viewing pleasure

Happy Sunday, Gang Green Nation!

Here are your Jets links for the final day of this long holiday weekend.

Justin Fried - Joe Tippmann shares his thoughts on bizarre Jets center battle

Derek Praschak - The Jets can make the playoffs if they finally get this right

Patrick McAvoy - Jets $36 Million Man Wants To ‘Change The Game’

Patrick McAvoy - Jets 2025 Season Hinges On ‘Breakout Player’

Patrick McAvoy - Aaron Glenn’s Message To Jets CB Sauce Gardner Revealed

Patrick McAvoy - Jets QB Justin Fields Raises Eyebrows With Patrick Mahomes Comment

Colin Keane - NFL Writer Predicts Jets’ 2025 Win Total: ‘How Does This Implode?’

Colin Keane - Jets Pro Bowler Makes Head-Turning Announcement About Career Goal

Paul Edsen - Sauce Gardner Reveals Private Conversation With Jets HC Aaron Glenn

Evan Cormier - Writer Previews Jets Win Total, ‘How Does This Implode?’

Jordan Foote - List Provides Another Example of Garrett Wilson Being a Jets Pillar

Jordan Foote - Brandon Stephens & Jets’ Defense Focused on One Critical Impact Area

Here are your missed connections from yesterday.

Have a great Sunday.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...brandon-stephens-justin-fields-garrett-wilson

 

[New York Jets]

New York Jets Flight Connections 07/02/25

Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images

Bringing your daily links to the NFL’s New York Jets

Good morning Gang Green Nation! Justin Melo of JetsWire has proposed that the New York Jets should trade Jeremy Ruckert to the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins need help at tight end after trading Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jeremy Ruckert is in the last year of his rookie deal, so now would be a good time to try to extract some value from the player. On the surface a trade might make sense. Unfortunately, the elephant in the room is simply this: Jeremy Ruckert is not a good NFL tight end. He has had three years in the league and has shown nothing. He plays a relatively low value position, and he kinda stinks at it. There is no reason to believe Ruckert has any trade value at all. So while a trade might be nice, the likelihood another NFL team views Ruckert as somebody they would be willing to trade anything of value for seems remote. The Dolphins may be in a bad way at tight end, but they probably aren’t THAT desperate.

Here are your links to your New York Jets this glorious Wednesday in July:

Nick Wojton - 2025 NFL minicamp: Game-by-game predictions for the Jets

Nick Wojton - How many Jets' drives ended in a punt or turnover in 2024?

Justin Melo - New York Jets rumors: Trade TE Jeremy Ruckert to Miami Dolphins?

Nick Wojton - Jets' Sauce Gardner cracks CBS Sports' top-100 NFL players in 2025

Eric Allen - Justin Fields Stressing Chemistry with the Jets

Nikhil Mehta - Josh Reynolds Leading Jets' WR2 Battle

Mike Fisher - New York Jets Predicted to Sign Dallas Cowboys Ex Amari Cooper as Garrett Wilson Running Mate

Pete Martuneac - One concerning Justin Fields stat that should scare Jets fans

Patrick McAvoy - Patriots Star Can Solve Jets 'Lingering Question'

Colin Keane - Jets Undersized 'Workhorse' Identified As Top Roster Candidate

Patrick McAvoy - Jets Predicted To Bring 'Rare' Talent To New York

Zach Pressnell - Jets Predicted To Use $44 Million Wide Receiver As Trade Chip

Patrick McAvoy - Jets Have Found Davante Adams Replacement

Patrick McAvoy - Why Jets Are Built To Surprise NFL In 2025

Mike Luciano - Jets fans can only laugh at Dolphins' latest trade after Jalen Ramsey deal

Justin Fried - Steelers are copying the Jets' Aaron Rodgers blueprint that already failed

John Molnar - Are the Jets one of the most improved teams in the NFL entering 2025?

Mike Gianakos - 1 obvious New York Jets trade candidate entering 2025 training camp

Here are your missed connections from yesterday.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...ll-garrett-wilson-braelon-allen-sauce-gardner

 

[New York Jets]

New York Jets Flight Connections 07/07/25

Bringing your daily links to the NFL’s New York Jets

Good morning Gang Green Nation! There’s an article down below about the chances of the New York Jets keeping up in a “stacked” AFC East. I look at the same AFC East division and see a Buffalo Bills team that is likely to again be a Super Bowl contender so long as Josh Allen stays healthy. Beyond that? I certainly don’t see stacked. I see a lot of question marks. In my view the other three AFC East teams all can make a case for finishing second in the division, and none can make a case for finishing first, assuming Josh Allen stays healthy. Each fanbase of the three teams other than the Bills is looking at the other teams and thinking shoot, we can beat those guys.

I don’t think the AFC East is stacked. To me it’s the opposite of stacked, whatever that might be. That lack of stackitude might just be the key to a surprisingly successful Jets season. On the other hand, Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots fans are telling themselves the same thing. Who knows how this plays out? It should be an interesting season.

Here are your links to your New York Jets this glorious Monday in July:

Mike Antoniou - Justin Fields sets lofty but laughable goals for himself before his first season with the Jets

Mike Antoniou - Two Jets could see a big rise in production in a key area thanks to a new philosophy on defense

Mike Antoniou - Clear favorite emerges at one of the most important positions on the Jets' offense

John Pullano - The International Stage Is Ready and Waiting for Jets and Their Followers

Rich Cimini - Jets' new regime pushing Sauce Gardner for bounce-back year

Justin Melo - Jets OC Tanner Engstrand must be on "same page" with QB Justin Fields

Justin Melo - Pro Football Focus: Justin Fields to throw for nearly 3,000 yards

Justin Melo - ESPN: Josh Reynolds "most surprising" player of Jets offseason

Justin Melo - PFF: Breakout season coming for Jets RB Braelon Allen

Nick Wojton - Jets players who need to improve in 2025 after rough season

Adam Schultz - Aaron Glenn's New York Jets 'Building Block' An Easy Choice

Adam Schultz - Major Pressure Looms as New York Jets' Success 'All Hinges' On Justin Fields

Adam Schultz - New York Jets’ Justin Fields Dealt Brutally Harsh Take on Future

Adam Schultz - Justin Fields' New York Jets Weapons Receive Horrifying Ranking

Pete Martuneac - Could Justin Fields be one-and-done for the New York Jets?

Pete Martuneac - Sauce Gardner issued challenge from new Jets coaches

Mike Moraitis - Jets reporter says what Bears, Steelers fans already knew about Justin Fields

Patrick McAvoy - Jets Have Top 5 Breakout Star In New York

Colin Keane - Jets RB Gives Sneak Peek Of Playbook, Discusses Justin Fields

Patrick McAvoy - Jets Might Look Like Contender In 2025, Per Justin Fields

Patrick McAvoy - Jets Big-Ticket Addition Already On 'Hot Seat'

Patrick McAvoy - Jets QB Justin Fields Raises Eyebrows With Patrick Mahomes Comment

Colin Keane - Jets Pro Bowler Makes Head-Turning Announcement About Career Goal

Justin Fried - Surprising 2026 NFL mock draft answers the Jets' pressing Justin Fields question

Derek Praschak - The Jets can make the playoffs if they finally get this right

Justin Fried - Joe Tippmann shares his thoughts on bizarre Jets center battle

John Molnar - Can the Jets keep up in a stacked AFC East?

Mike Gianakos - 3 way-too-early 2026 NFL Draft prospects New York Jets must monitor

Here are your missed connections from yesterday.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...ll-garrett-wilson-braelon-allen-sauce-gardner

 

[New York Jets]

ESPN rates Quinnen Williams the 5th best DT in the NFL

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The star remains one of the best in the league.

ESPN recently polled a panel of executives, scouts, and coaches in the league to rank the top defensive tackles in the NFL. It is no big surprise, but Quinnen Williams made the list. He ranks fifth.

Williams has been one of the constants amid persistent Jets changes. He’s going on three straight Pro Bowls and has 23.5 sacks during that span, though 12 of them came in 2022.

“True three-down player — talented inside rusher who is fully capable against the run,” an NFL personnel staffer said.

Williams is solid yet unspectacular in most categories, including pass rush win rate (13.4%), incompletions credited (16) and quarterback hits (18).

One complaint from an AFC exec is that Williams “gets pushed around in the run game” at times, but that’s nitpicking an elite player. One AFC scout said Williams didn’t have much help around him inside, prompting defenses to key on him. He also battled through a hamstring issue.

“He’s a guy you have to dedicate a game plan to,” an NFL coordinator said. “One of the most complete interior guys in the game.”

I think one of the challenges that Williams has faced in recent years is the lack of a quality partner playing defensive tackle next to him. It seems like the Jets have believed that practically any tackle will look decent playing next to Williams. It was true enough when the likes of Sheldon Rankins, Quinton Jefferson, and Al Woods were lining up at the other slot on the interior. The 2024 defensive tackle group led by Javon Kinlaw showed the limits of this strategy.

Williams indeed is a focal point of other blocking schemes. Playing with him means a lot of one on one matchups. I have to think the total lack of talent around him contributed to what was a down 2024. Even a down year for Williams saw a number of excellent individual games. Like many other Jets, I look for a bounceback season in 2025.

Dexter Lawrence, Chris Jones, Jalen Carter, and Jeffery Simmons were the top four.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...s-quinnen-williams-the-5th-best-dt-in-the-nfl

 

[New York Jets]

Mailbag Questions

Leave questions for this week’s mailbag in the cleverly marked “comments” section.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/2025/7/8/24464045/mailbag-questions

 

[New York Jets]

Jets skill players don’t get much love from Bill Barnwell

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall are among the few bright spots.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranked every NFL team’s running back, wide receiver, and tight end groups. Unsurprisingly the Jets ended up near the bottom of the list, finishing 27th.

Garrett Wilson continues to plug on. Justin Fields will become the ninth NFL quarterback to throw passes in Wilson’s direction, and without Davante Adams in the mix, the Jets’ passing attack will go as far as Wilson can take it. He has officially inherited the role played by a college predecessor in Terry McLaurin, who managed to top 1,000 yards virtually every season no matter who or what the Commanders mustered up at quarterback. McLaurin finally has his quarterback in Jayden Daniels; let’s hope Wilson either has his or finds it soon, because he would be a superstar with better quarterback play.

The Jets’ other potential star playmaker from the 2022 draft isn’t heading in the right direction. Breece Hall was able to stay healthy for most of 2024, but he topped 100 rushing yards just once and had more fumbles (six) than rushing touchdowns (five). In a contract year, he will have to fend off Braelon Allen, whose larger frame (6-foot-1, 235 pounds) could be valuable for a team that should build through the run with Fields under center. Hall doesn’t have to be ruthlessly efficient, but with Fields drawing more attention by changing the numbers on the ground, I want to see more of the explosiveness and big-play ability he showed at his best.

