MARCH 19: Albert Breer of SI.com provides even more insight on Smith’s incentives. That aforementioned 38-percent snap count will unlock a $750K bonus, and Smith will earn $1MM bonuses for appearing in 44 percent, 50 percent, 56 percent, 62 percent, and 68 percent of his team’s offensive snaps. There are then five subsequent $1.25MM playing-time incentives (74, 80, 86, 92, 98). Smith can earn another $250K for each Jets playoff win and $500K for making the Pro Bowl.
MARCH 16: Smith’s contract with the Jets is based heavily on incentives. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com passed along last night that $6.5MM of the offensive tackle’s one-year deal is guaranteed. The rest of the $13.5MM can be earned via incentives. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo provides some more insight, noting that Smith will need to play in at least 38 percent of New York’s offensive snaps for the playing-time incentives to kick in.
MARCH 15: The Jets are set to make the final addition necessary to their offensive line as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that former Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith intends to sign with New York. Smith is set to join a retooled offensive line designed to protect quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Josina Anderson of CBS Sports quickly followed up the report, claiming that Smith confirmed the signing of a one-year deal with the Jets. 
Smith has enjoyed what is likely to end up being a Hall of Fame career over the last 13 years in Dallas. While the 33-year-old’s health has made it a struggle to stay on the field for an entire season, that hasn’t stopped Smith from displaying some of the best football of his storied career. In 2023, Smith delivered a season worthy of second-team All-Pro honors. The Cowboys claimed to have found a practice plan that helped to keep him healthier last season, so Smith should be able to bring that plan with him to New York in 2024.
With Smith officially no longer returning to Dallas, the Cowboys will have to figure out a new solution at left tackle. The easy answer is Tyler Smith. Though the younger Smith started every game at left guard this year, the team drafted him in the first round out of Tulsa two years ago to eventually replace Tyron. As Tyron struggled with injury throughout the 2022 season, Tyler spent his rookie year excelling as the starter at left tackle. He should be able to slide back over and retake the job in 2024.
In New York, the offensive line is beginning to become unrecognizable. Starting center Joe Tippmann returns as the sole starter from the final weeks of the 2023 season. Alijah Vera-Tucker should return from a torn Achilles tendon to claim a starting spot, as well. Vera-Tucker’s play at tackle had the Jets considering a full-time switch from guard, but with the team trading for Ravens right tackle Morgan Moses, Vera-Tucker is more likely to shift back into a right guard role, while Moses remains in his usual spot.
General manager Joe Douglas recently said that team intends to play Vera-Tucker at one position this season, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, and though he didn’t say whether it would be guard or tackle at the time, the additions of Moses and Smith seem to point us in the direction of guard. The other guard sport will be manned by another former Raven in John Simpson, who signed with New York on Monday.
With those four in place, all the Jets needed was a blindside tackle. Enter Smith. Schefter reports that Smith’s one-year deal could be worth up to $20MM based on heavy incentives. While the money is certainly a plus, Smith expressed more excitement over protecting Rodgers.
“I feel like (playing with Rodgers is) going to be amazing,” Smith told Anderson over the phone. “Of course, me being with Dallas, he’s kicked our butts twice in the playoffs, so I know what he’s capable of. Honestly, I’m just excited for the opportunity.”
About leaving the Cowboys, Smith said, “I would’ve loved to have stayed home in Dallas, but as we all know, it’s a business, the way it works. I still feel like the Jets have an opportunity to win it, and anything I can do for the team to help them out, I’m going to do my best to do it.”
Good move but this doesn’t preclude picking a tackle if it’s a one-year deal.
Awesome. Five legit linemen. They’ll need a very trustworthy swing tackle with a LT guaranteed to miss some time. Someone like Josh Jones would be great. Would still be good with them taking a tackle of the future at ten, but great that they don’t go into the draft desperate for a day one starter.
I was thinking KC would get him to ring chase and hopefully get one like D Ware.
That’s what I predicted too!
YESSSSSSSSSSSSIR.
Ok so, now the question becomes: what do the Jets do at 10?
