Agreed it's a good one season bandaid. Thanks for the info on the incentives. That's smart. He was the top pass protector last season, so it's shocking that the league didn't think that highly of him. I guess his injury history scared other teams away. That's a stroke of luck (hopefully) for the Jets. If he could give us at least 12 games this season, that could be enough to get the Jets into the playoffs. One small correction regarding JD having done no OL building for the future. In general, young stud OL aren't available in FA. Simpson is young, and he appears to be an ascending player. He signed 2-year deal, so unless he falls flat on his face this season, he will be back next season, and the Jets can always extend him if he plays well. If nothing else, I like the mentality that he will bring to the OL. If he doesn't pan out, so be it, but it's possible that he stays for at least 4-5 years.
Love this move! The Jets O-line actually looks solid. As for injuries, I look at it this way: just needs to play enough to get the Jets into the playoffs and be healthy enough in the playoffs. That’s what matters.
First of all, Alt is a highly coveted prospect from a position of need. It may not seem like a need but it absolutely is especially after how last season went with our OL. Second, Macdonald was not a highly coveted prospect. He could've been had in the back half of the first round and not a position of need. We were stacked at defense. I hated that pick last year it made no sense. Hopefully he steps it up this year but I still hate the pick.
At this point, with three starting OL needing to be replaced, and with no 2nd round pick, it was the best that could be hoped for. Smith still plays at a very high level. Moses is solid. The Jets can add either their future LT or future RT in the draft, and either a backup C or OG, and there's still time for JD to sign additional OL depth. If Simpson pans out (and he signed a 2-year deal), the IOL of the Jets' OL will be set for the forseeable future. If they get one of their OTs in the draft this year, then they'll have 4/5 of their OL in place for 2025, and with Smith and Moses being 33, the odds are those 4 players will have several games this season to start developing cohesion, timing and chemistry. They'll just need to find one more OT. Nobody thought JD would find 3 starters this offseason between FA and the draft, but he has already, and the draft is still to come. I understand the skepticism, but this at least gives some ground for hope.
"If they all stay healthy" yeah ok. A rookie tackle is not injury insurance he's the future starter when BOTH of our OT are FA in their mid 30s after next season. Incredibly valuable in of itself but I'd bet money an OL at 10 sees the field next season. Ultimately, the fact we're having THE SAME WR v OL debate for the second year in a row is proof JD blew it last year.
Would you prefer he keep last year's offensive line? Because you can't create an entirely new offensive line in one offseason without it being "patchwork."
This is exactly why I hope and pray that Joe still goes OT with our first pick, even if there is a trade down to get an extra pick somewhere. This is a patched-together o-line that should be a lot better than last year's, but neither tackle is a long-term solution. In fact, the odds are good that Smith will only be here for one year. This gives us a chance to do things the right way. Draft an offensive tackle, let him learn (he'll get playing time, there's no way both our tackles stay healthy all year) and then plug him in as a starter in 2025. If we draft a receiver, we'll be looking at patching together an offensive line AGAIN next offseason. Who knows, we may even be looking for two tackles again if things go badly (and don't they always?) Everybody knows that o-lines become better as they get used to playing with each other. We could start to get a little consistency and stability on the line if Joe doesn't think 'job done', and go looking for a receiver or pass-rusher.
So I assume his plan to be either WR at 10 or Bowers at 10 or trade back and try and get a 2nd. While this strategy of signing guys with injury concerns often works for other teams, it leaves us waiting for the other show to drop, because the Jets are always on the other end of this where the injury bug still hits whoever we sign...
It's definitely a possibility, but I think it would be a mistake. The offensive line is by no means set for future stability, and I think drafting two receivers tenth overall in the space of three drafts would be excessive.
