HEADLINES

Robert Saleh

Jets HC Robert Saleh Addresses Allen Lazard Benching

November 26th, 2023 at 12:51pm CST by Rory Parks

Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard was a healthy scratch in Friday’s loss to the Dolphins, and when asked about the decision after the game, head coach Robert Saleh did not mince words.

“He hasn’t been playing up to his standard,” Saleh said (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “Everyone is pressing on that side of the ball to make something happen. There are parts of his game that need to get better.”

Lazard himself expressed his belief that he would return for the team’s Week 13 matchup with the Falcons, and Saleh did say that the first-year Jet“will be back sooner rather than later.” Still, the fact that Lazard found himself benched at a time when Gang Green’s offense is unable to muster much production of any kind does not bode well for his future with the club.

Saleh’s comments in that regard were particularly telling. Although the head coach said Lazard is “going to be a part of this,” he also said that Lazard is “going to be here for the next year-and-a-half.” Of course, Lazard signed a four-year, $44MM contract in the offseason that keeps him under club control through 2026.

That suggests that the Jets plan to move on from Lazard after the 2024 season, which Florio believes will happen. Contractually, New York has no choice but to retain Lazard next year, as his $10MM base salary for 2024 is fully-guaranteed, and even a post-June 1 release will not yield a single dollar of savings on the 2024 ledger.

Obviously, the team is also hoping that Lazard will be a key component of an Aaron Rodgers-piloted offense next year, and if that happens, perhaps the soon-to-be 28-year-old receiver will be able to extend his stay with the Jets (he is due non-guaranteed base salaries of $11MM in 2025 and 2026). In the meantime, Lazard will try to work his way back into the coaching staff’s good graces and create a connection with the club’s new starting quarterback, Tim Boyle.

Through 10 Zach Wilson-led games in 2023, Lazard has posted 20 catches for 290 yards and a touchdown.

Latest On Job Security For Jets HC Robert Saleh, GM Joe Douglas

October 1st, 2023 at 4:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Aaron Rodgers injury has threatened to derail what appeared to be a promising season for the Jets. While a poor finish would have consequences on the field, the same would likely be the case on the sidelines and in the front office.

[Poll: Who Will Log Most Jets QB Starts In 2023?]

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports that owner Woody Johnson “made no guarantees” regarding the futures of head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas before or after the Rodgers injury (subscription required). The latter’s Achilles tear left New York without the accomplished veteran passer the team committed to adding this offseason, something particularly crippling considering the efforts made elsewhere on the coaching staff (with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett) and elsewhere on the roster to cater to the four-time MVP.

In Rodgers’ absence, Zach Wilson has been in place as the starter under center, and his struggles from last year have carried over into 2023. In spite of that, Saleh has remained committed to the former No. 2 pick, something which has not sat well in the Jets’ locker room. The return of Rodgers in time for the team’s primetime Week 4 contest could help in the latter regard, but the big-picture implications of a disappointing season could be notable.

Douglas took over in 2019, and his tenure has seen a multi-year rebuild undertaken after a 7-9 season in his first campaign at the helm. Another seven-win campaign in 2022 showcased the talent outside the QB spot in place for the foreseeable future at a number of positions, making this year’s win-now approach a logical one with Rodgers becoming available. Failing to find a long-term successor to the latter (as appears to currently be the case with Wilson’s shortcomings) could put Douglas on thin ice, though.

Saleh, meanwhile, is in his third season in the Big Apple. Carrying signficant pedigree after his time as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, the 44-year-old faced major expectations on that side of the ball. The Jets improved from last in total and scoring defense to fourth from 2021 to ’22, and a number of young pillars of the unit (including the recently-extended Quinnen Williams and reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner) are in place for years to come. Another year of poor play under center – and a resultant underwhelming output from the offense as a whole – though, would lead to sustained criticism of the Hackett hire and the continued backing of Wilson on Saleh’s part.