Nothing about the rest of the receiving corps suggests the Jets should expect to fling the ball around with success. Allen Lazard got off to a hot start last season, but after a midseason injury and the arrival of Adams, he was essentially being paid to run wind sprints down the stretch. (He also took a pay cut in April.) Malachi Corley, taken with the first pick of the third round a year ago, had 16 receiving yards. The offseason additions included veteran wideout Josh Reynolds, who was cut in midseason by the Broncos, and second-round tight end Mason Taylor, who plays a position where it’s often difficult to make an impact as a rookie, Brock Bowers aside.

It’s frankly tough to take issue with a low ranking for the Jets. Garrett Wilson is an excellent wide receiver and a legitimate go to guy. Breece Hall is a homerun threat and is a good receiving weapon out of the backfield.

The best you can say about this group otherwise is there are a few players who could potentially be good like Mason Taylor, Braelon Allen, and Isaiah Davis. You can’t really count any of them as sure things, though.

At the end of the day, the current projected number two receiver is Josh Reynolds, a player who had 13 catches and was waived in season a year ago.

If you want a silver lining, the Jets actually rated second highest in the AFC East. New York may not have many great weapons, but the same is true of the competition. New England ranked 30th, and Buffalo came in just behind the Jets at 28th.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...players-dont-get-much-love-from-bill-barnwell

 

[New York Jets]

From Super Bowl Dreams to Rebuild Reality: Redefining Success for the 2025 Jets

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It’s no longer “Super Bowl or Bust”

The last two years it has been difficult to define success or failure for the New York Jets. The team entered the 2023 and 2024 seasons in “Super Bowl or bust” mode. The Jets gave up a lot to land Aaron Rodgers for a short window, borrowed resources from the future to try and improve in the present, and loaded up on big name veterans for a Super Bowl push. Obviously, none of that worked out very well.

This year things are a bit different. The Jets have gotten younger. They have a first year head coach and first year general manager. The team had a quiet offseason in no small part because of the constraints all of the moves of the last two years placed on the team.

You won’t find many people saying the Super Bowl is a realistic goal for the 2025 Jets. That, of course, doesn’t mean the team should get a free pass no matter what.

So let’s think about what success means for the 2025 Jets.

Results​

Of course the NFL is a results-oriented business. No team could ever post a record like 3-14 and call a season a success. So what are results that could leave us feeling good about the team?

It depends on how ambitious you want to be. I will offer you three options.

Low Bar: Beat the spread

Our partners at FanDuel opened with a 5.5 win over/under for the Jets in 2025. This is a pretty logical place to start when we discuss what expectations should be for the team.

5.5 wins is a pretty low bar to reach. However, going over means the Jets will have improved upon their 2024 record.

It also seems worth noting how rarely the Jets have beaten preseason expectations. I searched as far back as I could for the team’s preseason FanDuel over/under in past seasons. I was able to get all the way to 2018. Compare the starting over/under with the actual win total.

In the last seven years, the Jets have only beaten the spread twice. Those two years were 2019 and 2022.

I would argue that 2019 deserves an asterisk. That season the Jets won their final game of the season, which took them from 6 (under) to 7 (over). That was a game against the Buffalo Bills, a team that had clinched its Playoff seeding and benched its starters in the first half.

If we have the belief that the most important part of this season is the new head coach and GM showing they are competent, beating the preseason win total would be a nice first step. It would also be a rarity by recent Jets standards.

Medium Bar: Be Alive in Week 17

One of the enduring themes of this era of Jets football is how uncompetitive the team has been. The Jets almost always been bad in recent years. Beyond that, they haven’t even come close to being good.

2015 was the last time the Jets woke up on the day of their final regular season game with a mathematical chance to make the Playoffs. During that stretch, only once have the Jets been alive as they took the field for their second to last game of the season (2022).

In 2024, ten of the sixteen teams in the AFC entered Week 17 with a mathematical chance of making the Playoffs. So you can be on the bottom half of the conference and reach this modest goal.

High Bar: Make the Playoffs

I think its understandable for Jets fans to be out of patience. The team’s 14 year postseason drought is the longest in the league and double the length of the second longest drought.

Fans who heard last year’s 5-12 team pumped up as a Super Bowl contender can be forgiven for being skeptical when the same people preach patience and trust in the plan.

Making the Playoffs doesn’t require a great team. In fact, sometimes it doesn’t even require a good team.

Seven teams make it in each conference. With good coaching and a few breaks, there’s nothing stopping a team from punching above its weight class and stealing the last Playoff berth. Jets fans are tired of watching this happen with another team and being told to wait their turn.

Justin Fields plays well enough to enter 2026 as the undisputed starting quarterback.​

Obviously Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey’s jobs don’t hinge directly on how well Justin Fields plays in 2025. They aren’t going to get fired if Fields has a bad season.

Still, Fields is a very important signing for the duo.

For starters it is an early test of competence. The Jets clearly targeted Fields as their top priority of free agency and gave him $30 million guaranteed over two years.

It’s the type of contract that will look like a bargain if Fields plays well and will go down as a pretty bad one if he doesn’t.

Fields is a bit of a reclamation project after flashing high end play but ultimately failing out with his initial team, the Chicago Bears.

This will be a first significant test of whether Glenn and Mougey are looking for the right attributes scouting reclamation projects and have the ability to coach them up.

Fields’ success is critical for the team in the short run. After all, he is the quarterback.

It is arguably more critical in the long run. The fastest path to making a mistake in the Draft picking a quarterback is to get desperate. A successful 2025 for Fields will allow the Jets to take their time and wait for the perfect prospect. If he is there in 2026, the Jets can pick him. If not, they will have the luxury of time.

If Fields fails, the pressure will start to ramp up. Make no mistake. The people in charge should ignore that pressure if the right prospect isn’t on the board. That’s easier said than done, though.

Have a day three pick in the NFL Draft start and succeed.​

Here’s something that doesn’t get discussed all that much about Joe Douglas’ job performance during his tenure as Jets general manager.

His work in the early stages of the NFL Draft was pretty good. Of course there were some high profile whiffs that cost the franchise at critical positions, namely Zach Wilson and Mekhi Becton. Still, his early drafting produced plenty of talent. Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Jermaine Johnson, Breece Hall, Will McDonald, and Joe Tippmann all look like successful picks at this point. Some players are better than others, but it’s tough to be upset with those results. We might even toss Olu Fashanu into that group based on the strong finish to his rookie season.

In the middle to late stages of the Draft, however, Douglas’ results were quite poor. Michael Carter II was the only player Douglas selected after pick 50 who turned into a multi-year quality starter while on his rookie contract.

Sure, there were a couple of picks who contributed. Jamien Sherwood developed into a quality starter on the final year of his rookie deal. Bryce Hall and Brandin Echols had their moments as depth players. If you want to include undrafted free agents, Bryce Huff was an excellent situational pass rusher. Tony Adams has been a low end starter/high end backup at safety.

Of course finding contributors like this is essential, but you also do need to find some players who can lead in carrying the load later in the Draft. Douglas didn’t. There are numerous explanations for this including his propensity to give away picks trading up and acquiring veterans and his obsession with measureables over football ability. In any event, this was a disappointing development given all of the expectations that Douglas would revolutionize scouting during his time with the team.

One of the players the Jets drafted on day three immediately developing into a starter would be a nice sign that perhaps things are improving with the new regime.

Most guys you pick late in the Draft never amount to anything or top out as depth players.

Still, you do need to hit big more frequently than the Jets have in recent years. There’s no time like the present. It’s a much smaller ask than a Super Bowl in year one.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...-reality-redefining-success-for-the-2025-jets

 

[New York Jets]

New York Jets 2025 Quarterback Preview: It’s All on Justin Fields to Develop

John Jones-Imagn Images

The Jets have a new signal caller in 2025, and he’s trying to turn his career around.

Around this time every year I do a roster countdown with an individual article for each player. I have found that this approach frequently seems like a good idea when I start. Then training camp arrives, and suddenly there are a lot of other things to talk about.

With that in mind, I have decided to change the format this year. Instead of doing a season preview for each player, I am going to write a preview for each position group. We start today with the quarterbacks.

The Most Important Player​

Justin Fields

Fields is a high Draft pick whose career is off to a very disappointing start. The fifth year pro is now on his third team and hasn’t come come to justifying his spot as the 11th overall pick in 2021. Still, there have been enough flashes of high end play for teams to believe his talent can be channeled in the right situation.

The Jets gave him a moderately priced contract. It is the type of deal that will turn into a bargain if Fields makes progress. Conversely, it will go down as an overpay if his performance doesn’t see a jump.

That might sound familiar. Former Jets general manager Joe Douglas gave out a lot of contracts like that to players with similar pedigrees. Unfortunately, most of them failed. Whatever flashes guys like Jarrad Davis, Mecole Hardman, and Javon Kinlaw displayed in their first few seasons proved to be mirages.

Every coaching staff and front office has players they believe they can get more from than other teams. To me, one of the biggest separators of the good from the bad is the ability to correctly identify players who underperformed elsewhere capable of doing better in a different circumstance.

Given that the first such project Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey chose is at the quarterback position, the stakes could not be higher.

Anybody who has watched Fields’ first four years would likely acknowledge he is a work in progress as a passer. He misses too many reads and frequently lacks pocket presence. There have been some real flashes of quality play, however.

I’ll copy my own work from early in the offseason to prove that point.

I took a look at Fields’ career. He has posted a passer rating of 100 or better in 21.6% of the games where he has thrown at least 20 passes.

That number is meaningless without context. Should we be encouraged? Discouraged?

I decided to look to Sam Darnold’s career. Prior to 2024, Darnold had a 100 or better passer rating in 23.6% of the games where he had at least 20 attempts.

After a very rough first six years in the NFL, Darnold took a big step forward in 2024 starting for a Minnesota Vikings team that went 14-3. Darnold finished 10th in the MVP voting.

I wouldn’t expect Justin Fields to approach Darnold’s statistical success this season. I can all but promise you he won’t have 13 games with a passer rating over 100.

Darnold was in a much better situation than Fields will be. He had one of the three best wide receivers in the league, a quality second option, a good receiving tight end, and one of the best play designers in the league running his offense. By contrast, Fields will have a top 10-20 receiver in Garrett Wilson (which is NOT a knock when you think about how much wide receiver talent currently is in the league), no viable number two receiver, a rookie tight end, and a first time play caller. Fields could play at the same level as Darnold and still have a far less impressive statistical output. Darnold himself is likely to see his statistics regress quite a bit in a less favorable situation in Seattle.

Success for Fields isn’t about garnering MVP consideration. (Heck, I would say the fact Darnold got three MVP votes a year ago speaks to how unsophisticated some voters still are at breaking down the causes and effects of success.)

