Jets Mailbag: Is it a failure if Gang Green doesn't land Aaron Rodgers or Derek Carr?

The NFL offseason is well underway.

Let’s open up the mailbag to address your concerns on the state of the Jets.

@BlessYaThankYa1: What should the plan be at receiver if Corey Davis is cut? 

HUGHES: The Jets have two receivers they’re ready to see take off — Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore. They also have two tight ends they invested in last year (C.J. Uzomah, Tyler Conklin) and a third they want to see develop (Jeremy Ruckert). It seems unlikely they make a major splash at the position considering that, along with the fact they’re pressed up against the cap. Yes, they can create more room, but they’ll need to replace every player they cut to get under.

I could see the Jets targeting a wideout in the third or fourth round — a bigger-bodied guy to complement Wilson and Moore. More likely: This is the year you see the team truly give Denzel Mims a chance to be the guy. He is still under contract and, with Davis out, there is a path to him seeing more playing time. Internally the Jets believe Nathaniel Hackett will connect with Mims better than Mike LaFleur did, bringing out more in him.

I could maybe see the Jets try to add a veteran who has some experience working with the quarterback they eventually sign. Green Bay’s Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb are both free agents. Aaron Rodgers is very close with both. Mack Hollins is a free agent, too, if the Jets were to go the Derek Carr route.

@DonW452: Should offensive line, linebacker and secondary be the draft target positions?

HUGHES: I’m less worried about the Jets' offensive line than some. Alijah Vera-Tucker, Laken Tomlinson and Max Mitchell should be locks as starters. The Jets need to go out there and find a center and another tackle. Duane Brown, who played well before the pain from his shoulder injury became too much, is still under contract. He might forgo retirement another year depending on who the Jets sign as quarterback.

The talk at the Senior Bowl was that this draft class is stronger on the interior of the line than the exterior, so the Jets might have to look toward free agency.

GM Joe Douglas will be a happy man if safety and linebacker are atop his team’s needs every year. Those are two of the easier positions to fill — whether that’s the draft or free agency. The Jets could (potentially) be fine if they can rework C.J. Mosley’s contract and find a way to bring back Quincy Williams, but you’re right: They need to add another safety. Lamarcus Joyner just isn’t it and was a liability most games last season.

I find it hard to see the Jets paying big money for a linebacker (unless it’s re-signing Williams) or safety (like Jessie Bates), but a bargain buy (like they found in Jordan Whitehead) along with a second- or third-round pick makes a lot of sense at either position.

The interior defensive line is another spot the Jets will look to address this offseason. They need some more bulk inside.

@Sk1Design: Do you think there’s any chance the Jets offer Daniel Jones more money than the Giants do?

HUGHES: I would absolutely expect the Jets to pursue Jones if he were available. There’s a lot of respect for the quarterback within the Jets building. They wouldn’t blow him away with an absurd contract, though. Jones is better than many give him credit for, but virtually everyone within the league understands his limitations and ceiling. The same price range the Giants are working with ($35-$37 million) is about the same as anyone else would pay.

But Jones isn’t going to be available. The Giants will either work out a long-term contract extension with him or slap him with the franchise tag. Jones isn’t wearing a jersey other than blue in 2023.

@JakeTheJetsFan: Is it a failure for the Jets if they don’t get Rodgers or Carr?

HUGHES: That’s fair. The Jets won’t paint it that way. They’ll certainly do what they can to spin another option as the guy they wanted all along. It’s clear this team believes its win-now window is open, though. And while there are plenty of quarterbacks that can make the Jets better than they were a year ago, Rodgers and Carr are the only two that make the Jets a legitimate force within the AFC. The Jets are legitimate Super Bowl favorites with Rodgers. Carr makes them a force within the conference, too. No one else will have that same impact.

The Jets know this, which is why they’re going to do whatever they can to try to make one of the two happen. It would be a major gut punch to miss out on both.

Other than Rodgers and Carr, who else could you see in play for the Jets at quarterback?

HUGHES: The other two to keep an eye on are Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers) and Ryan Tannehill (Titans). The issue with both isn’t just their ceilings, though, but durability. You have to prepare as if they’re going to miss time. That means that, aside from adding them, you need to add a proven backup behind them.

The Jets didn’t love carrying three quarterbacks last year. It certainly puts added pressure on roster construction. If they were to sign Garoppolo or Tannehill, they’re basically forced, again, to keep three quarterbacks because you can’t run the risk of your seasonal hopes resting on Zach Wilson’s shoulders.

That’s why the Jets' two best options are either Rodgers or Carr.

@NyjMike: Who could be a surprise offseason cut?

HUGHES: Braxton Berrios. He had an All-Pro season as a punt returner in 2021, which justified the extension Douglas gave him, but he returned to earth in a big way last year. His limitations as a gadget player/slot receiver on offense are a drawback, too. He’s good insurance in case something happens to Moore, but do you really want to keep a guy on the roster with an $8.23 million cap hit to steal reps from a more explosive player, fair catch punts, and maybe return one kickoff a game?

The Jets would free $5 million with his release, enduring just a $3.2 million cap penalty. Remember, too: Berrios was a favorite of LaFleur’s. LaFleur is now gone.