5 players not named Jessie Bates the NY Jets should sign in NFL Free Agency

You can ask 10 different NY Jets fans what the team’s biggest need is this offseason and every single one of them will say quarterback without hesitation. This isn’t surprising when you take into account that New York would have likely made the playoffs if they had had someone competent behind center last year.

The Zach Wilson era seems to have come to an end and with Derek Carr joining the New Orleans Saints and the quarterback market quickly drying out, the Jets might be all in on Aaron Rodgers. Heck, Woody Johnson has reportedly flown to California to meet with the 2021 NFL MVP to lure him into going to New York.

If the meeting goes well and Rodgers does land with the Jets, general manager Joe Douglas will then need to turn his attention to the safety position. Lamarcus Joyner is set to become a free agent and Jessie Bates III, who has spent his whole career with the Cincinnati Bengals might be the best option available in the open market to replace him.

However, the Jets will need to devote a significant amount of cap room to Rodgers and might not have enough left to go into a spending spree in free agency. So instead of giving Bates a top-market contract, they should instead consider looking at other more affordable alternatives.

This doesn’t mean New York should go bargain shopping but rather that they should pursue middle-tier players in free agency, including these five, who could help the Jets return to the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

5. The NY Jets should sign S Donovan Wilson in free agency

Make no mistake, Jessie Bates III would make a ferocious safety tandem alongside Jordan Whitehead. However, he’s projected to get a contract in the open market that would pay him an annual average of $16 million in free agency. Even if the amount was $12 million to $13 million per year, that’s simply too much for a NY Jets team that needs to fortify its roster this offseason.

A more affordable albeit appealing alternative to Bates is Donovan Wilson, who is equally adept at defending the run and the pass. A sixth-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2019 NFL Draft, the former Texas A&M Auggie has appeared in 51 games with 30 starts and has registered three interceptions, six passes defensed, five forced fumbles, and 203 total tackles.

Moreover, Wilson is good at blitzing the quarterback, picking up eight sacks — five of them along with 13 total pressures last season — over the last four years. The Jets could deploy him in a similar way to bring the heat up front. The biggest negative surrounding Wilson’s game is that he has shown a penchant for overpursuing, which has led to a somewhat high missed-tackle rate. But that’s something he could work on under the tutelage of New York defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.

And the best thing about potentially signing Wilson is that he’s projected to command a two-year, $11.5 million contract in the open market, which would fit perfectly in the team’s budget.