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New York Jets: What WRs Could Jets Draft?

March 29, 2020 by Dylan Price

The New York Jets lost their best receiver this week to Carolina. With Anderson gone, the Jets brought in Breshard Perriman on a one year deal. With him on a prove-it deal, Quincy Enunwa with injury question marks galore and Jamison Crowder best suited in the slot, the Jets need to add to their receiving corps in the draft.

Day 1

The Jets have pick 11. I’m a firm believer that they should take and offensive lineman with that pick. If they went receiver though, it’s between 3 guys. Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, and Henry Ruggs are the top 3 guys in this LOADED class.

Jeudy stands out to me above the other two. Jeudy is versatile and can play in a lot or on the outside. Jeudy is one of the crispest route runners I’ve ever seen and he’s a future number 1 receiver.

Lamb is a deep threat who can high point the ball like nobody’s business he’d fit Sam Darnold’s play style the best of the three and would give him that deep threat he had in Anderson and then some.

Ruggs is the most electric of the 3. He lit up the 40-yard dash and has flashed his in-game speed as well. If he developed as a route runner he’d have the most upside of the 3. They’re all phenomenal talents and would immediately bolster the Jets receiving corps now and in the future.

Day 2 & 3

This receiving class is loaded. That’s why I’d prefer the Jets to wait till day 2 & 3 to pick a weapon or two for the same. Rather than go through all the incredible talent I highlighted 4 guys I think would be the best fits or are my favorite receivers.

Justin Jefferson is one of my favorite prospects in this draft. He’s a receiver’s best friend and if he slips to day 2 and the Jets pick, the New York Jets should take him. He’s got a great mix of size and speed and would immediately become Darnold’s favorite target.

Chase Claypool is a unique guy. He’s a lot like Evan Engram. Engram is a good tight end but sometimes he’s more like a receiver. Claypool is a good receiver but sometimes he’s more like a tight end. He’s a unique hybrid that is faster than most tight ends and could be both a great threat in space and a beast in the red zone.

Michael Pittman is a former teammate of Sam Darnold. His catch radius is off the charts. He’s dynamic and he’s got that connection to Sam. Pittman would become a great piece of this offense and he’s a good personality on and off the field.

Antonio Gandy Golden is a guy who’s going to be available later in this draft. Golden reminds me of a slightly shorter and at this timeless talented Megatron He’s physical, lengthy and can make plays happen. Golden can develop and become a key piece of any offense.

Other guys like Denzel Mims, Tee Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Brandon Aiyuk, and KJ Hamler are all beasts and guys I like as well. The point is with all this talent, the Jets have no excuse not to upgrade their receiving corps.

Update on the Brooklyn Nets in Quarantine

March 27, 2020 by Spenser Shanman

Obviously, the biggest news of this suspended season for the Brooklyn Nets has been Kevin Durant and the other 3 anonymous Nets players who contracted Covid-19. KD put out an optimistic message last Tuesday regarding his status, and Quinn Cook gave an update yesterday (Cook’s full quote) regarding his friend’s Durant’s positive mentality towards everything.

Let’s check up on how several Nets players and coaches are doing in Quarantine with the help of Twitter and some other media outlets:

Spencer Dinwiddie on his favorite thing to do during the quarantine: “Be a Dad.” Bleacher Report grabbed the quote from Dinwiddie and posted a picture of Dinwiddie and his son here. Dinwiddie took issue (sarcastically) with the angle the picture was taken, tweeting “I don’t like this camera angle. Y’all made the greatest baby in history look like he has a wide face… I love you son.” Spencer has been one of the more active Nets on Twitter.

Garrett Temple has decided to use this forced break to hone in on his preparation for Law School. Temple recently told YES’s Michael Grady during an interview that he has “been practicing for the LSAT Prep.” (NY Post article here) Temple went on to say “I’m a person who’s thought about going to law school when I finish playing, and what’s a better time than now to be able to put in 3-4 hours a day of studying for a test that allows me to get into law school. That’s what I’m doing right now.” Great to see Temple is improving his skills off the court.

