National Football League

Aaron Rodgers expects Jets to ‘reload.’ Start with this 11-step plan to fix team

Published Jan. 9, 2024 11:26 a.m. ET

Aaron Rodgers spent a lot of his time during the 2023 season shaking his head on the New York Jets sideline. It was clear that even if he were playing, he might not be happy with the composition of the roster. It was clear, too, during an interview last month with "The Pat McAfee Show" that Rodgers expects the Jets to make some fairly aggressive moves during the offseason.

"I think it's not a situation where we have to rebuild. We have to reload a little bit," Rodgers said. "And there will be some tough decisions for sure. But I like the pieces we have in place."

Then this week, Rodgers stepped up his rhetoric in calling for changes, telling reporters, "The bulls--- that has nothing to do with winning needs to get out of the building."

Well, buckle up, Aaron. I've got some ideas for you. Because so far as I can see, Rodgers is the one in charge. Just look at the free agency class from last year — it was all of Rodgers' friends (Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Tim Boyle). I'm (kind of) kidding.

The Jets were a disappointment in 2023. With Rodgers returning from his Achilles injury in 2024, there will be hope. But even with the QB back in green, the Jets can't simply run it back. Here are 11 steps to help them fix a roster that looked problematic.

DUE DILIGENCE

1. Wage a full-scale audit on the team's leadership and decision-making, starting with Joe Douglas, Robert Saleh and Nathaniel Hackett

There are a lot of things that went wrong for New York in 2023, but what I want to know — if I'm Jets owner Woody Johnson — is who was responsible for making the quarterback decisions. Because that's where the season started and ended. That's the person who probably should be out of a job, even though Johnson said recently that he would retain Douglas and Saleh.

There might not have been a loss more disturbing for New York than the 37-20 defeat to the Cleveland Browns in Week 17.

The Browns are a team led by their elite defense — and have been without a clearcut QB for most of the season. The Jets must see an alternate-universe version of themselves. (Cue the Spiderman meme.) But for all their similarities, the scoreboard showed two very different teams, with the Browns beating the Jets so badly that their quarterback, Joe Flacco, whom New York could have signed off the couch, was caught dozing on the sideline in the second half.

The Jets passing on Flacco is a personnel problem.

Of course, therein lies another problem. Not only did the Jets decide not to sign Flacco, but they probably chose not to because they have been there and done that. Last year, Flacco couldn't hang at QB. But perhaps — as we're seeing in Cleveland — it was more about Flacco's circumstances in New York rather than the quarterback's shortcomings.

That's a coaching problem (and a personnel problem).

Building an NFL team starts with a quarterback. The Jets brought in Aaron Rodgers to solve all their problems, but when he got hurt, everything fell apart again. The leadership didn't do enough at that spot and it sunk the season.

And that's only the beginning of this team's problems. The offensive line was a skyscraper of an issue for New York. It was the largest inhibiting factor behind the skill players' struggles.

The Jets leaders need to begin to hold themselves accountable for their mistakes. And they had better learn from them, too. The offseason is coming and they better be ready to reshape this team.

2. Evaluate the center position to determine whether the requisite talent is there

The Jets have good guards. They don't have good or reliably healthy tackles. (And we'll get to that in a second.) We hold those truths to be self-evident.

What remains unclear: Do the Jets have a center? Rookie Joe Tippmann had his moments and Saleh has expressed outward support for his future as the starter.

"He gets a battle scar every week, which is what you want out of a rookie," Saleh said on Jan. 1. "He's going to be a very good center for a very long time."

Tippmann was the team's 2023 second-round pick and was considered a can't-miss prospect. He had to play some guard this year before moving to center, and he looked a lot like a rookie — good and bad. The Jets need him to put it all together in Year 2. And if there's even an inkling that he can't, they need to pursue some starting-caliber depth at the position.

Is Aaron Rodgers the real distraction for Jets?

3. Evaluate your departing free-agent class

The most notable free agents include:

OT Mekhi Becton
OT Duane Brown
S Jordan Whitehead
DE Bryce Huff
K Greg Zuerlein
P Thomas Morstead
WR Randall Cobb
DE Carl Lawson
C Connor McGovern

Becton is a player the Jets might want back, but at the right price. But if they're deciding between paying Becton and Patriots tackle Michael Onwenu at $13 million per year, then I think Onwenu makes more sense. Becton will likely test the market. If he winds up leaving, it will be because another team sees him as less of an injury risk than the Jets do.

Whitehead has been excellent, and Saleh will want Douglas to do his best to retain the safety.

Rodgers has already made it clear he expects edge Bryce Huff to get a substantial deal elsewhere.

The special teams players, Morstead and Zuerlein, are among the best at their position, even if they didn't always play like it in 2023. But the Jets will likely want them back.

Past that, I'm not sure New York needs to retain anyone else. Though, of course, Rodgers will want Cobb, a best buddy, around for another year.

ACCOUNTING

4. Trade quarterback Zach Wilson to get him off the salary cap

It's simple enough: New York can get back $5.7 million in cap space for 2024 if they trade their former No. 2 overall pick.

