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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Five months later, Joe Douglas still remembers the feeling. The New York Jets had just lost their season finale to the Buffalo Bills 27-10 to finish 4-13 — their sixth straight losing season. On the flight home, the general manager tried to remind himself it was a rebuilding year, that growing pains were expected, but that didn’t dull the sting.”Sick of having games like that,” Douglas told ESPN, recalling his thoughts from Jan. 9. “Sick of having seasons like that.”By the time they landed, his mindset had changed to 2022 and beyond.So began the Jets’ offseason, a period in which Douglas went from sick to sic ’em.The Jets used free agency and the draft to add eight potential starters, fueling optimism around the team. A punchline for the better part of a decade, they now find themselves in the unusual position of receiving pats on the back.On his podcast, NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth tabbed the Jets as a team to watch, saying, “I just feel like if there’s a team out there that could make a jump this year and surprise everybody … the Jets, maybe they’re that team this year.”Jets quarterback Zach Wilson will have several new weapons at his disposal in 2022. AP Photo/Seth WenigThe Jets have a history of turning optimism into despair, but the difference with the 2022 team is that it’s built with young, ascending players as opposed to big-name free agents who took the money, became complacent and fell short of expectations. The roster includes seven players drafted in the first round from 2019 to 2022, tied with the New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars for the most over that span. Six were selected by Douglas, the lone exception being defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (2019), who is in contract talks for an extension.”We’ve got to develop them and we’ve got to win games, but I feel like things kind of fell our way in the draft the last couple of years,” Douglas said.After the 4-13 debacle, hardly a surprise with the amount of youth on the roster, the front office devised a plan that was born from their end-of-season meetings with the coaching staff. Douglas called it “the most important meeting” of the offseason. They went through the roster, player by player, discussing strengths, weaknesses and potential growth. Free agents were grouped by priority. A 2022 depth chart was established.Copious notes were taken during those meetings, and they were crystallized into a master plan.”That dialogue, that meeting, it really set the blueprint going into the offseason,” Douglas said.For the most part, the Jets used free agency to fill holes at non-premium positions, signing tight ends C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin, guard Laken Tomlinson and safety Jordan Whitehead. The exception was cornerback D.J. Reed. None are household names, but they’re all productive players in the 25-t0-30 age range. Tomlinson is the oldest, but 30 isn’t old for an offensive lineman. He made the Pro Bowl last season as an injury replacement.New York Jets’ lineup: 2022 vs 2021In the draft, Douglas focused on premium positions — cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, wide receiver Garrett Wilson and defensive end Jermaine Johnson, all of whom were picked in the first round. Douglas said the trade-up for Johnson, which triggered an emotional celebration in the draft room, was the highlight of the offseason.Their first-round choices weren’t an accident. Douglas has a value system, one in which he prefers to invest his most valuable assets — i.e. high draft picks — on premium positions. He believes he can fill in the rest with bargains in free agency. It can be frustrating for the fan base, which watches big-name players sign elsewhere, but Douglas doesn’t deviate from his plan.”We didn’t go out and have a major spending spree,” Douglas said. “We weren’t on the sideline, but we didn’t go out and sign $18-, $19-, $20-million-a-year players.”The Jets spent $90 million in full guarantees on free agents, including their own, which ranked fifth, according to overthecap.com. Among AFC teams, they were way behind the Jaguars ($195 million), Miami Dolphins ($127 million) and Los Angeles Chargers ($124 million).Douglas faced a tricky decision with regard to allocation, meaning how to split the money between offense and defense. He wanted to upgrade quarterback Zach Wilson’s supporting cast, but he didn’t want to neglect a defense that ranked 32nd in most of the key categories.In the end, it was a divide-and-conquer approach.Counting their top four draft picks, the Jets doled out 17 contracts that have at least a $1.5 million cap charge in 2022, totaling $55.3 million — roughly one-fourth of the entire cap. Offense accounts for 56% of the $55.3 million, defense 44%.In other words, Wilson got much-needed help with Garrett Wilson, second-round running back Breece Hall, Uzomah and Conklin, whom Douglas believes could be one of the surprises of their free-agent class. The defense, which allowed a franchise-record 504 points, received a boost with Gardner, Johnson, Reed & Co. They stockpiled enough