There is, however, clearly a level of quarterback play the Jets need. Fields has not played consistently at that level to date, but he has shown an ability to occasionally reach it. The Jets need those flashes to turn into regular occurrences. This will require multiple things. First, it will require Fields to improve. This combines his own work with good instruction from his coaches. It also will require the coaches to find concepts Fields is comfortable with and making them staples of the offense. It won’t hurt to make extensive use of Fields’ ability as a runner. He is one of the handful of quarterbacks in the league who is capable of producing splash plays on the ground, which expands the playbook.

I view Fields as a potential stabilizer at quarterback for the Jets. There’s only so much progress you can reasonably expect a player to make. It’s not a terribly far distance from where Fields is now to see him become a competent placeholder quarterback. Becoming the team’s long-term starter is a much bigger ask.

The Jets don’t really need Fields to be the guy for the next ten years, though. What they really need is someone who can play effectively enough to win some games in the short run and prevent the team from feeling like it desperately needs a quarterback entering the 2026 NFL Draft. There are a lot of reasons teams pick the wrong quarterback in the Draft, and desperation is among them. Quality play from Fields can leave the Jets feeling like they can wait for the right prospect, whenever he comes along.

That seems to be the plan at least. How well it goes will tell us quite a bit about the competence of the Aaron Glenn/Darren Mougey pair.

The Veteran Backup​

Tyrod Taylor

In 2024 the Jets gave Taylor a contract that virtually guaranteed he would be on the team for two years. Was this really necessary to secure the services of a player like Tyrod Taylor? I have my doubts. Under Woody Johnson, the Jets frequently make moves basic on optics. In the shadow of a 2023 season that went down the drain in part because the team did not adequately address the backup quarterback role, it sure seemed to me that guaranteeing that second year for Taylor was more about showing the world that they were taking backup quarterback seriously than it was about the merits.

Either way, Taylor is back as the number two quarterback. It isn’t hard to guess what you will get from him. He’s a veteran who will know where the ball needs to go on the first read. Even at 36 years old, he probably still has enough juice in his legs to evade pass rushers and break off an occasional nice gain on a scramble. He’ll also protect the football. You won’t get much more.

I would guess Taylor could get you through a game or two at this point. Anything more might be too much to ask. In his prime, Tyrod topped out as a competent game manager. The last time he held down full-time starting job was eight years ago. He’s firmly in the backup stage of his career. We know what he can do and can’t do.

The Number Three Quarterback Competitors​

Brady Cook

Adrian Martinez

The retirement of Jordan Travis creates an opening for one of two undrafted players to snag a roster spot. Now that the NFL allows teams to activate a extra player on gameday as the emergency quarterback, it makes sense to roster three signal callers.

You aren’t expecting much from your number three quarterback. Essentially, you want somebody capable of executing a handful of plays. Few third string quarterbacks will have sustained success, but there is still a big difference between having an actual quarterback taking snaps and putting a position player under center.

The decision on whether Cook or Martinez earns the spot could come down to what the Jets value in the number three quarterback role. Martinez’s ability as a runner would give the Jets an obvious set of plays he could likely execute successfully even if it probably wouldn’t take defenses long to catch on. Cook likely has more upside as a developmental passer. Given that the current Jets regime is more focused on the long term than the short term, that might tip the scales to Cook although its admittedly speculative.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...k-preview-its-all-on-justin-fields-to-develop

 

[New York Jets]

New York Jets 2025 Running Back Preview: Breece Hall Leads a Group of Question Marks

Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jets backfield has plenty of potential but little certainty.

Let’s continue our position by position look at the Jets roster by taking a look at the running back position.

The Would Be Star​

Breece Hall

It was less than three years ago that it seemed like the Jets had a budding superstar in their backfield. Rookie Breece Hall became the driving force on offense during a four game winning streak. During that four game stretch, Hall ran 59 times for 351 yards and 4 touchdowns. That would be a 5.9 yard average per carry and a 1,492 yard pace if extrapolated over a full 17 game season. Hall also chipped in 6 catches for 117 yards, a 497 yard pace over 17 games.

Of course it was logical to assume those stats would cool a bit. No running back can average 6 yards per carry in the NFL over the long haul. (Maybe in college, but not in the pros.) Still, a back who performs at a 2,000 yards from scrimmage pace over a full month is flashing the potential to be something special. The Jets won four games despite Zach Wilson eclipsing 210 passing yards in only one of them. They didn’t need a passing game to win. That’s how dominant Hall was.

Unfortunately, in the final game of that stretch Hall suffered a torn ACL. A season that seemed destined for a Rookie of the Year Award was cut short less than halfway through. In many ways the Jets hopes for that season were also. The team was able to scratch out a few wins after Breece’s injury, but the warts on the offense, particularly quarterback couldn’t be overcome. The team didn’t have another winning streak that season and ended the year losing six in a row.

Since his injury, Hall has shown flashes of explosiveness, but he hasn’t fully recaptured the 2022 magic.

The 2023 season was a mess for the Jets on many levels. Hall was a bright spot. Despite having a revolving door offensive line of players who weren’t all that talented, he came within 6 rushing yards of 1,000 on a solid 4.5 average. He also showed explosion, breaking 7 runs for 20+ yards, tied for sixth most in the league. His 3 touchdown runs of 20+ yards tied for second most in the NFL.

Still, there was a lack of consistency. After posting a league average 50% success rate (percentage of runs that end in success for the offense) in 2022, Hall’s success rate plummeted to 39.5% in 2023. Admittedly, you could make a case the offensive line contributed to that.

Then came 2024. Hall got off to a dismal start. Through the first five games of the season, Hall averaged only 3 yards per rush on 65 carries.

I have come to believe that first impressions matter in the way people view the NFL. After Hall’s poor first month and a quarter in 2024, many Jets fans were down on him. There were calls for him to lose carries to Braelon Allen.

From that point, things changed. Over his final 11 games, Hall quietly averaged a robust 4.7 yards per carry. His production during that stretch extrapolated over a full 17 game season would come to 1,500 scrimmage yards.

All of this kind of flew under the radar. In addition to posting an excellent average, he was consistent on a play to play basis. His success rate over those final eleven games was 51%, better than the league average. Around Week 6, Hall found something and quietly put together an excellent end to the season.

One thing was missing, however. Hall’s ability to produce breakaway runs diminished. After producing 7 runs of 20+ yards in 2023, he had only 3 in 2024. He had 3 alone in that spectacular rookie season of 2022 when he played only 7 games and had 80 carries.

What was behind this? One possible explanation is that Hall was playing hurt.

#Jets RB Breece Hall revealed that the knee injury he was dealing with last season was ‘pretty serious.’

Hall said he feels fine now & said he didn’t have to have any procedure/operation on it.

Great news! Hall didn’t look like himself last season. Bounce back season coming!… pic.twitter.com/qYo5Timv13

— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) June 11, 2025​

I’m normally a bit of a skeptic when a player mentions an injury after the fact. It’s frequently a convenient excuse. However, in this case it would make sense. Hall was playing well in every phase of the game except hitting the homerun. It would make some sense if he was able to produce but lacked that extra gear to rip off monster gains.

Hall suffered that knee injury in a November game against the Colts. All 3 of his big runs came before that game.

All of this sets up a pivotal season in Breece Hall’s career. Three years into his Jets tenure, we can’t say for sure exactly what he is.

Is he the type of guy who can dominate for stretches but not consistent enough to sustain it over the long haul? He wouldn’t be the first such player. Admittedly, his reads on blocks can be inconsistent and sometimes lead to too much hesitancy hitting holes.

But it’s also possible the guy we saw dominate in early 2022 is the real Breece Hall. Maybe bad blocking in 2023 made it impossible for him to be consistent. But when the play was blocked well that year, he was able to break off big runs. Maybe the first month of 2024 was just a slump. And what followed was the real Breece Hall. Just the injury prevented him from breaking off big runs.

Only time will tell which of the two is the real story. Just know this. If Hall breaks out in 2025, the signs were always there.

The Sophomore Understudies​

Braelon Allen

Isaiah Davis

The Jets took the unusual step of drafting not one but two running backs on the final day of the 2024 NFL Draft, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis.

New head coach Aaron Glenn has suggested that the Jets will employ a three man rotation in the backfield with Hall, Allen, and Davis. This is likely the approach the Jets will take to start the season. I’m not totally convinced it is the approach they will employ all year long. There are only so many carries to go around, and it stands to reason the three backs won’t all produce at an equal level.

There’s plenty of logic to split carries early. It’s a long season and a three headed rotation can make sure nobody gets worn down in the first stage. Still, at some point you probably want to give a higher share of the workload to the best backs.

It’s likely Hall will establish himself as the top man in the backfield and will eventually take the bulk of the carries. There will probably only be enough leftovers for one other back to receive an appreciable workload. My guess is that the early stage of the season will be something akin to an extended training camp position battle for the number two back role.

Braelon Allen’s 2024 season was in many ways the reverse of Hall’s campaign. The rookie spent the first month looking like a legitimate number one NFL back. Then in London against the Minnesota Vikings Week 5, he ran for only 13 yards on 5 carries and never really bounced back.

The difference in output between his first four games and final 13 is striking.

Allen averaged 4 yards per rush in just one of the final 13 games.

In many ways Allen’s rookie season mirrored his college career at Wisconsin. As a 17 year old freshman in 2021, Allen dominated the Big Ten, averaging a ridiculous 6.8 yards per carry despite facing loaded boxes at as high of a rate as any back in the country. You don’t see many high school aged players dominating players years older in one of the top conferences in the country.

This set expectations sky high for Allen. His final two years in college were...good...but still a clear step down from his standout freshman campaign. In his final college season, Wisconsin switched to a spread offense. This meant the end of loaded defensive fronts. Allen seemed primed to have a field day bulldozing light boxes. I don’t think anybody could say the results were terrible, but he didn’t recapture that freshman year magic and fell to the fourth round of the NFL Draft.

Allen enters year two as something of an enigma. Clearly there is formidable talent somewhere within him. You can’t make Big Ten defenders look foolish as a 17 year old without having a lot of skill. And that first month of 2024 showed that Allen can play. Despite being the league’s youngest player, he flashed all of the tools you want in a quality starter.

Can Allen find his best form with some degree of consistency? If so, he will likely carve out a big role with the Jets going forward. If not, fellow sophomore Isaiah Davis will have a shot at supplanting him.

Davis didn’t play a big role for the Jets in the season’s first three months. Late in 2024, he started getting opportunities, and his hard running style produced results. Davis ended the season with a robust 5.8 yard per carry average on 30 attempts and chipped in 9 catches for 75 yards and a touchdown.