Plenty can change over the course of the rest of the season, one in which Russini notes the Jets will be forced to adapt a week-by-week gameplan for Wilson rather than relying on the scheme installed this offseason for Rodgers. If things don’t go according to plan in the coming weeks and months, it will be interesting to see how ownership responds with the organization’s top decision-makers.

Robert Saleh’s Zach Wilson Support Creating Tension Among Jets

September 28th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Inheriting his old job back after Aaron Rodgers‘ injury, Zach Wilson has submitted the kind of uninspiring efforts that led to his 2022 benching. Robert Saleh‘s continued support of the former No. 2 overall pick looks to again be creating an issue in the Jets’ locker room.

Asked about Wilson’s status as the team’s starter moving forward, Saleh dismissed the notion the scuffling quarterback could be benched. The third-year Jets HC indicated Wilson gives the team the best chance to win. These comments led to Joe Namath sounding off on Wilson’s poor play, and Saleh’s support looks to have created a locker-room issue for the team.

Saleh is coming off as a “Zach apologist” in the Jets’ locker room, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini said during his Flight Deck podcast (h/t USA Today). New York’s defense, in particular, has shown frustration with the head coach’s Wilson support, with Cimini adding that members of the Jets’ offense are not exactly in lockstep with regards to Wilson backing. Garrett Wilson and Michael Carter could be seen holding animated discussions with Jets assistants on the sideline during the team’s Week 3 loss to the Patriots, and Cimini adds this frustration could reach a boiling point if the situation does not improve quickly.

This is not dissimilar to the fallout that led to Wilson being benched after a loss to the Patriots last season. Locker-room unrest, following Wilson’s postgame interview after a November 2022 loss in Foxborough, helped lead to Saleh benching Wilson for Mike White. The latter is now Tua Tagovailoa‘s backup in Miami, with the Jets devoting their efforts to adding a veteran starter. While the team’s Rodgers push succeeded, the Jets are not believed to have pursued a veteran backup, leaving Wilson in place despite his woeful two-year tenure. The Rodgers-centric plan has also been a point of contention among Jets players, per Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline.

The Jets not having a backup plan behind Rodgers is among the gripes in the locker room presently, per Pauline, who adds players have also voiced concerns about the team’s game plans and Saleh’s overzealous leadership approach. The former San Francisco DC did walk back his Wilson support a bit this week, and the Jets do now have Trevor Siemian on their practice squad.

“We all acknowledge he has to play better. We all acknowledge that,” Saleh said of Wilson (via the New York Post’s Brian Costello). “He acknowledges it; teammates acknowledge it; he acknowledges it himself. But the key is to have confidence in yourself. You have to.

“… We’ve got a great locker room. Locker room is locked in. Is there frustration? Of course there is. Any time you lose two in a row there’s going to be frustration. It’s the NFL. When you lose, it feels like the world is caving in, when you win, everyone puts you on a pedestal, but there’s still a lot of confidence in the locker room.”

Wilson’s 26.7 QBR number sits ahead of only Justin Fields this season. The one-year BYU standout has completed just 52.4% of his passes — down from his 2021 and ’22 accuracy rates, thought the sample size is obviously much smaller — and is averaging just 5.6 yards per attempt. Rumors about the Jets moving on from Wilson circulated late last year, but team brass offered support for the young QB from a long-term perspective.

Wilson, 24, is bungling his last chance. It would not surprise to see Siemian given a shot, despite the ex-Broncos starter being a backup for the past six seasons and failing to beat out Jake Browning for the Bengals’ QB2 job in training camp. Tim Boyle, who will remain Wilson’s top backup this week, did start three games for the Lions in 2021. The ex-Jared Goff backup lost all three.

The latest Jets QB crisis certainly threatens the jobs of Saleh and GM Joe Douglas, who were in place when the team traded Sam Darnold to draft Wilson. The Jets did not have a backup plan in place in 2021, as Wilson struggled mightily, and not backstopping Rodgers with a more proven option is costing the team presently. It will be interesting to see if the Jets become more aggressive on the trade front if Wilson’s woes persist. Only Colt McCoy and Chad Henne came up as targets ahead of the Siemian addition.

