Today’s minor moves:
Los Angeles Rams
New York Jets
Hoecht was a restricted free agent that was tendered by the Rams. He has signed his tender and will return to Los Angeles for the 2024 NFL season.
With a $5.45MM guarantee due for Zach Wilson, the Jets are unlikely to receive much in the way of trade compensation for a player on track to become one of the biggest whiffs in modern draft history. But it does appear some interest exists.
Offers have indeed emerged, with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio indicating the team has received proposals for the former No. 2 overall pick. These proposals have not intrigued the Jets, and Joe Douglas said Monday (via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo) the team is not close to hammering out a trade. The Jets gave Wilson permission to seek a trade during the Combine.
[RELATED: Aaron Rodgers Aiming To Play Into Mid-40s?]
Woody Johnson may be a factor in Wilson not being moved. While the compensation being proposed is not known, Florio adds the owner is believed by some as the person preventing a deal from coming to pass. This would certainly be an interesting development, given Johnson’s comments about Wilson’s 2023 ineffectiveness. That said, Johnson was also believed to be the person who stood in the way of the Jets making an effort to acquire a better backup QB — due to the money poured into Aaron Rodgers — once the team’s future Hall of Fame passer went down in Week 1.
While denying he has nixed any trade — instead pointing to any such efforts being Douglas’ call — Johnson said Monday (via the New York Post’s Brian Costello) the Jets will keep Wilson if they cannot find a trade partner. It has long been expected the BYU alum will not be part of the 2024 Jets, and with trade offers potentially in the mix, it would seem the Jets have a way out without releasing the disappointing passer.
“I feel badly about Zach in some ways,” Johnson said. “Last year would have been great, it would have been the first time he could just sit back and watch a master at work. He’s never had that. He’s been in the fire from Day 1. I think that’s what he needs. He needs to be in a place where he can observe for a while. He’s got the skill. He can do everything. There’s a reason we drafted him at No. 2 overall. I have confidence that he’ll get there at some point.”
It is possible teams want the Jets to remain responsible for most of Wilson’s guarantee. Should Johnson have a potential role in Wilson remaining on the Jets, the financial component may be driving that. For now, Wilson would not have an immediate path to playing time as a Jet once again. The team gave Tyrod Taylor a two-year, $12MM deal to back up Rodgers, ending Wilson’s period in the New York spotlight after three woeful seasons.
Following Jadeveon Clowney‘s visit with the Jets earlier this month, the team is focused on getting a deal finalized. According to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, the Jets are “highly motivated” to sign the veteran edge rusher to a contract. Schultz notes that the two sides have been in “constant contact” since their in-person meeting.
[RELATED: Panthers To Meet With Jadeveon Clowney]
Since losing Bryce Huff to the Eagles, the Jets have been hunting for some reinforcement on the edge. As Schultz notes, the Jets were in the running for Shaquil Barrett “until the very end,” but they lost out on that sweepstakes when the pass rusher signed with the Dolphins.
Now, they’re shifting their focus to Clowney, who is coming off one of the most productive seasons of his career. The former first-overall pick got into 17 games (15 starts) for the Ravens in 2023, finishing with 9.5 sacks, 19 QB hits, and a pair of forced fumbles. For his efforts, Pro Football Focus graded Clowney 18th among 112 qualifying edge defenders.
In New York, Clowney would slide right into the rotational pass-rush role previously held by Huff, who finished last season with 10 sacks. While Huff didn’t start a game last year, he still got close to 500 defensive snaps playing alongside Jermaine Johnson and John Franklin-Myers. For comparison’s sake, Clowney garnered 654 snaps with the Ravens in 2023.
We heard previously that the Ravens were looking to retain the veteran, and Clowney also met with the Panthers during his free agency tour. According to Schultz, both of those teams remain in the hunt for the free agent, but it sounds like the Jets have been especially active in finalizing a deal.
MARCH 23: Williams’ deal will ultimately be listed as a one-year, $10MM pact with up to $5MM via incentives, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB. Coming off an ACL tear, Williams earned a $3.3MM signing bonus and will get $8.3MM in guaranteed money.
MARCH 19: Mike Williams‘ Tuesday New York trip will end his free agency tour. The former Chargers starter has agreed to join the Jets on a one-year deal worth up to $15MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.
The veteran wide receiver had booked meetings with the Panthers and Steelers, but after the Jets saw their Odell Beckham Jr. visit nixed, they will not let Williams leave the building without a contract. The team has been on the hunt for a big-name wide receiver since before last year’s trade deadline, and while more pieces may be coming, Williams represents a key part of the puzzle around WR1 Garrett Wilson.
Released by the Chargers just before the 2024 league year began, the 29-year-old receiver set up meetings with the Jets, Panthers and Steelers. His Charlotte and Pittsburgh trips were to follow this one. Williams has only played with Pro Bowl-caliber quarterbacks during his career. The former Philip Rivers and Justin Herbert target will not take a step back in quality — assuming another major injury does not occur, of course — with Aaron Rodgers set to target the former first-round pick next season.
