Jets Offseason Road Map: Three players to pursue in free agency

It’s no secret that the Jets need to completely rebuild, or at least retool their offensive line after the abysmal season the team had. The Jets used 13 different offensive line combinations in 17 games and to be frank, none of them were any good. Duane Brown, Mekhi Becton, Connor McGovern and Billy Turner are all free agents, and I wouldn’t expect the Jets to bring any of them back.

The door might stay open on Becton, but I would imagine he can find some team to pay him for the man he sees in the bathroom mirror as opposed to the one on the field (or watching in street clothes on the sidelines) on Sundays.

Alijah Vera-Tucker will be back as will Joe Tippmann who has likely cemented himself as the starting center going forward. Laken Tomlinson is interesting because while he hasn’t played great in his Jets tenure, he has given them something they are severely lacking along the offensive line – consistency. Tomlinson made every start at left guard for the Jets in the last two years.

So, if AVT, Tomlinson and Tippmann solidify the middle of the line (and yes, that is a big if) then the Jets will be looking at two new starting tackles. Max Mitchell will remain on the team as a swing tackle and Carter Warren will continue to develop.

I believe the left tackle for the Jets should and will be taken with the 10^th overall pick in April’s draft, leaving one more tackle spot open. Eluemunor is not going to move the needle much in terms of hype, but he is exactly what the Jets need.

Hailing from across the pond in England, Eluemunor went to Texas A&M and was drafted as guard in the fifth round by the Baltimore Ravens. He made stops in New England and with the Raiders before he found his footing as right tackle.

The 29-year-old started 28 games for the Las Vegas Raiders in the last two seasons and played very well. He is a great run blocker and an above average pass blocker. With the Jets trying to replace two tackles and add a second wide receiver and keep that defense together, Eluemunor is the type of player they need to target for the right tackle spot in 2024.

2- Graham Glasgow, G

As I said, the offensive line is where much of the offseason resources, whether it be money or draft picks, should be spent. With a lack of talented tackles hitting the free agent market this off-season a better option for the Jets might be to use the versatility offered with a player like Alijah Vera-Tucker and sign one or even two quality guards.

Signing a guard or two would allow the Jets to bump AVT to right tackle and keep him there. He played well at the position in limited duty the past two seasons and could only improve with a full off season of preparing for the position.

There are a lot of very talented guards available in free agency this year but in the end, I think they should go with Graham Glasgow. He is an older player who has had his ups and downs in the league. This is the type of player the Jets might need along with a young offensive front.

This move would be reminiscent of when the Jets signed Alan Faneca to go along with young Nick Mangold and D’Brickashaw Ferguson. I don’t believe Glasgow is on the same level as the Hall of Famer Faneca, but he could still provide the same type of impact to a young offensive front.

3- Mike Evans, WR

Okay, this one might be a little far-fetched, but it isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Mike Evans is the model of consistency, and the Jets are usually anything but consistent.

Personnel guys believe Evans remains a potential game-changer as he turns 31 in August. “He is still a threat and very consistent performer,” said an AFC Scouting Director. “But, his long speed has diminished and that must be factored in.” Another personnel guy in the NFC doesn’t see much of a slowdown for Evans.

“He’s still playing at a very high level,” an NFC Personnel Director told FanBuzz, on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about a player under contract with another team. “He hasn’t appeared to slow down at all.”

Evans will demand a larger salary than some of the free agents available, but he is as proven a commodity as you can get in the NFL. Evans has broken 1,000 yards every year he has been in the league. And he did it with guys like Josh McCown, Mike Glennon and Jameis Winston as his quarterbacks.

Pairing Evans with Garrett Wilson would open the offense and give Rodgers the weapons to run a high scoring offense.

Maybe Evans got a taste playing with an aging GOAT and he wants another crack at it? Maybe.

The biggest restriction, here, would be cap space. The Jets currently have a little more than a projected $366k in cap space after accounting for the projected cost of the 2024 draft class. 

There are moves to be made that can free up room: Restructuring C.J. Mosley's, Laken Tomlinson's, D.J. Reed's, Quinnen Williams, and John Franklin Myer's contracts can create a good chunk of space. Releasing C.J. Uzomah as a post-June 1 cut would save $8 million, off the top.

Be sure to check back in for more on the Jets offseason in the coming days and weeks.