Aaron Rodgers Plans To Remain With Jets Beyond 2023

July 21st, 2023 at 3:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

Aaron Rodgers has dominated offseason storylines concerning the Jets given his trade acquisition and the expectations surrounding himself and the team in 2023. How willing he is to play beyond this season has been an open question, however.

The 39-year-old spoke on the subject today, and indicated that he does not foresee a retirement coming at the end of this campaign. Circumstances could of course change between now and then, but as his first season outside of Green Bay approaches, the four-time MVP remains confident he will continue his career for multiple years.

“The Jets gave up a lot for me, so to play just one year. I think, would be a disservice,” Rodgers said during an appearance on ESPN’s DiPietro & Rothenberg Show. “Now, if that one year turns out to be a magical year, who knows? But it’s more than that: it’s how my body feels” (h/t Newsday’s Al Iannazzone).

Those remarks came not long after others from head coach Robert Saleh also pointed to Rodgers remaining in the fold for more than one season. Doing so would be beneficial for a New York team which is firmly in win-now mode, and which paid signficant draft capital to acquire the longtime Packer in April’s blockbuster trade. Looking too far down the road is not something Saleh is interested in with respect to his quarterback’s future, however.

“I don’t think he needs to,” Saleh said, via Brian Costello of the New York Post, when asked about Rodgers’ willingness to commit to 2024. “I don’t want to even back him into a corner and make him commit to something like that… Odds are if you enjoy playing football, you’re going to want to keep doing that.”

The Jets fielded one of the league’s best defenses in 2022, and their offense features an intriguing array of skill-position players. The team remained active on the QB market during the offseason, and trading for Rodgers quickly emerged as their preference. Age is a major concern in Rodgers’ case, but the fact New York has a number of young high-end contributors is influencing his intentions.

“When you have so many great players on rookie deals, it’s pretty exciting, knowing you can do something,” the future Hall of Famer said after the Jets’ Friday training camp practice. “You’ve got a good window. It’s not just a one-year thing where you can be competitive, which is fun.”

Of course, finances are also at the heart of Rodgers’ future. He has a cap hit of only $1.22MM this season, but a restructure to his Packers contract which delayed a roster bonus payment leaves him due a whopping $107.6MM next year. The Jets have engaged in talks about sorting out that massive dichotomy, but Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes that a resolution has still not been reached.

The Jets will be the subject of plenty of scrutiny based in large part on Rodgers’ play in his new home. Analysis of his and the team’s performance will, though, be made moving forward with an even stronger belief that he will not hang up his cleats following a one-and-done campaign.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches

July 4th, 2023 at 12:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

After the 2022 offseason produced 10 new head coaches, this one brought a step back in terms of turnover. Five teams changed HCs, though each conducted thorough searches — four of them lasting until at least January 31.

The Colts and Cardinals hired their HCs after Super Bowl LVII, plucking the Eagles’ offensive and defensive coordinators (Shane Steichen, Jonathan Gannon). The Cardinals were hit with a tampering penalty regarding their Gannon search. Conducting their second HC search in two years, the Broncos saw multiple candidates drop out of the running. But Denver’s new ownership group convinced Sean Payton to step out of the FOX studio and back onto the sidelines after just one season away. The Panthers made this year’s first hire (Frank Reich), while the Texans — running their third HC search in three years — finalized an agreement with DeMeco Ryans minutes after the Payton news broke.

Only one of last year’s top 10 longest-tenured HCs lost his job. A turbulent Colts year led to Reich being fired barely a year after he signed an extension. During a rather eventful stretch, Jim Irsay said he reluctantly extended Reich in 2021. The Colts passed on giving interim HC Jeff Saturday the full-time position, despite Irsay previously indicating he hoped the former center would transition to that role. Reich landed on his feet, and after losing Andrew Luck to a shocking retirement just before his second Colts season, the well-regarded play-caller now has another No. 1 pick (Bryce Young) to mentor.