assets from previous trades to fix both sides of the ball — in theory, anyway.”We’re better, and I know we’re going to be better,” coach Robert Saleh said. “We’re young, we’re a year older, we brought in some really cool pieces, a lot of guys who stand for the right stuff, who live and breathe football.”After investing heavily in the offensive line in 2020 and 2021, Douglas focused on offensive skill players. The NFL is a passing league, and the Jets averaged only 180 yards per game with Wilson at quarterback — embarrassingly low.Recognizing the deficiency, Douglas made a well-publicized attempt to trade for star receiver Tyreek Hill, whose decision to play for the Dolphins was the low point of the Jets’ offseason. It was a bold attempt that didn’t pay off. They responded by drafting Garrett Wilson, sticking with the organization’s goal of adding dynamic athletes on both sides of the ball.In doing so, they ignored the offensive line on Days 1 and 2, a calculated gamble because of tackle Mekhi Becton’s injury history. Becton, a 2020 first-round pick, has played only eight full games out of 33. It would be ironic if Douglas, himself a former college lineman, left them vulnerable up front. That’s the biggest quibble in their offseason makeover.Former GM Randy Mueller, who worked in the front offices of the Dolphins, New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks and now runs Mueller Football Advising Services, is taking a wait-and-see approach on the Jets’ offseason. He’s high on Zach Wilson’s upside — “I really have no doubt about Zach Wilson” — but he’s not sure about the new pieces.”It’s one thing to build a team on paper, it’s another to get it to come together,” Mueller said. “That’s up to the coaching staff, developing the guys and bringing them together. I’m a little apprehensive to say, ‘Hey, this is it.’ …”They’ve got to hit on those three draft picks,” he added, referring to the first-rounders.Douglas believes this is a much better team than the one that flew home with him from Buffalo in early January, but he’s not about to throw a party. He knows it’s a young team, and there’s a lot of growing to do. Four of their top five receivers and running backs are rookies and second-year players, and they will be fed by a second-year quarterback. So don’t expect the organizational growing pains to vanish.And don’t forget about the competition.”The conference is an absolute bear,” Douglas said.Still, there’s a positive vibe around the building, and that shouldn’t be minimized. There was optimism last year, too, mainly because of Saleh’s arrival, but everybody knew there was a severe talent shortage. Now, there’s hope.Linebacker C.J. Mosley, who has been around long enough to know that every team drinks springtime Kool-Aid, said, “Every year is going to be the Year — we all know how that goes — but we’re all looking forward to putting something together and really getting the New York Jets back on the map.”
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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — A look at what’s happening around the New York Jets:1. A sip of Jameson? If the Jets don’t make a blockbuster trade for Deebo Samuel or DK Metcalf before the NFL draft, they could be staring at the prospect of picking the second-best wide receiver from a good, but not great class. It’s not an ideal situation, especially for a franchise that has struggled to draft quality receivers.”None of these guys have the same grade as DeVonta Smith, Ja’Marr Chase or Jaylen Waddle,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said of this year’s receiver prospects. “Those three last year all had elite grades.”Garrett Wilson (Ohio State), Drake London (USC) and Jameson Williams (Alabama) are generally regarded as the top three. Wilson, Williams and Chris Olave (Ohio State), another first-round talent, have made pre-draft visits to the Jets, who have to be thinking receiver with their second pick in the first round (10th overall).Wilson is “the closest” in talent to last year’s trio, according to Kiper, who added that London (fractured ankle in October) and Williams (torn ACL in January) might have approached that status if they had stayed healthy. Wilson has been linked to the Atlanta Falcons (No. 8 overall).As for the Jets’ options, don’t sleep on Williams, who displayed Tyreek Hill-like speed and big-play ability before his injury in the College Football Playoff National Championship. He’d be a gamble because he might not be healthy until November, but the long-term payoff could be huge. The Jets are interested, one source said. How interested remains to be seen.”Even with the injury, he could go top 20, maybe top 10,” Kiper said.The Jets were unsuccessful in their attempt to trade for the actual Tyreek Hill, and they continue to monitor Samuel, Metcalf and other veteran receivers — perhaps a sign they’re not in love with the draft possibilities.2. Post-Keyshawn drought: The Jets’ track record for drafting receivers is poor. Maybe Elijah Moore, a 2021 second-round pick, can reverse the awful trend. Consider:

• The last receiver to make the Pro Bowl in a Jets uniform was Keyshawn Johnson, selected No. 1 overall in 1996. He did it in 1998 and 1999.