When a team picks a small school prospect in the NFL Draft, there are always questions about whether the player can produce at a higher level. I think that if a lower level player gets drafted, he has to look like a man amongst boys on his college film. If you watch Davis at South Dakota State, you probably will come away with the impression that he was indeed at a different level from the guys he was competing against. In limited NFL action as a rookie, he certainly looked like he belonged.

I’ll leave this segment on our sophomore backs on another positive note. After years of the Jets spending money on big name running backs who were past their prime, it seems like the team has finally figured out that it’s better to go young at the position. Both Allen and Davis have real promise. I wouldn’t be surprised if between the two, the Jets have at least one future lead NFL back.

The UDFA Specialist​

Donovan Edwards

It’s rare an undrafted free agent has a list of pros and cons that almost everybody agrees with. The consensus on Edwards is that he has great breakaway speed and is a real pass catching threat out of the backfield but lacks vision and a feel for the flow of the play as a rusher.

Because of Edwards’ receiving skill, there has been some speculation about him potentially making a move to wide receiver. I understand the arguments for this, but I’m not sure a move like this would be well-advised. You can be an above average pass catcher for a running back and still have nowhere near the skills necessary to succeed at wide receiver. Just as significantly, I would rather get a quality pass catcher covered by linebackers than cornerbacks if I had the choice.

I don’t think the odds are very good that Edwards will ever be a lead back in the NFL. I think his best shot is to become a receiving specialist out of the backfield in the mold of a Darren Sproles or a Shane Vereen. In the current NFL, there will always be a demand for running backs who can make plays in the passing game.

The odds are against any undrafted free agent, but it helps to have a specific skillset that teams wants.

The Longshot​

Zach Evans

Anything is possible. There certainly have been a fair share of running backs who came from nowhere to turn into quality players. Still, the deck is stacked against Zach Evans. He spent his entire second season on practice squads. Even if the Jets were decimated by injury in training camp at running back, I think they might go outside the organization for a solution rather than give Evans a big role.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...w-breece-hall-leads-a-group-of-question-marks

 

[New York Jets]

New York Jets Flight Connections 07/13/25

Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Bringing thee thine daily links to the NFL’s New York Jets

Happy Sunday, Gang Green Nation.

Below are your Jets links for the day. Enjoy!

Brian Costello - Justin Fields quietly winning over Jets teammates as leader on and off the field

Brian Heyman - Jets’ safety Andre Cisco inspires kids with his free football camp

Michael Nania - 2 NY Jets offensive linemen earn top-10 votes in NFL scouts survey

Michael Nania - NY Jets snubbed from top players lists at 3 different positions

Paul Edsen - Pre-Training Camp 2025 Jets Position Preview: Defensive End

Paul Edsen - Jets Predicted to Extend OL With New Contract Mid-Season: Analyst

Paul Edsen - Jets QB Justin Fields Has a Path to an NFL MVP in 2025: Analyst

Evan Cormier - Contract Detail Means This Jets Corner Is Fighting For His Job Next Season

Jordan Foote - Jets’ Poor Pre-Camp Power Ranking Tied to Suspect Offense

Colin Keane - Jets Veteran Might Lose Starting Job ‘Sooner Than Expected’

Colin Keane - Jets Could Steal Free Agent Target From Aaron Rodgers, Steelers

Colin Keane - Former Jets Coach Named No. 12 Worst Hire Of Century

Colin Keane - Jets $30.8 Million Man Has A Lot To Prove In 2025

Mike Luciano - Adam Gase’s ranking on worst NFL coaches list is shockingly generous

Justin Fried - Jets could be forced to make brutal OL decision after 2025 season

Here are your missed connections from yesterday.

Enjoy Sunday.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...alijah-vera-tucker-joe-tippmann-justin-fields

 

[New York Jets]

Drama builds as almost all second round picks including Jets’ Mason Taylor remain unsigned heading into training camp

SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The players seem to be focused on getting guaranteed contracts.

Rookies across the league are scheduled to report to training camp over the next week and a half. There is, however, a fairly significant development. 30 of the 32 players drafted in the second round have yet to sign their rookie contract.

Yesterday was the report date for Chargers rookies. They start early because they are participating in this year’s Hall of Fame Game. Second round pick Tre Harris remained unsigned and officially became a holdout.

With Chargers rookies reporting today, there still is no deal for second-round pick Tre Harris.

There’s still time before practices, but the NFL could have an inordinate amount of second-round picks not showing up to the start of camp this year due to disagreements over… https://t.co/nHfMINMyDx

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 12, 2025​

Second round picks are seeking fully guaranteed contracts.

In May, the first two picks of the second round of the NFL Draft, Carson Schwesinger and Jayden Higgins, signed fully guaranteed contracts.

Since then, none of the remaining second-round picks have signed, as they are also seeking fully guaranteed deals, something typically… pic.twitter.com/8x0tu2IPtL

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 12, 2025​

Time will tell how this turns out. Maybe these second round picks will get their deals fully guaranteed. Maybe they won’t.

I will simple say this. The issue of guaranteed money strikes me as a silly matter for teams to dig in. Rookie contracts, particularly those after the first round, offer very favorable terms for teams, much more so than the players who sign them. Any money lost from guaranteeing second round contracts would amount to a rounding error.

If this drags on, I’m sure we will get anonymous quotes in the media from unnamed executives and owners. They will talk about the “principle” of the matter and “setting a bad precedent” if they give second round picks fully guaranteed contracts. They’ll claim that if they cave no agent, will ever believe they’ll drive a tough bargain again in contract negotiations again. And they’ll say all of this with a straight face months after these same people gave $50 million in guarantees to Dan Moore, $30 million to Javon Kinlaw and Camryn Bynum, $28.5 million to Grady Jarrett in free agency.

I don’t think it’s very smart for teams to keep top prospects from practicing over something so small, but NFL teams are gonna NFL team. I just hope the Jets get Mason Taylor into camp as soon as possible.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...ts-mason-taylor-remain-unsigned-training-camp

 

[New York Jets]

New York Jets 2025 Wide Receiver Preview: Garrett Wilson Is Excellent; Is Anybody Else Adequate?

Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jets have a heck of a number one receiver and a heck of a lot of question marks elsewhere.

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn listed wide receiver as one of the positions he values most during the 2025 offseason. Based on the Jets’ roster construction, it seems like he was telling the truth. Wide receivers account for almost 15 percent of the players on the Jets roster as we approaching training camp. There is no question about the quantity. The real question is the quality.

The Go To Guy​

Garrett Wilson

There probably aren’t enough superlatives to describe how good Garrett Wilson has been with the Jets through his first three seasons. Despite a lot of losing and a lot of bad quarterback play, Wilson has consistently produced at a high level. He is one of only eight wide receivers in the rookie wage scale era to start his career with three consecutive 1,000 yard seasons.

Wilson will be the most important wide receiver for the Jets in 2025, mainly because he’s the only proven pass catcher. Garrett’s talent is also a bit of a burden in some ways. The Jets will need to lean on him. It would not be a surprise to see him finish in the top five in the NFL in targets. There will be quite a bit of pressure on him to produce with those targets. The Jets can’t afford for him to have an off day.

If Ja’Marr Chase has a rough game in Cincinnati Tee Higgins can step up, and the Bengals can still move the ball. If AJ Brown has a rough game in Philadelphia Devonta Smith can step up, and the Eagles can still move the ball. If Garrett Wilson has a rough game, the Jets will have a challenge moving the ball. Unfortunately this has been the case through Garrett’s career, save the last three quarters of 2024 when he was paired with Davante Adams.

This sets the standard impossibly high for Garrett Wilson. Yet with his effective route running, he finds a way to deliver far more often than not. Defenses can focus on him, but he will still figure out ways to get open and produce. One of the biggest tests of new offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand will be to make life as easy as possible for Garrett, figuring out ways to deploy him within formations to get free releases and easier cornerback matchup.

No matter what, you can virtually pencil in Garrett Wilson for over 1,000 yards if he stays healthy.

Veterans Whose Solidness May Vary​

Josh Reynolds

Allen Lazard

Tyler Johnson

It seems to me that whenever a player lasts a few years in the NFL he starts to get the label “solid veteran” whether or not it’s accurate.

The Jets have three veterans in their wide receiver room whose play has occasionally been solid through their respective careers but has more frequently been underwhelming.

At the top of the list is free agent addition Josh Reynolds. At the absolute peak of his career, Reynolds has been a borderline viable second option in a passing attack. He posted a 600 yard season for the Lions in 2023 and was on pace for another for Denver last year through the first six games in 2024 before he was horrifically the victim of a shooting in October. Denver waived Reynolds in December. He caught on with Jacksonville and caught 1 pass for 11 yards in four games.

If Reynolds could produce 600 yards, I think the Jets would probably sign up for that. Still, his career averages per 17 games round out at 34 catches, 458 yards, and 3 touchdowns, and he just hit the magic 30 year old threshold. Reynolds played in Detroit from 2021 to 2023 where offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand was part of the offensive coaching staff. It would be one thing for the Jets to bring him in to help install the offense as an extension of the coaching staff providing nuanced pointers on the system to teammates. Maybe the Jets could feel confident if they only needed to squeeze third or fourth option level production out of him. It’s a different matter to expect him to produce at the level the Jets need from Garrett Wilson’s sidekick.

But if Reynolds is a giant question mark, the veteran options behind him are totally uninspiring. Allen Lazard is set to return for a third Jets season after agreeing to a massive paycut. The reason he had to take that paycut is simple. He provided the Jets with some of the worst value of any free agent signing in recent memory. He’s essentially a big receiver who plays like a small receiver, seldom imposing his will on undersized defenders. Instead he gets pushed around and is weak on contested catches. The plays he makes are mostly the type any functional NFL wide receiver would make, and Lazard adds in some of the worst timed drops you could imagine.

The one plus Lazard has is his willingness to block. The actual results of his blocking are inconsistent, but he shows attitude when he latches onto a defender. (Mysterious considering how easily he is pushed around running routes.) There are even moments where he shows an ability to block a defensive lineman one on one. On an offense that figures to be run first and on a roster with a lack of quality tight ends, Lazard’s willingness to do the dirty work and clear a path for runners could be the biggest value he provides.

The Jets also added veteran wide receiver Tyler Johnson this offseason. I have to admit I was intrigued by Johnson as a late round sleeper when he entered the 2020 NFL Draft, but he has yet to show he has the ability to be anything more than a depth player in the NFL. Johnson will turn 27 next month. He doesn’t even have a 400 yard NFL season to his name, and he hasn’t played special teams in four years. I’m not really sure what the Jets saw in him when they made this signing, but it’s tough to expect much.

The New Rookie Hope​

Arian Smith

If you follow the NFL long enough, you learn that it’s conceivable for any drafted player to have success and for any drafted player to fail. It doesn’t matter how high or how low you were selected.

