The New York Jets will be looking to make a jump with a new head coach in the 2021 season but which free agents should they re-sign to help the cause?
The New York Jets began their 2021 offseason by hiring the highly coveted former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as their new coach, much to the delight of their fans, which looks like a step in the right direction for New York. However, this ticks just one section off of general manager Joe Douglas’ checklist.
Getting this offseason right could make or break the franchise over the coming years. Another important part of this offseason will be free agency. It’s not just the players that the Jets could bring in but also which players deserve to have their stay in Gotham Green extended.
With many notable starters on track hit free agency in 2021, who should the Jets prioritize to retain for next season and years to come?
New York Jets should re-sign: Marcus Maye, S
After the Jamal Adams trade saga, Marcus Maye excelled at taking leadership of the secondary and improving his play. Maye did his best to fill the shadow which Adams left and came into his own in 2020.
He was named Team MVP and was a bigger influence than ever before. With a pair of interceptions to his name, he also deflected more passes, made more tackles and registered more sacks throughout the 2020 season than he had in 2019, staking his claim to be extended by the Jets.
His coverage did not let down his season with the Jets and was a source of consistency as part of one of the worst secondaries in the NFL. He also was also highlighted by PFF as a player who was a possible overlooked candidate for the Pro Bowl.
Marcus Maye: PFF's 3rd highest-graded safety (81.1)#ProBowl | #ProBowlSnub pic.twitter.com/3jERuz41iD
— PFF (@PFF) December 22, 2020
New York Jets should re-sign: Brian Poole, CB
New York’s slot corner, Brian Poole, is another player the Jets should seek to re-sign for the future. Despite a poor 2020 in which he only appeared in nine games for Gang Green, if he is able to return to the form which he showed in 2019, this is definitely a renewal worth making.
To put it kindly, the Jets secondary does not have an abundance of talent in its ranks; they have been forced to turn to undrafted agents and released their supposed CB1, Pierre Desir, early in the 2020 campaign after a string of heavily underwhelming performances.
In 2019, Poole showed his worth in New York and asserted him as one of the league’s best slot corners. Despite an injury-ravaged 2020, if Poole can regain full fitness, he could return to be one of the Jets’ top playmakers when he unites with Saleh.
New York Jets should re-sign: Jordan Jenkins, EDGE
Another injury-plagued player makes the list here. Jordan Jenkins regressed significantly this season. Starting just 12 games, he managed just 2.0 sacks, six fewer than he managed in 2019. However, he was nevertheless one of the more talented assets on the Jets defense and still flashed his ability to make plays.
Douglas should take a gamble that, under the wing of one of the most well-regarded defensive coordinators in the league in Saleh, he will be able to return to the eight-sack, nine-tackle for loss form that he showed in 2019.