Not dissimilar to 2022, the Jets had been connected to a slew of receiving options since they acquired Rodgers. Efforts to trade for Davante Adams, Tee Higgins and Mike Evans did not pan out, though the team was still exploring the trade market as of Sunday.
Its 2023 Beckham pursuit ended when the veteran wideout canceled his New York trip following a Baltimore agreement. Beckham remained on the Jets’ radar as of Tuesday afternoon, and while that may still be the case due to his relationship with Rodgers, Williams will give a team starved for a WR2-level target an option after its 2023 setup — largely hamstrung by QB issues following Rodgers’ Achilles tear — failed to deliver much of consequence.
The Chargers needed to trim more than $25MM from their payroll to move under the salary cap last week; Williams became the first domino to fall. The Bolts released the seven-year veteran months after his ACL tear. While the base value of Williams’ Jets deal is not known, he still generated a market despite finishing his past two seasons sidelined. A back fracture wrapped Williams’ 2022 season early, stripping Herbert of a key weapon ahead of a disastrous wild-card outing in Jacksonville.
While injuries have nagged Williams for most of his career, he has not been taken out of action too often. From 2018-21, Williams missed only three games in total. In 2022, a sprained ankle forced him out of action weeks before the back injury — sustained in a meaningless Week 18 game that became a lighting rod around Brandon Staley — ended his season. Williams suffered the ACL tear in Week 3, giving him more time to build up ahead of the 2024 season. The Jets will bet on the 6-foot-4 target, who has been one of this period’s best deep threats.
Chosen seventh overall in 2017, Williams has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume. The Clemson alum led the NFL with 20.4 yards per catch in Rivers’ final Los Angeles season, and he reached a career-high 1,146 yards in 2021, helping Herbert become the AFC’s Pro Bowl starter. The Chargers did well to make Williams more than a long-range threat that year, with OC Joe Lombardi incorporating him more as a midrange weapon alongside Keenan Allen.
The Chargers had not ruled out re-signing Williams, but after seven years of the Williams-Allen tandem, the Bolts are moving on from both. They sent Allen to the Bears for a fourth-round pick last week. The Jets guaranteed Allen Lazard $22MM at signing, keeping the ex-Packer in the picture, but they traded Mecole Hardman — to wrap what turned out to be a messy tenure — and have Randall Cobb unsigned. While the Jets had Tyler Boyd on their radar, Williams represents a higher-ceiling prize at this rather crucial point on the team’s timeline.
Before Tyron Smith caught on with the Jets via free agency, the left tackle considered returning to the Cowboys for a 14th season. During his introductory videoconference with the Jets on Thursday, Smith admitted that the Cowboys and Jets were his “main options.” The lineman also seemed to hint that there weren’t many suitors lining up for his services.
[RELATED: LT Tyron Smith Signs With Jets]
“I’m not going to lie, it was slightly stressful a little bit,” Smith said (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini). “I’ve never been in that spot before. I didn’t know how to handle it, and it went by for a week, but I just felt like it was forever.
“The way things were looking in Dallas, I knew it was most likely going to be the Jets. Honestly, I got excited for a new chapter in my life.”
We heard in early March that Smith and the Cowboys were discussing a new deal, but the veteran started to consider other options when negotiations failed to progress. There were reports that the two sides were “drastically apart in the financial framework” of a new contract. Smith ended up accepting an incentive-laden contract to protect Aaron Rodgers in New York. The lineman will anchor a new-look offensive line that also features newcomers John Simpson and Morgan Moses.
“I just feel like they have all the pieces together right now, and they’re getting the final pieces this offseason to produce a team that can go all the way,” Smith said of his decision to ultimately sign in New York.
Injuries were the story during Smith’s long stint in Dallas, with the lineman missing at least three games each season since 2015. Despite the absences, Smith was still among the best OTs in the NFL when healthy. This past season, Pro Football Focus graded him as the fourth-best offensive tackle, including a position-leading pass-block score. His 13-game campaign in 2023 earned him his fifth career All-Pro nod.
The Jets will likely prioritize Smith’s late-season health as they eye a long playoff run. The lineman told reporters that he’s feeling “great” and didn’t end the 2023 campaign with any notable injuries. This uptick in health followed a revised practice regimen in Dallas, and it’ll be interesting to see if the Jets follow a similar template in 2024.
The Bryce Huff market did not reach the level of Jonathan Greenard‘s, and Danielle Hunter also scored a better guarantee compared to the Jets‘ contract-year breakout pass rusher. But the Eagles needed to give Huff a three-year, $51.1MM deal with $34MM guaranteed. That came about because, per Huff, the Commanders, Giants, Seahawks and Vikings joined the Jets in pursuing him. The Jets had expressed interest in keeping the former UDFA, who led the team in sacks last season, but their 2023 Will McDonald draft choice appeared to point Huff elsewhere.