The process of drafting is really just making educated guesses weighing a prospects green flags and red flags. The higher the proportion of green flags, the higher a player is selected in the NFL Draft.

With that in mind, I was very surprised to see the Jets pick Arian Smith in the fourth round. It really felt to me like the green/red ratio was out of line to pick a player so high.

Smith’s main green flag is obvious, his speed. I could tell you about his 4.36 time in the 40 yard dash at the Combine, but just watching him play makes it clear he is a burner. The Jets will likely look to exploit that speed by manufacturing offensive touches for him in space on day one.

I saw more things to be concerned about, however. Smith had virtually no production at Georgia until his final year when he turned 23 in season and was physically more mature than most of the opposition.

As we know, speed helps. However, speed alone does not make a good receiver or even a good deep threat. I wouldn’t say Smith is a horrible route runner. In fact, Georgia’s offense gives its receivers a fuller route tree than a lot of college systems. You did occasionally see Smith create separation by doing some nuanced things on his routes. It was just inconsistently so. Smith flashed the ability to shake a defender by changing the tempo of his speed within a route or sell a fake in his stem, but it happened less frequently than I would like to see for a prospect who is already approaching his mid 20s.

Then there is also the issue of drops. Smith’s drop rate through his college career was in the stratosphere.

This feels like a very black and white situation for the Jets. I would surmise that they believe they can coach consistency into Smith’s technique very quickly. If they can, his speed could turn him into a quality receiving threat and a headache for other defenses.

Every front office and coaching staff is convinced they can fix the flaws in physically talented prospects. Few end up being right. These tend to be the good front offices and coaching staffs. Smith will be an early test of how effectively Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey are at targeting the right type of player and helping him overcome his flaws. If they can, it will be an excellent early sign for the new regime. Smith will also be primed to contribute immediately, given the lack of proven players blocking his path to playing time.

The Old Regime’s Projects​

Xavier Gipson

Malachi Corley

An NFL player can keep a roster spot for years without producing as long as the people in charge of the team thinks he has potential. Every front office and coaching staff has its own project players.

When a new regime comes in suddenly these project players need to start performing, or it will be time to ship out. The new leaders will have their own projects.

Xavier Gipson will always have a place in Jets lore. His walkoff overtime punt return for a touchdown capped off one of the team’s most memorable wins in recent memory. It ended a wild 2023 opener against the Buffalo Bills where the Jets shook off Aaron Rodgers’ devastating Achilles injury and a fourth quarter deficit to register a victory. The fact an undrafted free agent like Gipson made it through two NFL seasons is something that should be celebrated. Few players with his pedigree make it so far.

Still, that Week 1 return from two years ago remains of the few highlights of Gipson’s Jets career. He hasn’t shown much progress as a returner or a receiver, despite receiving plenty of opportunities. If he doesn’t show major growth in his third training camp, his Jets career could be ending.

The same might also be true of Malachi Corley, the team’s third round pick from a year ago. The Jets reportedly started trying to trade up early in the second round to take Corley. They were eventually able to work out a deal to move up to the top pick of the third round to snag him.

That was under a different GM and different head coach, thought. Corley was a total nonfactor his rookie season. I recently wrote about how stacked the odds are against a player who produces as little as Corley in year one.

The “why” is just as important to discuss, though. Corley’s rookie season was so invisible because he is still learning the most basic element of playing wide receiver, running routes. He was moved to wide receiver in college, but over half of his catches came on screens. He was given the nickname “The YAC King” because of the proportion of his receiving yards came after the catch. However, it was a bit of a chicken or egg situation. Naturally a receiver who catches most of his passes at the line of scrimmage is going to have a high proportion of YAC yards.

To succeed at the NFL level, a receiver needs to beat coverage to get open. This is a new concept for Corley, who spent the bulk of his college career running with the ball in his hands. Even when he ran routes at Western Kentucky, his tree was pretty limited. For all intents and purposes, he is starting from scratch trying to learn the basics while also playing football at its highest level. Let’s just say his college coaches didn’t do him any favors if the goal was to help him succeed in the NFL. If the Jets hadn’t picked two running backs in the same Draft class, I might say the best thing for Corley would be to move to running back where he would be playing a role he is familiar with, trying to make something happen with the ball in his hands.

I don’t want to completely give up on a player after year one, but it is important to understand how big of a challenge Corley faces trying to develop in the NFL. The more time goes by, the more I wonder whether Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh just got overly excited watching Corley run over small school defensive backs on film and neglected the basics of the wide receiver position in their scouting evaluations.

The Roster Hopefuls​

Dymere Miller

Jamaal Pritchett

Quentin Skinner

Brandon Smith

Ontaria Wilson

This is a group of undrafted first and second year players hoping to carve out a role on the roster. Their most likely path will be convincing the coaching staff that they can contribute on special teams.

That said if any of these guys flashes ability at wide receiver, there is a possibility of earning playing time. The Jets don’t have any locks after Garrett Wilson. Fifteen undrafted rookies in pro football history have produced a 600 yard season. I’m not saying I’m predicting any of these players will be the 16th. But if any of these prospects has legitimate talent that slid under the radar in the scouting process, someone from this group might be the most likely in the NFL to do it in 2025 given the lack of obstacles they will face ascending the depth chart.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...-wilson-is-excellent-is-anybody-else-adequate

 

[New York Jets]

New York Jets Flight Connections 07/15/25

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

Bringing your daily links to the NFL’s New York Jets

Good morning Gang Green Nation! Big news for New Yorks Jets fans as the Jets have reportedly agreed to terms with wide receiver Garrett Wilson on a four year contract extension. That places Wilson under contract with the Jets for six years, through the 2030 season. Wilson is one of two contract extensions the Jets prioritized this offseason. With Wilson’s deal wrapped up, the Jets now turn their attention to signing two time All Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to an extension. If the Jets can get that done soon this will have been an extremely productive offseason for the new regime. Maybe things are finally looking up for this franchise.

Here are your links to your New York Jets this glorious Tuesday in July:

Mike Antoniou - Jets make NFL history while crossing off major priority with Garrett Wilson’s extension

Mike Antoniou - League-wide holdout might have lasting effects for highly touted Jets rookie

Eric Allen - Jets 2025 Training Camp Preview - Defensive Line

Ethan Greenberg - Tanner Engstrand Is Eager and Confident as Jets' 1st-Year Offensive Coordinator

Jason Fitzgerald - 2nd Round Contract Negotiations

Rich Cimini - Sources - Jets WR Garrett Wilson lands 4-year, $130M extension

Justin Melo - ESPN praised the New York Jets for realizing the obvious this offseason.

Alex Smith - Jets, Garrett Wilson agree to four-year, $130 million contract extension

Adam La Rose - Jets, WR Garrett Wilson Agree To Extension

Nathan Karseno - Commanders Face Scary Reality in Terry McLaurin Contract Dispute After Garrett Wilson Signing

Mike Fisher - New York Jets Sign Garrett Wilson to History-Making New $130 Million Contract

Jonah Morgan - Jets Trade Idea Reunites Justin Fields With Bears Star Receiver D.J. Moore

Adam Schultz - Will Justin Fields Find NFL Home With New York Jets?

Anthony Licciardi - One key detail makes Jets' Garrett Wilson extension even bigger win

Pete Martuneac - Jets superstar receiver Garrett Wilson signs massive contract extension

Teddy Ricketson - Garrett Wilson contract details: Jets WR signs record-setting 4-year extension

Patrick McAvoy - One Blockbuster Trade Jets Should Avoid

Colin Keane - Jets' Garrett Wilson Now Ranks Among Richest Receivers; Below Who?

Patrick McAvoy - Can Jets Solve 'Biggest Question' In 2025?

Patrick McAvoy - How Jets Made History With Garrett Wilson's $130 Million Deal

Zach Pressnell - Jauan Jennings To New York? Why Jets Trade For Disgruntled WR Makes Sense

Phil Sullivan - Garrett Wilson, Jets Agree to Historic $130M Extension (ESPN Report)

Glenn Naughton - Don’t Count ’em out: 10 Longshots With Shot to Make Jets 53

Justin Fried - Garrett Wilson just proved the Jets were right to ditch Aaron Rodgers

Mike Luciano - Sauce Gardner likely in for a record-setting payday after Garrett Wilson news

Justin Fried - Jets send powerful message with historic Garrett Wilson extension

Justin Fried - Jets breakout preseason star facing uphill battle for roster spot in 2025

Blair Yusko - Mason Taylor reveals major change coming to Jets offense in 2025

Michael Zimmelman - Report: The Jets & Star WR Agrees to Historic Contract Extension

Michael Zimmelman - Long Island Native Excited for First Season With the Jets

Anthony Rivardo - Jets strike deal with Garrett Wilson to make him one of the NFL's highest-paid WRs

John Molnar - Jets' former first-round pick could be their sack leader in 2025

John Molnar - Jets' weapons rank amongst worst in the NFL

John Molnar - Jets' Michael Carter II thrilled to play under new head coach with unique experience

Paolo Mariano - Jets news: Justin Fields put on intriguing MVP watch ahead of first season with NY

Mike Gianakos - Grading Garrett Wilson $130 million extension with Jets

Benedetto Vitale - Jets news: Garrett Wilson agrees to $130 million extension

Here are your missed connections from yesterday.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...rett-wilson-sauce-gardner-mason-taylor-carter

 

[New York Jets]

Jets sign CB Sauce Gardner to 4-year, $130.4 million contract extension

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Sauce Gardner is now the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL at $30.1 million per year.

The Jets have come to terms on another deal in as many days for one of their young stars as they’ve agreed to a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension for cornerback Sauce Gardner. The deal will make him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL at $30.1 million per year. It also includes $60 million in new guaranteed money.

The #Jets and All-Pro Sauce Gardner have agreed to terms on a massive four-year, $120.4 million extension, making him the NFL’s highest-paid CB at $30.1M per year, sources tell The Insiders.

Gardner’s team, agent @ajv and @allantegardner of @vaynersports, negotiated the deal. pic.twitter.com/yy5HpGg57J

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 15, 2025​

The new deal for Gardner comes just 24 hours after the Jets signed wide receiver Garrett to his own four-year extension that will link both stars with the Jets through the 2030 season.

In 48 games since being drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Gardner has been named a First-Team All-Pro twice and was named the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. He’s accumulated 40 pass breakups and three interceptions to go with 181 total tackles in that span.

It took Gardner little to no time at all to become one of the best in the NFL at a premium position and the Jets are not going to wait around to make sure their star defender is under wraps for the foreseeable future.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...er-contract-extension-new-deal-garrett-wilson

 

[New York Jets]

Five Thoughts on Sauce Gardner’s Contract Extension With the New York Jets

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Jets go two for two extending their top ten picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.