After considering a Rams exit, Sean McVay recommitted to the team and is overseeing a reshaped roster. Andy Reid also sidestepped retirement rumors, staying on with the Chiefs after his second Super Bowl win. This will be Reid’s 25th season as an NFL head coach.

Here is how the 32 HC jobs look for the 2023 season:

  1. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000
  2. Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2024
  3. John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2025
  4. Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks): January 9, 2010; extended through 2025
  5. Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2025
  6. Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2027
  7. Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2023
  8. Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2025
  9. Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans): January 20, 2018; signed extension in February 2022
  10. Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019: signed extension in July 2022
  11. Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
  12. Ron Rivera (Washington Commanders): January 1, 2020
  13. Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys): January 7, 2020
  14. Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020
  15. Robert Saleh (New York Jets): January 15, 2021
  16. Arthur Smith (Atlanta Falcons): January 15, 2021
  17. Brandon Staley (Los Angeles Chargers): January 17, 2021
  18. Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021
  19. Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021
  20. Matt Eberflus (Chicago Bears): January 27, 2022
  21. Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
  22. Josh McDaniels (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
  23. Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022
  24. Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 3, 2022
  25. Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022
  26. Dennis Allen (New Orleans Saints): February 7, 2022
  27. Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022
  28. Frank Reich (Carolina Panthers): January 26, 2023
  29. Sean Payton (Denver Broncos): January 31, 2023
  30. DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans): January 31, 2023
  31. Shane Steichen (Indianapolis Colts): February 14, 2023
  32. Jonathan Gannon (Arizona Cardinals): February 14, 2023

Becton: Right Tackle Move ‘Made No Sense’

May 23rd, 2023 at 9:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mekhi Becton is making a full-fledged push to convince the Jets to move him back to the left tackle position at which he excelled during his 2020 rookie season. Much has changed since that slate, and Becton has barely seen the field.

After an injury to Becton’s right knee cost him 16 games in 2021, he injured the same knee during training camp and missed all of last season. Between those injuries, the Jets moved him to right tackle. At the time, the Jets were preparing to play George Fant — who slid from right to left tackle after Becton’s September 2021 injury — on the blind side. But Becton’s injury led to Duane Brown signing and taking over at LT. Brown remains under contract, but Becton — his string of absences notwithstanding — intends to unseat the 16th-year veteran.

A recent (since-deleted) tweet made Becton’s intent clear. He doubled down on that pursuit in an interview with Newsday’s Bob Glauber, indicating he attempted to convince the Jets to keep him at left tackle last summer. The team officially moved Becton to right tackle at the start of training camp.

“It made no sense to put me at right tackle,” Becton said, via Glauber. “I hurt my right knee. That’s going to be the knee that I put the most pressure on [while backpedaling in pass protection]. I explained it [to the coaches], but no one cared.

“I got forced to play a position I don’t play, and then I was pretty much telling them I wasn’t feeling good the whole time throughout camp, and I was told I shouldn’t be complaining. ‘Go out there and do it.’ I was limping throughout the whole practice, and I just took a step and my knee buckled and I got hurt again and had to get reconstructive surgery.”

Becton went down barely a week into training camp but remains in the picture to start for the Jets. The team is widely believed to have targeted Georgia’s most recent left tackle, Broderick Jones, at No. 15. The Aaron Rodgers trade included a 2022 first-round pick swap, knocking the Jets down two spots. That turned out to make a difference, with the Patriots trading No. 14 to the Steelers, who took Jones. The Jets selected defensive end Will McDonald at 15.