We have Smith, Simpson, Tippmann, AVT, Moses left to right on the O-line. Last year’s 4th round swing tackle Carter Warren and the prior year’s swing tackle Max Mitchell. If we bring back McGovern or another G/C, we really don’t need a LT at 10.
And truth be told, I don’t think we are getting value at 10. I think Alt and at least 2 other tackles will be off the board before the Jets pick. I think the bears definitely take a lineman, especially after the Keenan Allen trade. Someone might also trade up for a tackle ahead of the Jets.
So where do we go? I feel like we can go odunze or Bowers here. I really feel that’s who will be left. 4 QBs, 3 offensive linemen, and 2 of the 3 wr (MH Jr and Nabers) will be taken before the Jets pick.
But I’m on cloud 9 right now. This signing is exactly what we needed. Now let’s go get Simmons and shore up the depth LET’S GO JETS!
Agreed– Odunze or Bowers. If both are gone, I don’t think taking an OT at 10 is out of the question. Smith only signed a one year deal.
I think they should take a QB. This draft has a bunch. Rodgers is either near the end or it’s already here so he can pursue a political career (lol), take a QB now.
They’re in position to get one… Now, we can look at it and say theyre in win now mode, beef up the O-line, which would be a great move today. Long term though, get the QB now. If Rodgers does play you assume they win more games than last year and won’t have as high of a pick. Or he leaves now to hit the campaign trail and as much as I like tyrod Taylor, he’s not the answer. If the line is good they’re a dangerous team with that defense & Hall and Wilson on offense. You gotta Be prepared for the possibility Rodgers either getting hurt again or not playing and not coming back next year. Once his cap comes off the books next year they have that to resign and add to the team.
Unless a team steps up or the Jets get creative, we’re probably going to have to eat Zach’s contract. Tyrod is more than capable. See I was thinking about drafting a QB in the third or 4th round like Sam Hartman but you bring up an interesting point. My only issue is that we aren’t getting value at 10. I really don’t know what to think about McCarthy. I don’t even like Drake Maye. Both are huge projects. Minnesota just traded with Houston to acquire #23 overall so they’re probably looking at a QB there. The Steelers could take one. I just don’t see the Jets reaching for a QB at 10 when we are supposed to be all in right now, which is why I think Bowers or Odunze is most likely the answer
Yea I think the all in attitude puts them in the direction of a skill player. I think best move for the franchise is a QB though, doesn’t have to play right now…I don’t know if they’ll be able to move Wilson so thwyre likely eatung that money…I don’t think McCarthy is a first round QB. I do like Maye but I don’t see him getting past New England. Idk if either odunze or Bowers get to 10, either would be a great pick
Yes draft a qb in the first round while you have Aaron Rodgers. What could possibly go wrong there?
They can’t let a 40 QB who has 1 pass attempt dictate what they do, I get it, he’ll throw a fit but they let him choose some personnel last year and they all bombed.
He’s like a nasty controlling girlfriend who throws a fit whenever she doesn’t get what she wants.
Jets should trade down if they can recoup a second round picks. Take the best WR available and then best lineman left in the second round. This draft is rich in WR and OL.
Hopefully after trading down, we can still land a Bowers or McConkey in the 1st and an OL in the 2nd round. Who do we trade down with ?
Bowers no.
But McConkey possibly
Oline and McConkey would be a good start for Jets.
This might be the Jetiest thing in the world. We went from one fat lazy injured LT to an Old Injured/glass LT in order to protect our 40+ train wreck (possible Vice President) QB that literally played four snaps and is coming off an Achilles tear. Whomever writes the NFL script for the jets needs a standing ovation…
Yeah, I get what the Jets are trying to do with limited cap space and resources but now they have an older Moses Morgan and an older and often injured Tyron Smith. They need a lot of luck for that to work. If it works, it’s high reward but it’s unlikely to work in my opinion.
This says a lot about even GM Douglas’ faith in this deal working out…
“Smith will need to play in at least 38 percent of New York’s offensive snaps for the playing-time incentives to kick in.”
We will sign Bahktiari too, just watch.
Just in case…
Yeah, between him and Tyron Smith maybe they get about 13, 14 games total.