1. Everything I said yesterday about Garrett Wilson’s contract extension applies to Sauce Gardner’s deal.

I have said it before. I will say it again. Drafting and developing talent are the most critical steps of building a consistently good NFL team. But drafting and developing are not helpful unless you retain that talent. Otherwise you’re just training good players for the other 31 teams. This week the Jets have ensured that their two best Draft picks in recent memory will spend their prime years in New York. Keeping these guys was a huge step towards putting this franchise on the path back to respectability.

2. Sauce Gardner is the most important player for the Jets on defense.

The Jets are moving from Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich’s defensive scheme to Aaron Glenn’s. The new system is going to highlight Gardner’s talents in a way the old one did not. With Glenn in town, we can expect plenty of blitzing and man coverage.

There were moments where Saleh and Ulbrich would get aggressive, but their preference was usually to rush four and play with seven men in coverage. That type of approach makes the defensive linemen the most important players on a defense since they won’t have any help getting to the quarterback.

In Glenn’s system, blitzers will assist in the pass rush. That leaves less help for coverage players in the back of the defense, which means you need players who can hold up one on one. Gardner’s game is suited well for this, and he has the talent to hold up against the very best receivers in the league. Keeping him around was a no brainer.

3. This record setting contract is a bargain in some ways.

It’s surprising to say that a record setting contract could be a bargain, but I think you could very well make the case that the Gardner extension is.

There is a simple question I like to ask when I assess a player’s value. How valuable are the players he is supposed to neutralize?

Sauce Gardner is supposed to neutralize big play wide receivers. I think we know those guys are plenty valuable. The paychecks of the top receivers in the league would certainly suggest as much.

Ja’Marr Chase has an annual salary of over $40 million. Justin Jefferson’s salary is $35 million. CeeDee Lamb is at $34 million. DK Metcalf is just under $33 million. AJ Brown makes $32 million. And as you probably know, Garrett Wilson just got $32.5 million.

Sauce Gardner just became the highest paid cornerback in the league with a $30.1 million salary.

These game changing receivers have salaries in excess of $30 million, while the guy who can erase them makes less. I don’t want to make this sound like a franchise changing level of savings, but this does sound like a bargain to me.

If anything, top flight cornerbacks should be making more than elite receivers. The NFL has arguably never been loaded with more talent at the wide receiver position, while you can count the number of cornerbacks who can hold up with the best on one hand. Scarcity should raise the price, but it hasn’t here.

4. This gives me confidence the leadership in the Jets organization is improving on all levels.

i think it’s fair to say that there has been a real leadership vacuum in the Jets organization for some time on a number of levels.

One of the most recurring themes from Jets management has been their unwillingness to be proactive in extending high end players. Frequently this has led to the departure of these stars. It began just months after Woody Johnson bought the team when Keyshawn Johnson was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It has continued over the last two and a half decades as general managers and coaches have changed. Even when the Jets do extend their best players, there tends to be more drama than was necessary. The Jets also pay a higher price for their hesitation.

I’m not ready to put Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey into Canton before the Jets have played a game under their leadership. I will, however, say it is refreshing to finally see leadership in the organization that is proactive and willing to invest in talent.

I could also see the leadership improvement extending to the locker room.

I have expressed on many occasions my frustration with the way the Jets operated in 2023 and 2024. In 2022, the Jets felt like they had some direction as an organization for the first time in a decade. They had accumulated a quality young core, and that was reflected in the results on the field. There has only been one stretch over the last decade and a half where the Jets improved their record in two consecutive seasons. That was 2021 and 2022, and it was the result of quality drafting.

The Jets saw the improvement that came from investing in homegrown talent, and it seems like the lesson they learned was to reverse course and start building their team the exact opposite way. Over the next two years, we saw the Jets bring in aging star after aging star. These players had big reputations but also big egos. More importantly, they were on the downside of their respective careers. The Jets made plenty of accommodations for these players, particularly Aaron Rodgers.

Ultimately the result was failure. If you have followed Aaron Glenn’s comments to the press this offseason, you have heard plenty of boiler plate coach speak (as you would listening to any other NFL head coach during the offseason). But within that coach speak, you hear things that resonate. He has discussed the need to build a team rather than a collection of players. He also has discussed how essential it is to have guys who come to work and buy into the program.

It might be a cliche, but the Jets the last two years were a collection of players. They brought in a bunch of big names who didn’t buy into the team concept instead of building on a promising young core.

This week suggests we are seeing a course correction. The Jets are now building around their recent Draft picks. And when you invest in people like this, they buy into the program and want to take on leadership roles.

Yup, Jets green has been running through me since the day they drafted me. Despite the ups and downs, the faith is mutual… that means the world to me.
Excited to start a new version of the chase next week. #JetUp

— Garrett Wilson (@GarrettWilson_V) July 15, 2025​

THE DEAL IS DONE this only the beginning. my brother @allantegardner bts & @ajv got it done. I appreciate the Jets organization for believing in me, my teammates for the blood, sweat, & tears we put in, and JETS NATION... I appreciate y'all supporting me Thank you GOD pic.twitter.com/1qsiT3Xga3

— SAUCE GARDNER (@iamSauceGardner) July 15, 2025​

5. Give some love to Joe Douglas.

When Douglas was hired by the Jets in 2019 as general manager, the buzz could not have been louder. He was hyped as the NFL’s next great executive. As we know, it didn’t quite work out that way. Douglas proved to be nowhere near as good as advertised.

What we can say is he did make a number of excellent decisions during his tenure that will help the franchise for years to come. Drafting Gardner and Wilson are at the top of that list.

Douglas might not have been good enough to make the Jets a Super Bowl team or even a winning team during his tenure. He certainly wasn’t nimble enough to work around the dysfunction coming from ownership. But he is the first Jets general manager since Bill Parcells to leave the team better than he found it.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...ers-contract-extension-with-the-new-york-jets

 

[New York Jets]

Scouting Jets UDFA offensive lineman Leander Wiegand

Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images

Taking a look at a Jets offensive line prospect

The New York Jets recently signed former European League of Football offensive lineman Leander Wiegand as an undrafted free agent. Today we break Wiegand down in detail.

The 25-year old Wiegand is listed at 6’5” and 291 pounds. He did not play college football. He has been playing in the ELF (European League of Football) for the past three seasons and has been a two-time all-star.

Background

Wiegand was a three-star high school recruit who grew up in Germany and played football in an amateur league when he was 18 and 19. He was rewarded with a scholarship from UCF, who apparently had never seen him play and offered him based solely on his athleticism. Although he accepted the scholarship and attended UCF for a few months, Wiegand dropped out before he ever played a game due to personal reasons.

In 2022, Wiegand joined the Cologne Centurions of the ELF and started for them in his rookie season. In 2023, he moved to the Rhein Fire in the same league and earned first-team all-star recognition. Finally, in 2024, he changed teams again and earned second-team all-star recognition with the Munich Ravens.

Wiegand was eligible for the 2025 draft and drew interest after a strong performance at the IPP pro day. However, he was not selected.

After Wiegand went undrafted, the Jets signed him via the International Player Pathway to an undrafted free agent deal with $249K of guaranteed money.

Let’s move on to some more in-depth analysis of what Wiegand brings to the table as a player, based on extensive research and film study.

Measurables/Athleticism

As noted, Wiegand was able to impress UCF with his athleticism, after which he also impressed during ELF workouts in 2023 with a 32-inch vertical and 7.33 three-cone drill.

Wiegand has good size and adequate length. At the IPP pro day, he weighed in at 318, which is actually 27 pounds heavier than his current officially listed weight with the Jets.

His most impressive numbers there were a 32-inch vertical and 38 bench press reps. At the NFL scouting combine, nobody had more than 33 reps. In addition, only six people had a better vertical than Wiegand and only one of those was heavier than he was.

His other numbers were solid but unspectacular, although his 40-yard dash was clocked at a slightly disappointing 5.39.

Usage

Wiegand’s three years have given him some excellent experience and versatility as he started for most of each year in three different positions. He played right tackle at Cologne, then moved to right guard with Rhein before playing last season as Munich’s left guard.

He also lined up in the backfield or as a jumbo tight end from time to time. He had one carry for one yard and this athletic touchdown catch.

Pass Blocking

Wiegand started off as a tackle and showed the ability to drop into his stance and mirror the edge rusher’s approach. However, there were times where an edge rusher was able to leverage around him.

Once he moved inside, the experience at tackle seemed to have served him well as he looked comfortable getting into position and engaging his man.

Against a bull rush he can be moved off his spot initially but has the strength to re-anchor and gain control of his man.

Run Blocking

Wiegand has a good impact in the running game, with the strength and power to create a surge and open lanes.

He flashes aggression and the strength to win battles in the trenches, overpowering his man impressively here.

He is capable of getting on the move and making blocks in space, both when pulling or in stretch-zone type looks.

Short Yardage

Wiegand is a good option to run behind in short yardage situations, with the ability to drive his man off the line or move him laterally to create a running lane.

There were a few times where he was stood up at the point of attack in goal line situations when playing inside, but these were often still converted successfully anyway.

Screen Blocking

Wiegand’s teams often used the screen pass and required him to leak out into space to lead the way. In such situations, what stood out was his awareness and ability to find a target.

Footwork/Technique

Wiegand’s footwork was arguably a little clunky early on in his career, but he seemed to make good progress in that area, dropping into his stance well, moving laterally effectively and playing with good balance.

His pad level is generally good, enabling him to use his strength and length to win leverage battles in the trenches.

In terms of his hand-fighting, he is noticeably deliberate when delivering his first punch. This suggests he has listened to his coaches and paid attention to where his hand placement should be and how his strikes should be timed. It’s good that he is trusting his technique and if he can continue to speed up that process, he’ll be that much more effective at the contact point.

He can still be taken advantage of at times, though. On this play, he is beaten for a sack as his man gets him off balance to get past him on a bull-jerk move.

Penalties

According to league records, Wiegand’s on-field discipline was solid as he just had one holding penalty last season and two false starts in 2023.

Special Teams

Special teams were not one of Wiegand’s primary responsibilities at the ELF level, but he did participate as a blocker on the placekicking unit at times, which is likely all he’d be asked to do at the NFL level.

Instincts/Intelligence

Wiegand lacks top-level experience, but has had plenty of playing time at multiple positions and coaching from former NFL talent including Joe Thomas. English not being his first language is also not a concern.

He often had to read and react in stunt situations or as the spare man but there were admittedly times when he seemed confused about who to block if there was nobody right in front of him.

Attitude

Wiegand’s discipline and work ethic have been praised by coaches and he seems determined to compete for a role with the Jets.

On the field, it seems like there are lots of times where he makes his initial block and then just stands around even as the play continues to develop. This may be more a lack of experience in terms of where to go “looking for work” rather than laziness or poor conditioning, though. He does dial up the aggression sometimes:

Injuries

Wiegand missed a couple of starts each season and did have some undisclosed injuries but he finished each year healthy. He also sat out a recent OTA practice with the Jets for undisclosed reasons.

