The New York Jets entered the offseason without a whole lot of cap room, but they have done a terrific job making do with what they’ve had.
They capped off their free-agent spending (most likely) on Tuesday when they signed wide receiver Mike Williams to a one-year deal, finally providing the offense with a legitimate No. 2 weapon behind Garrett Wilson.
That came after the Jets signed eight-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Tyron Smith. Smith has certainly had difficulty staying healthy, playing in just 30 games over the last four seasons and having not played a full campaign since 2015. However, when healthy, Smith is a stalwart, and so long as he is able to stay on the field, he should do a fine job protecting Aaron Rodgers’ blind side.
While Williams and Smith were the two big-name acquisitions for New York during the free-agent period, it also made numerous other under-the-radar moves such as bringing in offensive linemen Morgan Moses and John Simpson, defensive linemen Leki Fotu and Javon Kinlaw plus making depth signings like cornerback Isaiah Oliver and quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
General manager Joe Douglas has gotten very creative thus far this offseason and has quietly revamped the Jets’ roster, catapulting them into legitimate playoff contention in the AFC (health provided).
Of course, the biggest coup is getting Rodgers back from a torn Achilles. His presence alone will have a massive impact on Gang Green in 2024, and let’s also remember that key offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker is returning from an Achilles tear himself.
Basically, the Jets should look a whole lot different next season than they did this past year.
But will it be enough for New York to make a serious run?
Obviously, much of that hinges on just how good Rodgers looks. He is 40 years old and is coming off of one of the worst injuries an athlete can suffer, so there is no guarantee that he will be entirely effective.
If he is, however, the Jets should absolutely make some noise in 2024.
The AFC East is a winnable division. The Buffalo Bills are on the decline after a forced mass exodus of key players due to financial constraints, and the Miami Dolphins showed significant warts down the stretch this past year. Not to mention the fact that the Dolphins lost a bunch of key defenders in free agency, as well.
With an extra Wild Card team now in play, the Jets should have a great chance of making it back to the playoffs for the first time since January 2011, which represents the longest active playoff drought in the NFL. Mark Sanchez was the quarterback at that time (can you believe he actually took New York to back-to-back AFC Championship Games?).
We already know the Jets are good defensively. They ranked third in the league in yards allowed in 2023 in spite of the fact that New York went just 7-10.
Imagine how good the Jets would have been with just an average offense?
And if Rodgers comes back healthy, New York’s offense should be far better than average, especially if Williams regains his form after the ACL tear he sustained with the Los Angeles Chargers last season.
The Jets have largely been a laughing stock for well over a decade now, but those days may be coming to an end.
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