Exactly…signing, and trading for two 33 year olds with some injury history (expect more at this age now) isn’t solving the OL problem. This is a young man’s game…but the Jets are gonna trot out these 2 battle worn, past their prime lineman and a 40yo QB. What could go wrong?! (see 2023) Plus, Bigcat is correct in assuming Rodgers will have his way and they’ll also sign Bahktiari as “insurance”. But he won’t last through training camp!
At this point bring Duane Brown back too. Maybe they can sew Smith, Bahktiari, and Brown together and make one functional offensive lineman.
Bakhtiari would be waived/failed physical, plus Lazard is about to be cut loose, hence the Jets aren’t bringing in any more of Rodgers’ Green Bay cronies.
It was pretty obvious Smith wouldn’t stay unemployed long. His health might be an issue but even if he’s not playing at 100% he’s going to be as good as most of the FA options out there. Jets are long overdue for luck going their way for a change so it would be nice to see this workout for them.
The Jets signed a 40-year-old QB who is now recovering from a major injury. Seems like they are creating their own “bad luck.”
The Jets certainly have a tendency to shoot themselves in the foot but they can’t seem to catch a break either. I don’t think anyone foresaw Rodgers getting injured 4 snaps into the season.
No line and a 40-year-old QB. A blind man could see that coming…
*the jets traded for a 40 year old QB who never had a major injury his entire career
fixed that for you:)
*until he joined the team with no O line. Fixed that for you…that was the glaring error
A healthy Tyron Smith could even make Zach Wilson look good. Did Cooper Rush have a great stretch for the Cowboys?
Good move jetplanes. Blindside blocker for Tyrod
Wondering if he’ll need to wear a suit on the field for the potential VP. And will his season now extend to a full year of protection.
VP candidate Rodgers is already ruining next season. Dude is nothing but a headache and distraction. GB was right to move on from him.
I dunno. I laud New York for grabbing a legitimate tackle, but Smith has missed a lot of time is years removed from his best-in-the-NFL status. It’s definitely a good move, but it still seems that the Jets need to invest in a franchise tackle. Again, I do like the signing, but the line still seems rather incomplete right now to me. I worry about the missed time and the toll injuries have taken on Smith’s effectiveness. It’s an upgrade for sure from last year (nearly anything would be), but it’s still enough to not make me completely settled if I am a Jets fan.
I think at #10, if you’re the Jets, you still gotta go with an OL. QB? No! How did the last couple of Jets 1st round QBs work out? And, it’s not like the guys the Jets did add this year on the OL are in the prime of their careers; you need depth as things can go south very quickly.
I think the objective or goal of every team’s draft should be to minimize making mistakes and drafting busts, NOT necessarily trying to hit that highly unlikely home run and draft a sure-fire 1st ballot HoFer. Teams should try and go for the more likely hits, 1st round QBs just don’t work out at a high rate. Sure, every once in awhile you get Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen but you more often than not get Zach Wilson, Sam Darnold, Trey Lance, or Justin Fields (are we really sure about him??)
Looking at the list of 1st round QBs taken between 2017 and 2021, I count 4 hits (Mahomes, Allen, Jackson, and Burrow; 4 could-be’s (Tua, Love, Lawrence, and Herbert); 5 so-so’s (Watson, Mayfield, D Jones, Fields, and Murray – he was having issues even before the ACL); and 5 definite busts (Wilson, Trubisky, Lance, Mac Jones, and Darnold) with 13 (out of 18 total) of these guys drafted in the top 10 and 3 more drafted in the top 15.
That’s some seriously high expectations and when they don’t hit, that hurts a franchise for years. OR would you rather lower your expectations, draft a certainly non-sexy OL but be able to get a good, solid 8 – 10 years out of that pick and know you didn’t fail hugely?
I was looking at a football preview magazine the other day, from 2018 – big write-up about Trubisky in there, and does anybody realize the Bears are about to go on their THIRD franchise QB in just the last SIX years? Do you really want to miss that badly??
I’d still go OL at #10. Jets OL is still suspect especially with age. Protecting Rodger’s should continue to be priority but I honestly think they will draft skill players. Should invest in OL