Scheme Fit

It may be too early to consider scheme fit for Wiegand, who is more than likely viewed as a longer-term development project. Playing on three different teams over the past three seasons should serve him well, though.

Whether he works as a guard or a tackle will be interesting to watch. As noted, he has experience in both roles. His two all-star appearances came in the past two seasons after moving inside. However, that could have as much to do with him having developed and gained experience as the move inside being better for him.

Conclusions

With $249K guaranteed and his IPP status ensuring that he won’t count towards the player limit this season, Wiegand’s place on the practice squad is pretty secure. This is one of those situations where the Jets can place him on the practice squad and he won’t be eligible to be activated. If he progresses faster than expected to the point where activating him is a possibility they want to keep alive, then they’d have to put him on the practice squad player without his IPP designation and he would count towards the limit after all.

It’s difficult to read too much into his ELF film because of the level of play, but Wiegand is obviously a strong and athletic player who is very raw but with signs of development potential.

Jordan Mailata is the IPP’s big success story and the Jets will be aiming to emulate that with Wiegand, although they don’t boast the league’s top offensive line coach so it would be impressive if they can turn him into any kind of contributor.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...k-jets-udfa-offensive-lineman-leander-wiegand

 

[New York Jets]

New York Jets Flight Connections 07/17/25

Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images

Bringing your daily links to the NFL’s New York Jets

Good morning Gang Green Nation! In our daily links today is a story by SNY listing the ten best athletes on New York sports teams today. Garrett Wilson is the highest rated football player at #7, beating out the New York Giants’ wide receiver Malik Nabers at #8 and defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence at #10. Nabers had a more productive rookie year last year than any Garrett Wilson has ever put up, and Nabers made the Pro Bowl. Lawrence has made the Pro Bowl each of the last three years. Garrett Wilson has never made a Pro Bowl team, let alone an All Pro team. Two time All Pro Sauce Gardner is listed as an honorable mention. One time All Pro and three time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Quinnen Williams isn’t mentioned. Neither is one time All Pro linebacker Quincy Williams. All of which begs the question, what were the SNY crew thinking? As much as I love what Garrett Wilson brings to the table for the Jets, and as much as I’m glad the Jets signed him to an extension, there is no credible argument to be made that he is the best football player in New York right now. SNY looks kinda clueless with this list.

Here are your links to your New York Jets this glorious Thursday in July:

Mike Antoniou - Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner extensions mean so much more to the Jets than huge paydays for their stars

Susanna Weir - Jets CBs Room Features Seasoned Returners, New Talent

Eric Allen - Tanner Engstrand, Justin Fields Utilizing GoPro Cameras in Practice

SNY Staff - Top 10 New York Athletes Right Now: 2025 Edition

Billy Heyen - Jets QB Justin Fields given career ultimatum before New York debut

Pete Martuneac - Jets best move of 2025 offseason revealed

Jared Dubin - 2025 NFL 'Triplets' rankings: Bengals reclaim top spot, Chiefs fall from league's elite in QB-RB-WR/TE list

Colin Keane - Jets Could Surprisingly Sign Former Super Bowl MVP: 'In Great Shape'

Colin Keane - Jets Shocker? First-Round Pick Could Become 'Huge Trade Chip'

Colin Keane - Jets Trade For 49ers 'No. 2 Option' Wideout Envisioned By NFL Writer

Colin Keane - Garrett Wilson Disrespected? Jets Star Lands Low On New Rankings

Glenn Naughton - With Wilson and Sauce Done, Who Should Jets Extend Next?

Scott Mitchell - Why Jets Fans Should pay Attention to WR Tyler Johnson

Mike Luciano - NFL world can’t stop raving about Jets after front office finesse

John Molnar - Jets hand over big contracts and even bigger expectations to two stars

John Molnar - Jets' new quarterback bringing dynamic ability to transform the offense

Ben Strauss - Jets news: Where ESPN ranks Garrett Wilson after $130 million extension

Here are your missed connections from yesterday.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...rett-wilson-sauce-gardner-mason-taylor-carter

 

[New York Jets]

ESPN ranks Quincy Williams, Garrett Wilson, and Sauce Gardner top ten at their positions

Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jets have some elite talent on their roster.

ESPN has been compiling ranking of the top ten players at each position as voted on by a group of NFL executives, scouts, and coaches. Last week, we noted that Quinnen Williams came in fifth among defensive tackles. Three more Jets have made their top ten rankings.

Quincy Williams was rated as the tenth best linebacker in the league.

Williams backed up an All-Pro season in 2023 with another strong performance, earning several top-three votes. He held off several top competitors, including future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner, for the 10th spot.

“Zero to 100 closing speed sideline to sideline,” an NFL defensive coach said. “Will strike you. Dog.”

Williams lives in the backfield, combining for 41 tackles for loss since 2022. His pass deflections decreased from 10 to four year over year.

“He’s a Pro Bowl-caliber player, elite speed and burst to close, plays physical and bigger than he is — but to be elite you have to consistently take the ball away and he hasn’t done that,” a veteran NFL defensive coach said.

To that point, Williams has one career interception, which came in 2023. But he did force four fumbles in 2024.

Garrett Wilson was voted the tenth best wide receiver.

Wilson makes his top-10 debut after three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, beating Terry McLaurin, Puka Nacua and Brian Thomas Jr. for the final spot in this ranking.

On talent, he’s unquestionably a top-10 player. The way he slithers in and out of routes with elite flexibility is Justin Jefferson lite.

“He’s one of the best separators in the league,” an AFC executive said.

On production, the argument is tougher. Some scouts wonder what’s holding him back. While Wilson posted 101 catches for 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024, Davante Adams had more targets than him (68 to 46) over the final six games. Adams’ long-standing connection with QB Aaron Rodgers could have played a factor, but it was a shocking disparity for Wilson, who has No. 1 receiver qualities and was poised for a breakout season.

As one AFC executive noted, Wilson is a bit of a “freelancer” as a route runner, which was probably not ideal alongside Rodgers at this stage of the QB’s career. An NFL receivers coach called it something different: Lack of detail in his routes.

“All over the map — does his own thing on the field,” an AFC scout said about Wilson. “Vast potential, [but he’s] not close to what he could be.”

But then there’s this reality that speaks to his enormous upside — and why he’s in the top 10, fresh off a four-year, $130-million contract extension.

“He has produced in suboptimal circumstances,” an NFL general manager said. “He would only grow in stature in another system more friendly to his skill set.”

Meanwhile, Sauce Gardner was rated the fifth best cornerback.

Gardner remains one of the more polarizing players in the league. He reached superstardom as a rookie, wasting no time entering the conversation for the NFL’s best cornerback. He made back-to-back All-Pro teams from 2022-23, but some evaluators have had problems with his play for the past two seasons.

“Needs a bounce-back year in 2025,” a veteran AFC personnel staffer said. “Lots of missed tackles and penalties and didn’t make many plays last year. Too much, too soon and thought the NFL was easy.”

Gardner had a respectable 2024 season, holding quarterbacks to an 83.3 passer rating when targeted. He gave up one touchdown and recorded nine pass deflections on 51 targets. And Pro Football Focus recently named him the league’s top corner. This is not a sentiment the league shares.

As multiple scouts noted, officials flagged his handsy coverage for holding more frequently in 2024. He committed 10 penalties (one declined) last year compared to seven over the previous two seasons combined, according to NFLPenalties.com.

“I like his game, really good feet, long, good at the catch point — but he was getting put in conversations that I didn’t think were legitimate or fair,” a veteran NFL defensive coach said. “When I watch the film, I see a top-10 cornerback. I don’t see the top three.”

One NFC personnel evaluator said he’s got shades of Richard Sherman to his game — without the ball production yet. The Jets are hoping their new defense, with coach Aaron Glenn and coordinator Steve Wilks asking him to play more man coverage, will bring out his best. He’ll be asked to do a lot after signing a four-year, $120.4-million extension this week.

I think all three players belong on the list. The only ranking I would take issue with is Gardner coming in at number five among cornerbacks. This is particularly because Derek Stingley Jr. ranked as the number two cornerback.

Stingley is an excellent player. Rankings like these should always be evolving as performance levels evolve. Still, I think it’s tough to build a case that Stingley should be ranked ahead of Gardner today. He had a better 2024 season than Sauce, but these are directly comparable players. They entered the league together and were selected one pick apart. Things can change in the future, but at this point, it’s frankly impossible to claim that Stingley has played at a higher level than Gardner through three years.

The Jets had another player on these lists. Jamien Sherwood was an honorable mention pick at linebacker.

Jamien Sherwood, New York Jets: “Ascending player. He’s a bullet. Was one of my favorite [pending] free agents back in March.” — NFL personnel evaluator

The Jets might not have a great roster at this point, but I continue to think a lot of analysts are selling them short. There is clearly a fair share of top end talent here, which isn’t something you could have said a few years ago.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...-and-sauce-gardner-top-ten-at-their-positions

 

[New York Jets]

New York Jets Hidden Gems: 3 Secret Superstars on the 2025 roster

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

The New York Jets have struggled for eons to establish a winning culture. Here are three Secret Superstars who might help push things in the right direction.

When teams, coaches, and players talk about a culture of winning, it’s often easier to recognize such nebulous concepts in their absence than with their presence. The New York Jets, with their one winning season since 2015, no playoff trips since Rex Ryan got them to their second straight AFC Championship game in 2010, and a revolving door of coaches and executives and quarterbacks along the way, have struggled to generate any sort of said winning culture for a long time now.

Following a 5-12 2024 season that wasn’t impressive at all in most categories, the franchise made three big changes — hiring former Denver Broncos personnel man Darren Mougey to be their new general manager, hiring former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to be their new head coach, and releasing Aaron Rodgers to the four winds.

Glenn has made it clear that he knows how to establish that winning culture — he set the tone with his “We’re built for this (expletive)” opening press conference, and he proved with this particular franchise that he could bring it as a first-round cornerback in 1994, who amassed 24 interceptions and made two Pro Bowls over eight Jets seasons as a cornerback.

Still, it’s going to take more than a few old highlights from the Bill Parcells days, and more than a few well-chosen words, for those still devoted to this franchise to actually believe that better days are ahead.

After this long on the wrong side of things, even the best players on the roster have a hard time believing in yet another new way, no matter how credible the people presenting it. When Rodgers was released, defensive lineman Quinnen Williams had some tart things to say on social media regarding yet another rebuild (Williams has been with the team since 2019), and the veteran quickly walked that back.