Deandre Jordan hasn’t been too active on Twitter, but his profile is extremely telling of what he’s probably been up to during this break. His profile bio reads “1/4 Twist Boy I love Judge Judy, Netflix, and Gluten-free Cookies.” (Deandre Jordan Twitter)

Adam Harrington, an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets, seemed to share Dinwiddie’s sentiment, as he tweeted “There is no doubt I miss my / our normal routine. I miss everything Nets, & miss the NBA! But I am absolutely loving my family time with wife & kids. In our profession this is almost impossible and it has allowed me some INCREDIBLE time to be a hand on / present FATHER! (Adam Harrington Twitter

This is a quick recap on just a few members of the Nets organization. Follow Fireside Nets on Twitter for all your latest updates on everything Brooklyn Nets.

Report: New York Jets land talented WR Breshad Perriman on prove it deal

March 24, 2020 by Dylan Price

Just as New York Jets nation pondered where Joe Douglas and the front office would go next at wide receiver, Douglas made a move. The Jets have signed wide receiver Breshad Perriman. Perriman had a phenomenal end to the season last year and now receives a one-year, $8 million dollar deal with $6 million guaranteed from Gang Green.

How Does Perriman Fit?

Quincy Enunwa is expected to be back next year, but with the injury question marks, he can’t be counted on right now. Jamison Crowder is a slot guy who had 833 yards and 6 TDs last season, but he’s not the outside deep threat. The Jets lost their number one receiver and key outside deep threat to the Panthers earlier today.

Now, that role will be filled by a former first-rounder in Perriman. Perriman was a first-rounder with the Ravens and was drafted while Douglas was there. At 26, he’s hitting his prime. He’s struggled in the past and ended up joining the Browns before finding a home in Tampa last year.

He had a really strong end to the season and now looks to build on that with the Jets. Perriman statistically produced similar numbers to Robby Anderson last season in 2 fewer games. Anderson had 52 receptions for 779 yards and five scores and played 91 percent of snaps. Perriman had 36 catches for 645 yards and six scores but played 56 percent of snaps. Perriman received a higher volume of targets than Anderson and still produced well.

What’s Next?

Well, Perriman must now be counted on to build off the strong finish he had to last season if he can then the Jets will have got a good player on a cheaper deal than Robby Anderson. Douglas said he wanted playmakers, and Perriman can fit that mold.

The Jets can now continue with their plan to target an offensive lineman with their first-rounder, but they need to grab one of the talented receivers in this class in the first three rounds. If the Jets can do that, then they will have a solid receiving corps.

As for other sides of the ball, the Jets finally have the answer to the Anderson question and can now try to add a complimentary piece or two to Jordan Jenkins on the edge. They can add some depth at other spots like corner and running back. They also should look to add a backup quarterback to ensure if Sam misses time they have a quality backup. Matt Moore could be a target.

Will the Brooklyn Nets move on from Jarrett Allen?

March 24, 2020 by Spenser Shanman

Has Jarrett Allen worn out his welcome in Brooklyn? It wasn’t too long ago the Brooklyn Nets were drafting this intriguing fro-rocking 6’11” Center out of Texas. The previous two years before this season, Jarrett Allen seemed to be a centerpiece for the future of this team. Allen showed promise as a young, tough-nosed franchise center, offering protection around the hoop and rim shattering dunks. He developed a great chemistry with Deangelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie last year and was an integral part of the 2018-2019 playoff team.

Unfortunately, Allen was exposed in the playoffs by Joel Embiid, who scored with ease while being defended by the Nets big man. Nevertheless, going into this offseason, Nets fans seemed content moving forward with Allen as our franchise center. That narrative changed quickly with the shocking arrival of KD, Kyrie, and Deandre Jordan,

One of the reasons why the two superstar free agents decided to choose Brooklyn this offseason, was because their close friend Deandre Jordan persuaded them that Brooklyn, not the Knicks, was the place in New York to sign. Jordan had played on the Knicks the previous season and did not have a positive experience there. So general manager Sean Marks, decided it was the right move to sign all three free agents, even if that meant halting the development of his young center Jarrett Allen.