• The last one to record a 1,000-yard season for the Jets was Jerricho Cotchery, a 2004 draft pick who reached 1,000 in 2007.
• Of the 24 receivers drafted since Johnson, only four have recorded multiple 100-yard games as Jets — Cotchery (eight), Santana Moss (seven), Laveranues Coles (13) and Dedric Ward (four). We’re not talking monster seasons, just games.

3. Positive report on Mims: That the Jets haven’t added a veteran wide receiver is a little surprising. They re-signed Braxton Berrios, but lost Jamison Crowder in free agency, which means their current depth chart is thinner than last season.Should we perceive this as a vote of confidence for Denzel Mims?The Jets’ coaches are getting good reports on Mims, who cut his body fat to 8% this offseason, but it’s premature to group him with Berrios, Moore and Corey Davis as roster locks. They probably will add at least one more receiver, either a high draft pick or a veteran via trade. Even if that happens, Mims figures to get one last shot in training camp to prove himself to this coaching staff, which puts a premium on route running — not one of his strengths.4. Apple Sauce? Some mock drafts have the Jets taking cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner with the fourth pick. A couple of thoughts on that:• Ranks: Kiper » | McShay » | Positions »
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While cornerback is a premium position on the NFL landscape, it’s viewed differently by coach Robert Saleh, who believes he can find system corners later in the draft for his zone-based scheme. He saw that philosophy work with the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.The Jets addressed the position in free agency, signing D.J. Reed (three years, $33 million). To make another major investment, they would have to deem Gardner a unicorn-type player. In Saleh’s world, a tie goes to the edge rusher.5. Wilson’s year-round coach: The Jets made an unorthodox move during the season, adding Zach Wilson’s California-based quarterback instructor — John Beck — to the coaching staff. Basically, it was like hiring a personal tutor in the middle of an exam.Beck, who has returned to private practice, continues to work with Wilson, a relationship that began several years ago. Beck senses a carryover from the season, which he believes will benefit the second-year quarterback.”I watch tape with a lot of quarterbacks in the offseason, but I’m not on their team as they went through it, the way I was with Zach,” Beck told ESPN. “I know what it was like leading up to the game. I was there every day of the week and I was with him on the sideline. I know what it was like the day after the game. I know the coaching points the coaches were making because I sat in the coaches’ meetings the day after the game. All of those things all have value in helping him.”Wilson will be in New Jersey for the next couple of months as the offseason ramps up, but he will get house calls from Beck, who is planning to fly east for occasional check-ins.6. Back at it: The Jets begin their offseason program on Monday. The first practice is May 23, with the offseason concluding with minicamp (June 14-16). By rule, it’s voluntary, except for the minicamp. This will be different from last year in that Saleh is planning to tone down the intensity, using more walk-throughs and 7-on-7 periods than before. This seems to be a leaguewide trend.Around the NFL, it’s also a chance to make extra money by collecting a workout bonus, but only one Jets player has a workout bonus in his contract — defensive end John Franklin-Myers ($100,000).7. No contract squabble: In case you’re wondering, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams is expected to attend the start of the offseason program — a positive sign. He’s eligible for a new contract, but he’s not going to pull a Jamal Adams by staying away and rattling cages.The Jets have said they’re open to discussing a new contract, but there’s not much happening on that front. Williams is signed for 2022, and his fifth-year option (2023) will be exercised by May 2, the team has said.8. Did you know? Barring a trade, the Jets (No. 4) and New York Giants (No. 5) will pick back-to-back in Round 1 for only the seventh time in the common-draft era (since 1967). This is only the second time the Jets have the honor of going first.A look at the complete history:New York-New YorkYearPicksPlayersEdge20182, 3RB Saquon Barkley (Giants), QB Sam Darnold (Jets)Giants200011, 12RB Ron Dayne (Giants), DE Shaun Ellis (Jets)Jets19977, 8WR Ike Hilliard (Giants), LB James Farrior (Jets)Jets199214, 15TE Derek Brown (Giants), TE Johnny Mitchell (Jets)Jets19822, 3LB Lawrence Taylor (Giants), RB Freeman McNeil (Jets)Giants19774, 5OT Marvin Powell (Jets), DE Gary Jeter (Giants)Jets9. Bookends: Pre-draft visits tend to get overblown in the media, but it’s worth noting that Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan) and Kayvon Thibodeaux (Oregon), two of the top edge rushers, both visited the Jets on Friday. I’ve heard of cases where teams try to get the top guys in the same room, just to see how they respond to each other. Hutchinson won’t be available with the fourth pick, but Thibodeaux could be.10. Still available: Only three of the Jets’ unrestricted free agents remain unsigned: wide receiver Keelan Cole, guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and tight end Tyler Kroft.
