In recent years when the Jets’ offseason arrived, I liked to joke that they had to have a Noah’s Ark strategy, because they needed two of everything.
With the 2023 season limping to the finish, it is time to look ahead to the 2024 offseason, and if you are looking for silver linings about this team right now, here is one: They enter this offseason in better shape than in any year in recent memory.
This offseason should not feature the tumult of years past. If the Jets finish the season without embarrassing themselves, it feels certain that general manager Joe Douglas and coach Robert Saleh will be back. You can argue the merits of that decision, but not having regime change makes an offseason much calmer.
They also will not be searching for a quarterback. Aaron Rodgers will return.
There are very few free agents on their defense, which has delivered another top-10 season.
Young stars Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner and Breece Hall will be in just their third year.
The biggest needs are along the offensive line, where the Jets need two or three new starters, and at wide receiver, where they need to find a true No. 2 to pair with Wilson. There are other things to talk about, like backup quarterback and upgrades at other positions, but overall the list of needs this year is shorter than your child’s Christmas list.
Does that mean you can start planning the parade up the Canyon of Heroes in February 2025? No, but lost in the misery of this 5-9 season is the fact that the roster is in better shape than it has been in years.
I’d argue you’d have to go back to 2016 for the last time the Jets entered an offseason feeling good about the roster. Now, that season bottomed out, as players got old fast, but there was positivity about running it back with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brandon Marshall and Darrelle Revis after the success in 2015.
Since then, there have been glaring holes to fill or major changes at coach or quarterback. In 2017, they tore things down. In 2018, they drafted Sam Darnold. In 2019, they hired Adam Gase. In 2020, Joe Douglas had his first offseason as GM. In 2021, they hired Robert Saleh and drafted Zach Wilson. In 2022, they revamped the worst defense in the league. In 2023, they traded for Aaron Rodgers.
Those are just the headlines. Along the way, there have been plenty of splash free-agent signings and top-10 picks, as well.
Though the list of needs is short, fans know all too well that does not guarantee the team will fill them properly. This could be Douglas’ last shot at getting the offensive line correct. When he got the job in 2019, he spoke about fixing the offensive line on Day 1. Four years later, it remains an issue.
The only two players you can pencil in for next season on the line are Alijah Vera-Tucker and Joe Tippmann. Douglas is going to need to add a left tackle and a guard or another tackle in free agency and the draft. The fifth spot can be occupied by someone currently on the roster who wins a training camp battle.
Douglas also needs to find a running mate for Garrett Wilson. The obvious choice is Davante Adams, if the Raiders are willing to move him. Reuniting Adams with Rodgers has felt inevitable since the summer. If Las Vegas decides to hold onto Adams, free agents Mike Evans and Tee Higgins could be targets.
As dead as the Jets are now, the buzz will be back when the offseason begins. The return of Rodgers will be the story of the 2024 team and whether the four-time MVP can end the now 13-year playoff drought. Douglas is going to need to give him some help, but maybe not as much as you think.
After a 2023 season with too many L’s, the 2024 offseason needs some W’s.