Splitting time with Deandre Jordan

It’s been an interesting year for Nets’ big men. While many fans were not sure what Jordan had left in the tank, he has proven this year that he is still one of the most physically gifted big men in the game, soaring over defenders for highlight-reel dunks and grabbing an impressive 10 rebounds a game. Ironically, Jordan has played like a wiser, more experienced version of Jarrett Allen. Their games are incredibly similar, from being on the receiving end of many high-flying ally oops to blocking shots and rebounding, it seems as though the Nets have had the same player in two different bodies.

Even their numbers are practically identical:

Jarrett Allen (2019): 10.6 ppg on 64%, 9.5 reb, 1.3 blk, 25 minpg

Deandre Jordan (2019): 8.3 ppg on 66%, 10.0 reb, .9 blk, 22 minpg

Both men have shown they can still play the center position at a high level, but unfortunately, it looks as though Allen’s stock is on a rapid decline with the Nets. It started with Allen’s drop off in overall energy and intensity from last year, something the Nets broadcasters have been quick to point out throughout the course of the season. Allen then lost his biggest supporter in Kenny Atkinson, who was let go by Brooklyn a week before the NBA season was suspended. Jacque Vaughn’s first move as interim head coach was to replace Allen with Jordan in the starting lineup, a decision that may be related to Vaughn lobbying for the HC job next year. And finally, Jordan has the prior relationship with KD and Kyrie. Jarrett Allen does not.

With the development of rookie Nic Claxton as another big man in the rotation and the return of KD and Kyrie, it seems inevitable that Sean Marks and the Nets will try to trade Allen in the final year of his rookie contract for a more essential piece, possibly that 3rd superstar Nets fans have clamoring for.

New York Jets: Analyzing New Kickers

March 24, 2020 by Dylan Price

The New York Jets lost the Buffalo game week one last season because they didn’t have a kicker. The old regime let our then pro bowl kicker JASON Myers hit the market. Sam Ficken became the fixture at the kicker spot this season, but he likely won’t be back. The Jets have a few options to solve the kicking question and here are a few of them.

Brett Maher

Maher was signed to a Reserve/Futures Contract, in December. The veteran was the Cowboys kicker for the past 2 seasons. Maher hit 29/36 of his kicks in 2018 and 20/30 last season. Maher wasn’t what the Cowboys wanted and ended up a free agent. Maher has potential and is very accurate from deep. Maher lacks consistency and is coming off an average season. If Maher regains his form in the preseason then the job is his. If not, the Jets will look to one of these other options.

Free Agency

The New York Jets could look to free agency for a number of options at kicker. The Patriots recently released Stephen Gostowski. He has a storied resume but he is getting older. After 14 seasons with the Patriots, he had a career 87.4% kicking percentage. Gostowski wouldn’t be a long term answer and seems to be trending down. Greg Zuerlein is an option but he’s coming off a career-worst season. Kai Forbath and Nick Folk are cheap options who have been inconsistent. Adam Vinatieri is a legend who seems to be struggling to stay afloat. Dan Bailey and Kaimi Fairbrian we’re both great kickers who hit the market but were resigned by their teams quickly. The Jets could take a chance on a vet and hope they regain their form but that might not be the best way to go.

The Draft

This year’s kicking class is actually pretty talented. Rodrigo Blankenship is the ELECTRIC kicker from Georgia who won a handful of awards in his college career. He’s been perfect with extra points in his career and nailed over 80% of his kicks every year since his freshman year when he nailed 77.7%. Blankenship is the most high profile kicking prospect but a couple of other guys who are very talented are Tyler Bass, Bailey Hale, Dominik Eberle, JJ Moison and Cooper Rothe. All of them provide a major upside and would be more favorable options than a veteran.