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A look at what’s happening around the New York Jets:1. Irish ‘unicorn’: If the Jets select Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton with the fourth pick in the NFL draft, it will spark a fan-base revolt that might rival the hysteria caused by the Kyle Brady-Warren Sapp decision in 1995. Hamilton is a top prospect, but there’s a belief — shared by some in the NFL — that safety is a non-premium position and doesn’t warrant a high pick.That’s narrow-minded thinking. If he’s good enough to be a game-changer, take him.Coach Robert Saleh shares that sentiment. He acknowledged that safety isn’t on the same level as quarterback, pass-rusher or left tackle, but “you can never say no to a unicorn and someone who has a tremendous talent and is clearly the best possible player you can take at that particular time,” he said. “You never want to be stubborn. To answer your question, to take a safety if he’s worthy of it, he’d definitely be in the discussion.”Saleh said his previous team, the San Francisco 49ers, thought long and hard about picking safety Derwin James with the ninth pick in 2018. They wound up taking tackle Mike McGlinchey, as James — now a star — slid to the Los Angeles Chargers at 17. Saleh has a lot of San Francisco in his DNA, so you have to believe it’s not just lip service when he talks about the possibility of drafting a non-premium position. (That year, he actually lobbied for middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. More on that in item 3.)The bigger question: How does Joe Douglas feel about a safety? Speaking to reporters at the scouting combine, the general manager gave the obligatory “best-player-available” answer when asked about picking one in the top 10. But know this about Douglas: He subscribes to the premium-position philosophy, one of the reasons why he didn’t meet safety Jamal Adams’ contract demands and traded him in 2020. Look at his drafts: They pretty much stick to that formula, although he deviated last year with guard Alijah Vera-Tucker at 14 overall.• Rankings: Kiper » | McShay »
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The Jets are high on Hamilton, as I’ve previously reported, but it’s too early in the process to say he is (or isn’t) their guy. It could be a fascinating decision. If defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and tackles Evan Neal and Ikem Ekwonu are off the board, the Jets will have a choice of Hamilton, edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and any of the cornerbacks. People who know Douglas and Saleh believe they’d lean toward the edge rusher unless they’re among those not sold on Thibodeaux’s motor, which some scouts say runs hot and cold.The franchise has endured some bad experiences with first-round safeties. Calvin Pryor was a bust and Adams busted his way out of town. Hamilton is not another Pryor or Adams, which is to say he’s not a one-dimensional player who struggles to find the football. He’s a 6-foot-4 and 220-pound ball magnet who can play deep middle, box and slot, and would give the Jets the interceptor they haven’t had since early Kerry Rhodes, circa 2007. Hamilton is, according to some talent evaluators, a unicorn.NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who scouted with Douglas for the Baltimore Ravens, said Hamilton is worthy of one of the top picks. Jeremiah disagrees with the conventional wisdom about safeties, noting the position is more important than ever because of wide-open passing. As for Hamilton, he said, “I think this kid is pretty unique. … I think Kyle Hamilton stacks up really well with everybody in this draft.”2. Did you know? The last safety to be drafted in the top four was Eric Turner, chosen second overall in 1991 by the Cleveland Browns. Since 2000, only nine cracked the top 10, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Adams was one of those.3. Old college try: Here’s a funny draft-related story about Saleh from 2018. At the time, he was the 49ers’ defensive coordinator and wasn’t shy about expressing his preference. He actually wore an Edmunds jersey to a pre-draft meeting on linebackers. Looking back, Saleh acknowledged it would’ve been unconventional to pick an off-ball linebacker in the first round, but he felt Edmunds was “a