Agreed - however they are working in the "Rodgers Window" more than in the good of the franchise now... LOL
What people may not be realizing is that we are not set at OT even right now, forget for a second about the future. Yes, unlike last year, we are not projecting Duane and Max (or Becton) as starters this year, but that does not mean we are set. Last year was just complete incompetence by JD, at least now he has done something, but the job is not complete yet. Moses just a few weeks ago was contemplating surgery on his shoulder. Whether he decides to get it or not, we need to expect him to miss games. Smith is glass and will definitely miss a chunk of games. So, we need to project at least 10 games at OT that someone else will need to start THIS YEAR. And what about next year? Patchwork again? It's a no brainer that we need a young OT who needs to expect to play at least half of this year and next year. Which means he has to be taken fairly early in the draft. This is as much of a no brainer as there is one.
Agreed…last year’s incompetence in managing the OL resulted in this need now. It’s a much better approach than last year for sure, and I’m happy we signed Smith and traded for Moses and Simpson. I don’t know squat about Simpson but hopefully he is better than Tomlinson has been. I already know that both Moses and Smith are much better than Becton, Brown, Mitchell and Warren combo we had. I still think OT at 10 or after a slight trade down later in the first round if Alt and Fashanu are both gone would be the best move now and long term, and let the WR come in round 3 or with a pick gained from a trade down if that’s better. I could understand a stud WR at 10 and it’s a huge need as well, but OT is the bigger need as I do expect to have to play a tackle other than Moses and Smith at some point this year. I would hope that JD wouldn’t make the same fucking mistake he made last year…
Hey, not to be a downer here, but all the articles I’ve seen on this are worded like “Jets will be signing Tyron” or “are going to sign Tyron” I haven’t actually seen an article that says “the Jets HAVE SIGNED Tyron” Is that anything to worry about? Is it just timing or a physical or something procedural, or is there a chance this falls through? In my business life, I kind of go by the saying that a deal is NOT done UNITL it’s signed. I’ve seen too many things go wrong. Even with the Jets, I still remember how the Vikings fucked us at least twice … once when Anthony Barr agreed to sign with us then went back and signed back with them after he left NY, and then earlier when Antoine Winfield agreed to sign with us and then signed with the Vikings. Shit happens. Hope we close this deal sooner rather than later if not already done. Whenever a player hesitates to sign the deal there’s usually something going on and it’s usually a bad sign
I was a bit dismayed at the start of free agency by the Jets lack of 'IMPACT' signing comin off 2023 but this signing makes me very very happy.
I hope that's not the plan, as it's a bad one, and it would indicate that JD hasn't learned a darned thing. There's little or no doubt that both Smith and Moses are going to miss games this season. We don't have a decent OT on the roster at present aside from Smith and Moses. We need someone to start when they're out, and since both are on one-year contracts, we need 2 starters for next year, and we need to draft a young stud who can be our LT or RT for the next 10+ years.
Yes, I totally agree... but Rodgers has said his window could be two, three or even four years. Now I don't know if that's realistic, or even of we would re-sign him. Obviously that would depend on how well he played, but the line we've patched together now cannot be expected to be here for two, three or four years.
This is absolutely my feeling. People saying if you cant be happy about signing Smith than your a bitter darksider. But they are only looking at right now - this season. We've signed two one year band aids that will be gone after the season, and we'll be in this same spot needing two starting tackles next year. If we don't get a top young tackle this draft its bad for this season and horrible for the future. It would be terrible team building all around. If JD gets fired next January he is going to leave us AVT on an expensive 5th year deal, and that's it (and even AVT is no longer reliable). Okay, maybe, hopefully, a solid Tippman. After 5 years of JD, our line has never improved. He needs to take a tackle with the 10th pick.
Yes agreed that we need a stud OT…however, you also have a GM in Win Now mode and if he feels like a WR will help THIS year more than an OT, I’m guessing that’s what he’d do…we as fans care about next year and the year after and such, but for him and Saleh, there is a very good chance that there IS NO next year for them if they don’t win now. So that will impact their decisions for sure…