Minnesota came in early with its Greenard signing (four years, $76MM, $38MM fully guaranteed), while Washington turned to one of Dan Quinn‘s ex-Cowboys charges — Dorance Armstrong — soon after. The Giants made a bigger splash hours later by trading for Brian Burns, in a deal that involved a second-rounder going to the Panthers and fifth-rounders being swapped, while the Seahawks devoted their funding to fortifying their interior D-line (via the Leonard Williams deal). Huff, 26, led the NFL in pressure rate last season but was not used as a full-time D-end. It should be expected the Eagles, who have Haason Reddick in trade rumors, will up Huff’s usage.
Here is the latest free agency fallout:
With free agency’s first wave in the rearview mirror, here is a look at some of the contracts authorized by teams in the days since the market opened:
While the Jets gave Zach Wilson permission to seek a trade last month, it’s been a quiet market for the former second-overall pick. However, the quarterback could be a match with his former offensive coordinator.
[RELATED: Jets Give QB Zach Wilson Permission To Seek Trade]
As Albert Breer of SI.com writes, the Rams are a “logical landing spot” for Wilson. Breer also notes that Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur would be “very open to a reunion.” LaFleur previously served as the Jets OC during Wilson’s first two years in the NFL.
Wilson’s 2023 showing wasn’t any worse than his two years under LaFleur. The coach previously admitted that the organization may have made a mistake immediately starting the quarterback as a rookie. While the former Jets OC placed plenty of blame on the young signal-caller during their time together in New York, LaFleur later conceded that Wilson’s lack of development was also the fault of the coaching staff.
“For two years, we haven’t done our job with him,’’ LaFleur said following the 2022 campaign (via Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post). “Any player at any position that isn’t producing to the level they’re capable of, as a coach you’ve failed them. There’s a two-way street with it — the player’s got to meet you in the middle with it.”
Ultimately, LaFleur was the one held responsible for the offensive’s shortcomings, with the Jets and the OC agreeing to part ways last offseason. It took less than a month before the coach landed the same job with the Rams.
Breer provides more logic for why Wilson could be a fit in Los Angeles. The writer opines that the quarterback needs a year to “reset,” an opportunity he’d surely have with the Rams. With Jimmy Garoppolo now with the Rams as a QB2 behind Matthew Stafford, Wilson probably wouldn’t see the field in 2024 (barring a funky turn of events during Garoppolo’s two-game suspension).
Wilson was unexpectedly thrust back into the starting lineup following Aaron Rodgers‘ season-ending injury. The QB’s third season as a starter proved to the Jets that it was time to move on. With a divorce all but inevitable, the organization recently granted Wilson permission to find his next home. A possible sixth- or seventh-round pick could be the return, but even with the Jets basically giving him away, teams may be wary of taking on Wilson’s $11MM cap hit.
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.”
The Ravens swooped in for Odell Beckham Jr. last year, adding the former Pro Bowler with an offer that surpassed where the Jets were willing to go. But Beckham confirmed he is set to be a Baltimore one-and-done, opening the door to the talented pass catcher joining a fifth NFL team.
The Jets came up over the weekend as a team to watch on the OBJ front once again, and SNY’s Connor Hughes adds some in the organization remain high on the former Giants star. While the Jets certainly do not believe Beckham is particularly close to his peak at this point, the team appears to remain on the radar to sign the 31-year-old receiver a year after missing out.
It took a $15MM guarantee for the Ravens to add Beckham last year, though Hughes indicates the Jets were eyeing a deal that could have neared the $12MM mark. This differs from an April 2023 report that suggested the Jets were eyeing Beckham on a low base salary. The team would not be targeting OBJ at anything close to that $12MM number now, per Hughes, but the nine-year veteran and Aaron Rodgers have discussed the prospect of playing together on several occasions.
Last year’s Jets receiver plan busted, with Garrett Wilson still effectively on his own. While Beckham appeared a luxury on a team that added Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman early in free agency, neither signing worked out. Beckham was not especially consistent in Baltimore, but his 565-yard, three-TD season far outpaced the production Lazard, Harman and Randall Cobb gave the Jets. Bringing in another of Rodgers’ preferred targets would come with risk, given the 2023 performances of Lazard and Cobb, but the team remains pot-committed to the outspoken quarterback. With the Jets still a Rodgers-centric operation, it would surprise if Beckham was not strongly considered.
Tyler Boyd is still on the team’s radar, with Hughes adding Wilson has made recruiting pitches to the former Bengals slot player. Though, the Jets view Wilson as capable of doing the most damage in the slot; this could hinder a pursuit of a veteran who has spent much of his career in the slot. The Jets have hosted Mike Williams as a free agent, joining the Panthers and Steelers in scheduling a meeting with the recently released talent.
As the team will be adding to its receiver stable soon, the draft will be an avenue to do so as well. For now, the Jets’ attention is on the veteran market. Beckham could be a backup plan, but given Rodgers’ influence in the building, they may also be the favorites (once again) for the former Super Bowl-winning wideout.