The team has since signed Billy Turner, whom Nathaniel Hackett hoped to use as the Broncos’ regular right tackle last year. Injuries intervened, limiting Turner to eight games in 2022. But Turner brings four years’ worth of experience in Hackett’s offense. Turner’s form could affect Becton’s right tackle status and potentially Brown’s role. Brown is coming off offseason shoulder surgery, and although he intends to play a 16th season, no guaranteed money remains on the former Texans and Seahawks Pro Bowler’s two-year deal.

When asked about Becton’s tweet, Robert Saleh said, “Go earn the left tackle [job].” Addressing Becton’s latest round of comments on the situation Tuesday, Saleh did not fire back at the contract-year blocker.

“Whatever happened in the past, happened in the past,” Saleh said, via the New York Post’s Brian Costello. “It’s not about finger pointing. It’s about moving forward. If he keeps approaching this offseason the way he has and he keeps attacking it the way he has, excited to see what he does with this fourth year.”

Saleh said Tuesday that Becton’s time at right tackle may not be over, though the third-year Jets HC noted the 6-foot-7 lineman will be competing for both jobs. Becton, whose fifth-year option was recently declined, remains resolute in his hope of returning to the blindside post. After going into New York’s 2022 training camp as a right tackle, Becton expects to finish this one at his old position.

“They’ve been putting me on the depth chart as their third-string tackle because I’ve got to earn it, but I know within a week, I’m going to be starting on that left side,” Becton said, via Glauber.

Noting his relationship with the Jets’ coaching staff is “OK,” Becton continues to train and shed weight. He weighed 394 pounds in February, per Glauber, but was amazingly down to 342 by early May. Last offseason, Glauber notes Becton was nearly 400 pounds. Weight issues have contributed to Becton’s unavailability, but the Louisville alum will attempt to play at a much lighter weight compared to his last healthy season. Becton came into the NFL at around 370.

With Brown ahead of what would be his age-38 season, Becton can certainly earn himself a lot of money with a bounce-back year. The Jets missing on Jones leaves them without a left tackle of the future. Both the Jets’ tackle positions will be much higher-profile jobs compared to last year, when the team trudged into another season with Zach Wilson as its planned starter. With Rodgers in the fold and six nationally televised games scheduled, the Jets will be under the microscope. Before the games begin, it will now be more interesting to see how the Jets proceed with Becton in training camp.

Packers Sought Russell Wilson-Type Haul For Aaron Rodgers; Jets Debated Stronger Derek Carr Push

May 8th, 2023 at 9:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Aaron Rodgers has begun attending Jets offseason workouts, but it took an extensive process for the Packers to move him off their roster. The teams had different goals when they begun negotiations.

The Packers initially sought a trade package comparable to the haul the Seahawks received for Russell Wilson or the Lions picked up for Matthew Stafford, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports. But with Rodgers moving out of the picture in Green Bay, the Jets were never expected to pay what it would have likely cost the Broncos (or another suitor) to pry Rodgers from the Packers in 2021 or ’22. Still, the lag time between the first Rodgers-related discussion between Packers GM Brian Gutekunst and Jets counterpart Joe Douglas — in January, when the latter represented the only interested party among those Gutekunst contacted — led to some uncertainty.

Just before Derek Carr committed to the Saints, Jets brass debated if they should make a stronger push for the longtime Raiders quarterback, Costello adds. The Jets hosted Carr in February and met with him again at the Combine. Though, Gang Green viewed the 10th-year veteran as its Rodgers backup plan throughout the process. With the Jets not knowing until March 12 Rodgers was even planning to play in 2023, they saw their top backup plan vanish when Carr signed with the Saints on March 6.

Shortly after the Jets hired Nathaniel Hackett as OC — a move widely rumored to be a Rodgers-related decision — Robert Saleh instructed his staff to study Jimmy Garoppolo and Ryan Tannehill, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. The former 49ers starter surfaced as a Jets option, while the longtime Titans first-stringer has been involved in trade rumors this year. But the Jets waited out Rodgers and received confirmation, via the four-time MVP’s agent contacting Douglas, his client was onboard with the Jets.