Wilson has — at multiple points in the season — given up on the Jets, according to reports. After New York benched him late in the season, he reportedly didn't want to come back. When he did come back and suffered a concussion, he again did not want to come back.

Robert Saleh shuts down rumors surrounding Jets QB Zach Wilson

This union has been a disaster for quite some time. New York might even take a seventh-round pick if it meant getting Wilson off the cap. In fact, the Jets might even lose some draft capital to part ways with the man who was once their Future Franchise QB.

5. Cut tight end C.J. Uzomah

He signed a three-year, $24 million deal in 2022, but this season, he had eight catches in 12 games played. Cutting him with a post-June-1 deadline designation would free up $8 million in salary cap space. It's a no-brainer. It's money the Jets need to spend elsewhere.

6. Restructure defensive end Jonathan Franklin-Myers' deal — or cut him

Here's another veteran whose production doesn't match his contract value. His salary jumps to $13.3 million in 2024. That's rich for a guy who had 3.5 sacks and 47 pressures.

It'll be a tough call. I think the Jets should start with a conversation about restructuring his deal. Huff, as mentioned, is likely on the way out. So I think the Jets will make a push to keep JFM for depth. But if they can't get him to take a cut, then they might have to let him loose.

Cut him with that post-June-1 designation and suddenly he frees up $13.9 million. That's tempting.

And to make matters worse for JFM, who has been quite good for this defense, the Jets have an impressive group of young, rising edge players that include Jermaine Johnson, Will McDonald IV and Micheal Clemons. It might be their time.

… which reminds me …

ACQUISITION

7. Stop drafting defensive linemen in Round 1!

The Jets have done it back-to-back years. That's enough already.

8. Trade for Commanders QB quarterback Sam Howell

Out goes Zach Wilson. In comes … Howell?

Though the Jets' relationship with Wilson has soured, they still need a capable backup quarterback who will learn from and maybe replace Rodgers someday. Howell, who started to look more like a backup at the end of the season, makes more sense than a guy like Bears QB Justin Fields, who has every reason not to settle for a backup job. And for a team like New York, it's about managing draft assets carefully after giving up a haul for Rodgers.

But because the Commanders have the No. 2 overall pick, they can and surely will go with a QB. That should make Howell a good value play. He's a backup New York can trust.

9. Land one of the best two tackles in the NFL Draft

This one isn't too complicated. The Jets will be on the clock with the No. 10 overall pick (barring a trade) and they should take either a tackle or a receiver.

A lot will change between now and the first round, but right now, the top tackle prospects look like Alabama's JC Latham, Penn State's Olu Fashanu, Notre Dame's Joe Alt and Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga. I don't yet know who I'd pick among those, but neither do the Jets. The coming months will be about deciding which player makes the most sense.

Now if the evaluation period brings to light that there's a receiver who makes more sense, I don't mind them taking someone like LSU's Malik Nabers or Washington's Rome Odunze. If a miracle happens and Marvin Harrison Jr. is within reach, maybe they trade up for him. But I think a rookie tackle and veteran receiver makes more sense for the Jets in 2024.

Rome Odunze hauls in his second TD against Washington State

10. Sign Mike Evans to help out Garrett Wilson

The Jets enter 2024 with $16.6 million in cap space, but they can free up over $30 million more if they follow my accounting steps above.

I would have written that New York should trade receiver Allen Lazard if any team would take on his contract. Plus, realistically, Rodgers would have a tantrum. But whether the Jets have Lazard on the roster or not, they need to replace him. He was outright bad in 2023. Not only was he unproductive but he had brutal drops at crucial moments. They can't run it back with him as WR2 — not even if that's what Rodgers wants. They need to at least bring in competition. And competition like Bucs veteran Evans? Well, he'd blow Lazard off the depth chart.

Now, Evans is far from the only option. But I think he's an older guy who is playing at a high level and has made his money, a profile that aligns with Rodgers. Maybe Evans takes a slight discount to make a run with New York. Odell Beckham Jr., another guy in that category, might want to come back to New York but in a different jersey.

(I'm not even bringing up Calvin Ridley, because while he's slated to hit free agency, I can't see the Jaguars letting him go, even after a ho-hum year. He'll probably get the franchise tag.)

There could be a few young guns available, like receivers Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman. I think they might cost a little too much for New York. Tyler Boyd might be the final candidate to mention, in part because he has upside even if the market for him might be a bit quieter than all the others I've mentioned. Maybe his value matches his production, which is tough to find in free agency.

11. Sign Patriots (soon-to-be-free-agent) guard/tackle Michael Ownenu

I don't know if the Jets will be able to afford Onwenu, but he predominantly played guard in New England — only to flash potential as a right tackle at the end of the season. It should be a compelling concept for New York to explore in greater depth. Maybe the Jets can get him for reasonable value, rather than overpaying for the other premium tackles.

With an elite rookie on the blindside and Onwenu on the right, Rodgers would enjoy substantially better protection than the Jets had in 2023. Ownenu is a reliable option and, if the Patriots let him leave, New York should absolutely snatch him up.

Prior to joining FOX Sports as the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.