Quinnen Williams on his tweet when Aaron Rodgers was released saying the #Jets were rebuilding again:

"It was definitely an immature thing for me to do at the moment, out of emotion & frustration. I'm trying to grow as a leader, as a player, & as an adult. Talking with the new… pic.twitter.com/zNzgsyvq6b

— Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsTFMedia) May 21, 2025​

“I understand the reaction of the players, but I would say this — every decision that me and Moug make is to win, and to win now, so I understand it,” Glenn said at the scouting combine. “But this is not going to be the last decision I make that’s going to upset people, and that’s okay, but as men we talk about it. We make sure we keep it in house, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”

Well, if Glenn is the man to put that culture in place, he’ll need help from everybody in the building — not just the most prominent names. In the continuation of our “Hidden Gems” series, we look at one underrated veteran, one underrated free-agent signing, and one underrated draft pick who may help bring that winning culture back to Gang Green.

Underrated Veteran: EDGE Will McDonald IV​

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

Linebacker Jamien Sherwood almost made the list here, as I loved his tape when I reviewed it at the dawn of free agency. But as the Jets re-signed Sherwood to a three-year, $45 million contract with $30 million guaranteed in March, it’s safe to say that Sherwood is no longer underrated — certainly not in a financial sense. Instead, I’ll go with edge-rusher Will McDonald IV, who was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Iowa State. McDonald found that draft position despite a 2022 season in which he had just six sacks and 25 total pressures — most likely because everyone in the NFL knew that it wasn’t a brilliant thing to line a pass-rusher up inside the tackles... 20% of the time... in three-man fronts.

Iowa State put 6-foot-4, 239-pound Will McDonald IV inside the tackles on 20% of his snaps in their three-man fronts, and probably wondered why he got washed out. You put him outside the tackles, and it's just one big splash reel. Could have a Haason Reddick-level impact. pic.twitter.com/X44hxsXXQl

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 25, 2023​

How is a guy taken that high in a draft underrated? Well, it took a bit for everything to get going. McDonald had just four sacks and 12 total pressures in his rookie season — injuries limited his potential to a point, and the fact that he looked to put on extra weight after that season turned out to be of great benefit to McDonald and to the defense. McDonald played at 6’ 3⅝ and about 240 pounds in college, and the extra bulk showed up last season both in his ability to use power to get to the quarterback, and to help more as a run-stopper.

Now, he was a real force on the edge, where the Jets mercifully had him on 94% of his 756 snaps. With 11 sacks, 12 quarterback hits, 38 quarterback hurries, 13 solo tackles, 19 stops, and 10 tackles for loss, McDonald finally fulfilled the promise the Jets hoped he would deliver.

In 2024, @nyjets edge terror Will McDonald IV had 61 total pressures, which tied him for 12th-best in the NFL. His 11 sacks tied him for seventh-best.

I think you're going to want to get used to hearing McDonald's name more often in 2025. pic.twitter.com/8tH20mGsCO

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 16, 2025​

“Will is phenomenal,” new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks said in May. “He can get to the passer. Will is a lot more physical and stronger than what I anticipated and saw from afar as far as being able to be stout in the run game. There’s always that fluctuation with his weight, and that’s something that he has to control with the strength staff, [and] we have a tremendous group of guys there. But his effort, his approach each and every day, I’m on board with him. I’m excited about what he can do, and I’m looking forward to a great season from him.”

One more reason to be excited about McDonald’s future is that under defensive coordinator and interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich last season, the Jets blitzed on just 25.6% of their snaps, which was middle of the pack in the NFL. On the other hand, only the Minnesota Vikings (38.9%) blitzed at a higher rate than did Glenn’s Lions defense (34.6%). With more creative rush packages in the playbook, it’s easy to expect McDonald to further stake his claim as one of the NFL’s best young edge demons.

Underrated Free-Agent Signing: WR Josh Reynolds​

Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Josh Reynolds had his best NFL season for the Detroit Lions in 2023. He caught 48 passes on 75 targets for 740 yards and six touchdowns, and while he has never been a true No. 1 receiver in an X-iso sense, he was quite valuable to Jared Goff as an intermediate and deep target. Especially on passes of 10-19 air yards, where a lot of defenders are waiting to knock the crap out of you when you catch the ball, the 6’3, 194-pound veteran caught 25 passes on 37 targets for 464 yards and five touchdowns. And as the Lions under offensive coordinator (now Chicago Bears head coach) Ben Johnson tested the middle of the field on in-breaking routes as much as any team, Reynolds proved his toughness in those moments.

He parlayed that great season into a two-year, $9 million contract with $4.245 million guaranteed with the Denver Broncos, but things did not go as expected. He played just five games for his new team before suffering a fractured finger, and he was waived by the Broncos in December after he was shot twice in a an October incident that left him with minor wounds in his left arm, and in the back of his head. The Jacksonville Jaguars signed Reynolds off waivers on December 4, and he caught a grand total of one pass for 11 yards for them.

Which then led to a reunion with Aaron Glenn, when the Jets signed Reynolds to a one-year, $2.75 million “prove it” deal with $2 million guaranteed. Now, it’s on Reynolds to regain what he had in 2023, and perhaps help Garrett Wilson to shake loose from all the inevitable double teams and brackets.

“All of our guys are going to have to step up,” Glenn said in early June regarding the rest of the receiver room. “It doesn’t matter which veteran it is, there could be a young guy that can step up. Listen, we have guys that can make plays for us and that’s at every level, every position we have; running backs, our tight ends, we have other receivers that are going to make plays. I’m expecting all of our guys that’s going to be here to step up and take the burden off of Garrett.

“Listen, Garrett is going to have his chance at one-on-ones. Is he going to get doubled? Yeah, he’s going to get doubled, he’s a good receiver. But, when you do that, that leaves somebody else in a one-on-one situation and I will take that with our guys all day.

Regarding his past history with Reynolds, Glenn discounted that as the primary tie-breaker. This is a meritocracy, after all.

“I care about good players. So, if he is a good player, I want him in the locker room. If I knew him or not, that doesn’t matter to me. The fact of the matter is he is a good player, and I think he has a lot left in the tank. I want him in the locker room. Plus, he’s a good person. It just so happens that he’s played in Detroit, and we happen to know each other. So, there are a lot of guys on this team that didn’t know me, but I am expecting a lot from them, too.”

Josh Reynolds had a weird season in 2024, but new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn remembered how and why Reynolds was valuable in Detroit from 2021-2023. Downfield acceleration, totally unafraid of traffic (dig balls galore!), and he's a plus blocker. pic.twitter.com/M2ixrEeklt

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 16, 2025​

As new Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand was the Lions’ passing game coordinator in 2023, there is more than a bit of familiarity there. So, this could be the perfect bounce-back place.

Underrated Draft Pick: Safety Malachi Moore​

Butch Dill-Imagn Images

If you want to know whether you’ve become one of the NFL’s undeniable assets, simply look around and see how many people are looking for the “next you.” In the case of Detroit Lions super-DB Brian Branch, that dude has had NFL teams looking for the next warrior from multiple positions anywhere they can find him. And that was after Branch’s slow 40 time at the 2023 combine (4.56 seconds) had him falling to the 46th overall pick in that draft despite a skill set that should have had him as a top-15 player overall.

Well, Aaron Glenn was all over that Branch pick, and it’s quite possible that he has his new version in the person of Malachi Moore, who basically became Branch’s replacement as the do-it-all man in the Crimson Tide’s defense. The Jets stole Moore with the 130th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2025 draft after Moore put together a 2024 season in which he lined up 4% of the time in the box, 8% as a field cornerback, 21% in the slot, 18% as a single-high safety, and 49% as a split safety.

In total, Moore allowed 13 catches on 30 targets for 132 yards, 19 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, two interceptions, seven pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 51.0. Moore also had a sack and five total pressures in 21 pass-rushing snaps, and he also totaled 51 solo tackles, 20 stops, two tackles for loss in the run game, and three forced fumbles. Moore isn’t quite as nifty as Branch in tight match coverage, but he brings an enforcer mentality that Glenn has always preferred.

I'm fascinated to see what the @nyjets are able to do with fourth-round DB Malachi Moore. Aaron Glenn got the intel on his "next Brian Branch" from Brian Branch himself. pic.twitter.com/GjQgSTfGtL

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 16, 2025​

Moreover, it was Branch who told Glenn that he might have the “next him” in Moore.

“Malachi was a guy that, I talked to Brian Branch before the draft, and he gave me some real insight on that player,” Glenn said in his post-draft press conference. “Actually, he was the starter right before Branch actually ended up getting the job, [but] he had an injury. Him being a captain that tells what he is, so he’s going to come in and have a chance to compete for a safety spot.

“What he did in college actually shows exactly what he’s going to be able to do in the NFL, and being able to have the versatility to play safety and also play nickel has always been great. Obviously, you see Brian Branch, he had the same thing. To be able to have a player that has that versatility is always good for defense, so now you can start to have defensive structures where you can have people in different spots.”

Branch gave Glenn intel on the player and the person, which helped that decision along.

“Oh, a little bit of both when you ask that because he’s been around him more than we have, so he understands who he is as a person and then as a player,” Glenn said of Branch’s final scouting report. “The first thing that came out of his mouth was, “Dog.” Listen, when you hear that, I mean shoot, that gets you excited about the player, and then having a chance to watch him on tape and see exactly how he operates, man, listen he fits us to a tee, so I’m excited to have that player. Again, he has some versatility, and I see him being utilized just like that.”

That’s a tall order of course, but if Brian Branch says that you can be the next Brian Branch, who would know better?

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions).

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...ers-will-mcdonald-josh-reynolds-malachi-moore

 

[New York Jets]

Jets have all Draft picks signed on time for training camp as Mason Taylor agrees to terms on rookie deal

Thomas Salus-Imagn Images

The last unsigned Jets rookie has signed.

The Jets will have their full 2025 Draft class report for training camp on time as second round pick Mason Taylor has signed his rookie contract.

Jets and 2nd round rookie TE Mason Taylor have agreed terms on 4-year, $10.46 million deal with 91.3% of deal guaranteed ($9.56 million), per his agent Sammy Spina @sammyjspina.

Taylor gets 60% of year 4 salary guaranteed, 55% increase from slot No.42 last year. Fully camp ready pic.twitter.com/hshls9N0GE

— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) July 18, 2025​

There is normally very little drama in negotiating contracts for players picked after the first round. Things were a bit different this year, however, as second round picks across the league pushed for more guaranteed money in their first NFL contract. On the whole, they were successful. The guarantees for this year’s second round class are more generous than those from years in the past.

The reality is teams had every reason to bend. The potential losses in guaranteeing more money were miniscule. These weren’t issues worth letting high picks start camp holding out.

Taylor joins the Jets with a good chance to earn the starting tight end job from day one. There isn’t great competition. Now he will be able to get to work.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...s-mason-taylor-agrees-to-terms-on-rookie-deal