The Packers could have obtained more in a trade for Rodgers had they unloaded him in 2021 or ’22, but Jordan Love had not progressed to the point the team was ready to roll with the former No. 26 overall pick. Gutekunst sought to tell Rodgers the Packers planned to field a younger roster this season and make moves to help their salary cap, per Breer, with this meaning Rodgers favorites Randall Cobb, Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis would not be back. (Cobb is now a Jet, with Lewis potentially on the team’s radar.) Of course, Gutekunst and Rodgers never got around to a meeting regarding his future. The parties had multiple January meetings in California scheduled, Breer adds; neither came to fruition. Gutekunst dealt with Rodgers’ agent during the trade talks.

As for the trade price, one of the Jets’ counterproposals — during the sides’ off-and-on talks — involved a 2025 Packers second-round pick coming back in the event Rodgers did not return in 2024. The March Rodgers-Jets summit did not involve discussion about how much longer Rodgers would play, though that later became an understandable component of the Jets’ trade push. Instead of the Jets receiving a 2025 second from the Packers — in the event Rodgers retires after this season — the teams agreed on the deal that included the 2024 first-rounder being a conditional pick and not a locked-in 1, Breer adds. That said, Rodgers has only failed to play 65% of his team’s offensive snaps twice in his 15-year starter run. It represents a fairly safe bet the Jets will send the Packers their 2024 first-rounder in this swap.

Rather than the 65% figure, the Jets wanted to tie the 2024 draft choice to team placement, per Breer. But the Packers did this in the Brett Favre trade 15 years ago; the Green Bay icon’s biceps injury ended up leading the Jets out of the playoff race and reducing the Pack’s compensation to a 2009 third-rounder. With Packers president Mark Murphy involved in both negotiations, the Packers did not relent on a refusal to tie the pick to the Jets’ 2023 record.

Douglas was a bit leery about a potential post-draft suitor emerging as an alternative for Rodgers, Breer adds. The Jets had lost Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins in a two-team race last year. The All-Pro wideout was nearly a Jet, but when the Dolphins entered the fray, Miami became Hill’s preferred destination. This helped provide the impetus for the Jets to complete the deal by the draft, even as no other teams were closely connected to Rodgers this offseason.

The 2023 pick-swap component also did not enter the negotiations until late. That turned out to matter, with many believing the Jets were prepared to draft tackle Broderick Jones in Round 1. The Steelers moved up three spots, from No. 17 to No. 14, to prevent that from happening. New York selected edge rusher Will McDonald with its Green Bay-obtained No. 15 pick. The Packers chose Iowa pass rusher Lukas Van Ness at 13.

Jets Rumors: Beckham, Rodgers, Lawson, OL, Elliott

April 2nd, 2023 at 7:34pm CST by Ely Allen

Free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. made quite a few headlines during the league’s recent owners’ meetings in Arizona. One such headline came from Rich Cimini of ESPN who reported that the veteran wideout was seeking a one-year deal worth $15MM.

It’s a bit difficult to imagine a team dedicating that kind of capital to a 30-year-old wide receiver who is coming off his second ACL injury in three years. Beckham is still a talented athlete and displayed his abilities during his short time with the Rams. Cimini estimates that a contract worth $10-12MM is much more likely for Beckham. In terms of annual average value, this would place Beckham just under Corey Davis and over players like Michael Gallup, Curtis Samuel, and Tim Patrick.

Despite bits of buzz concerning a few other teams, the Jets seem to remain the favorite to land Beckham’s services for 2023.