unicorn in the linebacker world.”Saleh didn’t get Edmunds, but the story has a happy ending because they drafted future All-Pro Fred Warner in the third round.4. Best for Wilson: There’s a lot of chatter about the best way to help quarterback Zach Wilson. There’s no doubt he’d benefit from a stronger defense, as Saleh articulated, but let’s not overthink this.Adding more weapons around quarterback Zach Wilson is expected to be a priority. AP Photo/Jacob KupfermanThe Jets lost a lot of games last season because of below-average quarterback play. No one will take them seriously until Wilson reaches the “average” level, and he won’t get there without a better rushing attack and a third option in the passing game, either a wide receiver or a tight end to complement wideouts Corey Davis and Elijah Moore.The most direct way to accelerate Wilson’s progress is to improve the cast around him. So, yes, offense gets a slight edge over defense on the priority list, but here’s the thing: They can address both. It’s not like they’re shy on resources. And, of course, the picture could change after free agency.5. Not-so-jumbo Jets: Douglas needs to be mindful of size as he rebuilds the wide-receiver position. The Jets were the only team last season whose three leading receivers were under 6-feet — Jamison Crowder (5-foot-9), Braxton Berrios (5-foot-9) and Moore (5-foot-10). Their leading rusher was Michael Carter (5-foot-8).They should be bigger in 2022. For one thing, Davis (6-foot-3) will return from his core-muscle injury. There’s potential turnover in the slot, with Crowder and Berrios heading to free agency.6. Jets South: Wilson is expected to be in South Florida to lead informal workouts with Davis, Moore and Berrios, among others.• Ranking the top 50 free agents »
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7. Maye day: The prevailing thought on safety Marcus Maye, four months removed from Achilles’ surgery, was that he’d have a post-draft market in free agency because of his rehab. There’s interest out there right now. Don’t be surprised if he signs elsewhere before the draft.8. Cap casualty? The Jets have to make a decision on defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins by the fifth day of the league year. If he’s still on the roster by then, part of his 2022 base salary ($1.25 million of $4.5 million) becomes fully guaranteed. Right now, that portion is guaranteed for injury only.Rankins, who signed a two-year, $11 million contract last offseason, played 57% of the defensive snaps, mainly as a pass-rusher, but finished with only three sacks. He was disruptive at times, as he ranked 12th in pass rush win rate (12.4%) among qualifying interior linemen, per ESPN Stats & Information. He also stayed healthy, something he had struggled to do in the past.Is that worth $6.2 million, his cap charge? It’s a tough call, especially on a big-money defensive line. Carl Lawson, Quinnen Williams and John Franklin-Myers are counting a combined $38.1 million on the cap. If they cut Rankins, they would be thin at defensive tackle, with Folorunso Fatukasi and Nathan Shepherd heading to free agency.9. Quinnen’s future: The decision to exercise Williams’ fifth-year option for 2023 was a no-brainer. The real issue is whether the former third-overall pick will get a contract extension before the season.The Jets aren’t in any hurry. After all, his combined salary for the next two years is a team-friendly $16.4 million (fully guaranteed), including a projected $11.5 million for the option year in 2023. Williams, extension-eligible for the first time, might be better off waiting until after the season.He’s had two good years in a row, but not that monster season that would validate a $20 million-a-year demand. Maybe that happens in 2022. Presumably, he will have a better supporting cast (including the return of a healthy Lawson) and more familiarity with the system. If it all clicks, he will have serious leverage.10. The last word: Every team is looking for “dogs,” right? Ekwonu, the North Carolina State tackle, played one as a youngster. Speaking to reporters at the combine, he recalled, “I did a little musical theater when I was a kid. … I was in ‘101 Dalmatians.’ I was Pongo the Dog, so that was a big step for me.”
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