Jets offseason blueprint to make the playoffs in 2023

The wait for next year is over. There’s absolutely no reason the Jets shouldn’t reach the postseason in 2023. General manager Joe Douglas knows it. Coach Robert Saleh knows it. The two have had ample time to build a playoff club.

For too long this team has fixated on the future to excuse the struggles of the present. That cannot be the case anymore. This offseason must be the one where Douglas and Saleh get this team to the point their season extends beyond Week 18.

So… how can they do it?

Here’s the blueprint for the Jets to get to the playoffs in 2023.

Get the books in order

The Jets currently sit $264,498 over the projected base salary cap of $224.8 million. That’s not ideal considering they’ll need to allocate $8.56 million ($4.06 million off the cap) to pay their rookies. The Jets made legitimate strides in 2022, but this team still needs several pieces before they’re considered contenders. That means creating some wiggle room to acquire talent.

It’s a foregone conclusion the Jets release wideout Corey Davis. That would free $10.5 million. Doing the same with defensive end Carl Lawson would free another $15.4 million. The Jets love Lawson, who fought back from a second Achilles’ injury in January to play every game this season, and spent the majority of his exit meeting talking about his future with the team. Lawson, obviously, won’t be back with a $15.4 million hit, though. The Jets could look to extend him to lessen the blow, or release him, then try to re-sign him at a lower rate.

Releasing wideout Braxton Berrios would free $5 million. That seems like a smart move after Berrios regressed in 2022. The Jets could also look to rework the contract of linebacker C.J. Mosley. He has a team-high cap hit of $21.4 million.

The Jets reworked Mosley’s contract last year, which hurt their relief if they were to outright release him this offseason ($6.5 million freed with $14.9 penalty). Instead, Douglas could look to extend the team’s defensive captain. Mosley will turn 31 in June, but played parts of just two games between 2019 (injury) and 2020 (opt-out). So, in a way, he’s going to be a young 31.

Mosley had 158 tackles, one sack, a fumble recovery, an interception and seven pass breakups last year. He was voted second-team, All-Pro, and earned the fifth Pro Bowl honor of his career.

Rework the offensive line

Douglas inherited an atrocious offensive line when the Jets hired him as their general manager in 2019. He vowed to change that at his introductory news conference. You can’t blame a lack of effort, but, after three full offseasons, there’s still a lot of work to be done up front.

The Jets have just two mainstays— guards Alijah Vera-Tucker and Laken Tomlinson. That’s a little alarming considering Tomlinson is coming off a troublesome first season in New York (career-worst 56.8 ProFootballFocus grade) while Vera-Tucker suffered a season-ending injury (torn pectoral) in Week 7 against the Broncos.

Tackle George Fant and center Connor McGovern are both unrestricted free agents. It seems highly unlikely Fant returns while McGovern was a bit of a disappointment during his three years with the Jets. Tackle Duane Brown is under contract, but it’s unclear if he wants to return for what would be his 17th season. The Jets liked what they saw from rookie tackle Max Mitchell in his six games, but he missed the rest of the season with blood clots. Tackle Mekhi Becton has all the talent in the world but has missed all but one game the last two years, and missed a month’s worth of snaps in 2020.

The Jets basically begin this offseason needing two (potentially three) starters, along with insurance in case Tomlinson continues to struggle or Vera-Tucker goes down again. Fixing their front five is arguably as important as finding a quarterback — more on that in a bit.

Fortify the defense

The Jets had one of the NFL’s best defenses last year. They can’t ignore the unit this offseason, though, assuming that same strong play will continue. Defensive tackles Sheldon Rankins and Solomon Thomas, safety Lamarcus Joyner, linebackers Kwon Alexander and Quincy Williams all played significant roles last year… and all are unrestricted free agents. This does not include Lawson, whom the Jets could release in a cap-saving move.

Retaining will certainly be Douglas’ top priority when it comes to the defense, but he can’t overlook the team’s issues at safety (Joyner and Jordan Whitehead were disappointments), linebacker or on the interior of the defensive line. The Jets overcame those weaknesses last year, but there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to do the same again.

The Jets schedule next season is daunting. Aside from their division, New York’s other opponents include top-tier offenses in the Kansas City Chiefs, LA Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.

Add one more playmaker

The Jets have a budding superstar in Garrett Wilson and another really good player in Elijah Moore. There’s optimism internally that new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett will connect with Denzel Mims better than Mike LaFleur did, leading to a breakout, but the Jets need another weapon. This is amplified even more if they move on from Corey Davis and Braxton Berrios, freeing a combined $15.5 million.

It seems unlikely the Jets draft a receiver early considering their issues on the offensive line and elsewhere. They’ll need to use those resources there. A veteran wideout in free agency could be the play, though. No, it seems unlikely the Jets break the bank for a pass catcher, but they could look to reunite someone familiar with the quarterback they eventually get. Maybe Mack Hollins if the Jets land Derek Carr? Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard are very close with Aaron Rodgers.

Get a quarterback

This one goes without saying. It’s undeniably the biggest headline in Florham Park. The Jets have admitted it themselves. They realize they desperately need to get a veteran quarterback, so they’re going to — a sobering acknowledgment of where things stand with Zach Wilson.

The Jets will do their homework on every available quarterback, but the pecking order seems to be as follows: Aaron Rodgers, Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo, Ryan Tannehill.

Rodgers is clearly atop the Jets’ wish list. That’s the NFL’s worst-kept secret right now. The problem is that no one has any idea what Rodgers wants. He’s readying for a darkness retreat — yes, really — and all involved hope for some clarity once that’s over. The Green Bay Packers are expected to do what Rodgers wants — keep him, let him ride off into retirement, or trade him to a team of his choosing.

The concern in Florham Park is that Rodgers might not want the Jets as much as the Jets want him.

A Carr consolation prize wouldn’t be the worst thing. He’s a very underrated passer. The New Orleans Saints appear the frontrunners for him, though, and there are some concerns across the league with how Carr’s personality would mesh in New York. Garoppolo (familiar with Saleh) will be linked to New York if the team misses on Rodgers and Carr. Don’t sleep on Tannehill. There’s a feeling around the NFL that the Jets are much higher on him than some want to believe.