Here are a few other rumors pertaining to Gang Green:

  • There’s an understanding around league circles that the Packers will eventually trade star quarterback Aaron Rodgers to New York. That understanding has, as of yet, failed to materialize, and according to Cimini, it has Jets owner Woody Johnson “anxious.” Johnson claimed to be anxious but optimistic as the team awaits the resolution to the problem of compensation. As the two sides continue to work towards equal compensation, the Jets aren’t getting impatient, asserting that there’s no deadline on when they’d like a deal to be done.
  • As the Jets entertain more potential additions to their roster, they have their salary cap to keep in mind. A question that has arisen in regard to that issue is whether or not New York will release defensive end Carl Lawson. The Jets have only been able to get one strong season out of Lawson since signing him in 2021. A ruptured Achilles tendon kept him from playing during his first season in New York before he was able to debut for the team this year. Now, after only one season of play, Lawson is set to take up the second-largest chunk of the Jets’ cap space. There is a potential out built into Lawson’s contract that would allow the Jets to cut Lawson with only $333,334 in dead money, saving $15.4MM in cap space. Head coach Robert Saleh reportedly turned down that possibility, according to Andy Vasquez of the Star-Ledger, claiming not to speak for general manager Joe Douglas, but asserting that “as long as (Lawson) can walk and play” he’ll be a Jet.
  • Saleh also spoke to the offensive line, according to Vasquez. While changes on the offensive line may be imminent with the addition of multiple offensive linemen in free agency, the head coach made sure to confirm the plan for Alijah Vera-Tucker to return to the right guard position in 2023. Also concerning the offensive line, Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com provided an update on offensive tackle Mekhi Becton, who reportedly is lighter than his NFL Combine weight after changing training facilities.
  • Another comment from Saleh concerned free agent running back Ezekiel Elliott, according to Vasquez. When asked about the possibility of bringing in the former Cowboy, Saleh told the media, “We love our running back room. I’ll leave it at that.” The Jets enter 2023 with a strong 1-2 punch of Breece Hall, whose rookie season was cut short due to injury, and Michael Carter.

AFC North Notes: Mixon, Browns, Steelers

March 31st, 2023 at 7:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nearly three weeks into free agency, Joe Mixon remains on the Bengals‘ roster. The team having seen Samaje Perine turn down an offer to stay and instead choose Denver thinned out its running back room. But Mixon’s status for a seventh Bengals season is not yet a lock. Bengals executive VP Katie Blackburn stopped short of guaranteeing the six-year Cincinnati starter will be back, reminding of comments player personnel VP Duke Tobin made at the Combine.

“Right now, he’s on the team and we are going count on him until that wouldn’t be the case,” Blackburn said, via the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway. “Right now, he’s our starting guy. You’ve seen other teams have to make moves. Could we get to that point? Maybe. But it would be down the road here and we’d have to see if that’s what makes sense or not.”

This situation could hinge on how the Bengals approach the position in the draft. Mixon, 26, is due a $9.4MM base salary and is tied to the third-highest cap figure ($12.8MM) on the team. Blackburn did not rule out the possibility of a post-June 1 cut designation, which would save Cincy $10MM, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler indicated recently (h/t Bleacher Report) the Bengals are looking to add at running back. (They were linked to Ezekiel Elliott, but little has emerged on that front since.) The Perine offer may have been indicative of Mixon plans. The team could still pair Mixon with a rookie, but it does have some pricey deals — most notably for Joe Burrow — on the horizon. Mixon’s $12MM-per-year deal could be used to create more cap space.

Here is the latest from the AFC North:

  • The Browns attempted a bigger swing at defensive tackle in free agency. Dalvin Tomlinson became an expensive consolation prize, with Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer noting the team was one of the final two suitors for Javon Hargrave. The standout D-tackle signed a four-year, $84MM 49ers deal, denying the DT-needy Browns one of this year’s biggest free agency fish. Cleveland regrouped with Tomlinson, who signed a four-year, $57MM pact. The Browns, who did little at D-tackle ahead of a poor run-defense season in 2022, preferred Tomlinson to fellow target Dre’Mont Jones, Cabot adds. Tomlinson’s acumen as a run defender attracted the Browns more, as Jones profiles as an inside pass rusher rather than a run stopper.
  • Staying in Cleveland, the Browns no longer have a second-round pick thanks to the Elijah Moore pick-swap trade. The Browns eyed Moore since his trade request emerged last year, GM Andrew Berry said (via Cabot). After a dispute with then-Jets OC Mike LaFleur, Moore requested a trade. The Jets were adamant they did not want to trade Moore at the time, but after they signed Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman, the Ole Miss alum became expendable. Still, Cabot adds Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh vouched for Moore’s character to the Browns ahead of the trade.
  • The Steelers traded Chase Claypool for a second-round pick last year, and given their reputation for selecting Day 2 wideouts, it should not surprise the team is being connected to such a move once again. The team will seek an upgrade in the slot, GM Omar Khan said (via The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly). Hopeful slot weapon Calvin Austin III missed his entire rookie year due to injury. The team should be considered likely to address this need by Round 3, Kaboly adds in a separate piece. From 2013-22, the Steelers chose eight wideouts on Day 2. Both their current top two receivers — Diontae Johnson and George Pickens — were Friday-night draftees.
  • It does not sound like the Ravens will use a notable resource to replace Ben Powers. John Harbaugh alluded to another competition — one featuring former third-round pick Ben Cleveland, ex-Raiders draftee John Simpson, swingman Patrick Mekari and 2022 fourth-round tackle Daniel Faalele (who is 6-foot-9) as options — being how the team will replace Powers, who won a left guard battle last year. Powers, who scored a four-year Broncos deal worth $52MM, beat out Cleveland in training camp. A draft choice could be added here, but The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec does not anticipate a high pick going to this spot.

Jets’ Duane Brown To Play In 2023

March 5th, 2023 at 2:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jets’ offensive line was decimated by injuries in 2022, and the team entered this offseason with a high degree of uncertainty at the tackle position in particular. Some clarity has emerged on that front with respect to a veteran member of the unit.

Duane Brown intends to play in 2023,as confirmed by his agent. That will set him up to continue his career for a 17th season, and second with the Jets. The 37-year-old signed with New York on a two-year, $20MM contract last offseason as the Jets scrambled to find an experienced replacement for Mekhi Becton after the latter suffered another major injury of his own.

Expectations were relatively high for Brown, given his consistent play over five seasons in Seattle. Things took a turn for the worst just before the season, however, when the five-time Pro Bowler suffered a shoulder injury which required being place on IR. He opted not to undergo surgery, instead opting for rehab to allow for a quicker return to action. That ultimately took place in time for him to suit up for 12 contests this season, all spent at left tackle.

It was later revealed that Brown was playing through a torn rotator cuff, something which made his return even more impressive. Overall, the former first-rounder allowed just one sack during his first Jets campaign, leading to a pass-blocking PFF grade of 72.3. While his overall rating was far worse, Brown still provided stability on the blindside in a season which was marred by crucial injuries up front for the Jets.

“Duane is a freaking rock star, man, the way he fought through pain and injury,” head coach Robert Saleh said of Brown recently, via ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “He did what I’d say about 90% of players probably wouldn’t have done, in terms of playing when he didn’t have to. All his money was already guaranteed, and the guy still strapped up and played [12] games for us. So, a lot of respect for him… and if he’s here [in 2023], it’d be awesome.”

Today’s news means that Brown will indeed suit up for the upcoming season, though his name has been mentioned as a cut candidate. He is due a non-guaranteed base salary of $9MM in 2023, and has a scheduled cap hit of $11.2MM. Releasing the former All-Pro would save the Jets just under $5MM in cap space. Doing so would create a roster hole at the position, though, one of increased importance given the lengthy injury history Becton has.

Brown had been contemplating retirement, but now he will play at least one more season in pursuit of a first Super Bowl title. The Jets will likely have him, Becton and Max Mitchell as their top offensive tackles, though Cimini notes the position is likely to be a high draft priority. The team may feel less urgency to use their first-rounder on a lineman knowing they are in line to have Brown back in the fold as at least veteran insurance.

Load More Posts