Report: New York Jets sign guard Greg Van Roten

March 21, 2020 by Dylan Price

The New York Jets have added another offensive lineman. Greg Van Roten was one of the top offensive lineman available, and the long islander is now a Jet.

What Does Van Roten Bring?

Greg Van Roten is a 30-year-old guard who will now likely become the Jets’ newest starter. He can also swing out and play tackle if need be, which provides more flexibility on the line. Van Roten will be receiving a three year deal with money not yet known.

Van Roten is a superb run blocker and pass protector. He’s only allowed three sacks and 5 QB hits in the past two years. He’s also been flagged once in 5 years. Van Roten has taken over as a starter in Carolina and not looked back. Van Roten immediately establishes the interior with Alex Lewis and Connor McGovern and makes it a much-improved one.

The Jets would still have room to grab an interior lineman on day 2 or 3, but it is no longer a necessity. Presumably, the Jets will aim to grab a rookie to compete with Lewis at the guard spot, along with the tackle they’ll likely grab at 11.

The Jets offensive line has been massively upgraded by Douglas in free agency, and adding a long time Jet fan and solid offensive lineman in Van Roten has furthered that.

What’s Next?

Now with all the offensive line additions, this makes longtime Jet Brian Winters expendable. Winters will likely be cut now and could find a market elsewhere.

The Jets now legitimately turn their attention to other areas. They could add a tackle, but they may focus on that more in the draft with pick 11. As for now, the Jets will likely continue to wait out the decision from Robby Anderson. If he doesn’t return, expect the Jets to move quickly to fill the speed receiver slot he will leave.

The Jets will also have to aim towards adding another outside corner. Prince Amukamara has been linked to the Jets a lot and could be a good fit to pair with a pick, Bless Austin and Brian Poole. The Jets also need to target an edge rusher or two. Lastly, the Jets should target a backup QB to upgrade over Siemian in case Darnold gets hurt or mono again. Douglas achieved his first goal and did a damn good job of it with the offensive line.

New York Jets sign versatile offensive lineman Josh Andrews

March 21, 2020 by Dylan Price

The New York Jets have signed versatile offensive lineman Josh Andrews. Andrews was an undrafted free agent from Oregon State in 2014. He received interest from 3 teams and ultimately chose to join the Eagles. That Eagles team led him to Joe Douglas.

According to Andrews agent, he’s excited to reunite with Douglas in NY.

Who Is Josh Andrews?

Andrews played in Philly for four years and in Minnesota before he landed in Indy with the Colts. Andrews has never been a starter, but he’s had experience and never allowed a sack or been flagged. Joe Douglas wants versatile guys who can bring in competition for the line. The Douglas mentality is evident with this signing. Andrews will be a guy who will fight for a roster spot and fight to carve out a role. With so much turnover on the line, he’ll have a shot to earn starting reps potentially. More than likely, he will provide depth. He’s got a very high football IQ along with being a great athlete. Jim Schwartz said he would play on their scout team and go out of his way to diagnose weak spots on the defense and how they could make Fletcher Cox and other defensive linemen more productive. That level of IQ is something that can provide value to both the offense and the defense. Andrews is a solid depth addition.

What’s Next For The Jets?

The Jets continue to wait on Robby Anderson’s decision before allocating money elsewhere. The WR market hinges on the money Anderson locks up. The Jets plan A is to hope that Anderson re-signs on a solid deal that is fair for the team and Anderson, and then allocate money to more depth on the offensive line and the defense. The Jets issue is that signing Anderson will be to a deal within the range of $8.5 million to $12 million. That’s a lot of money to add to the payroll, which explains their reluctance to make deals before knowing his destination. Their plan B, if they don’t lock him down, will likely be Phillip Dorsett and aiming to add one or more playmakers in the draft and then allocating the money towards defense. Until he makes a decision, it is unclear exactly how much money the Jets will have to spend on other spots. Until then, expect more depth signings.

New York Jets Sign Connor McGovern (Report)

March 17, 2020 by Dylan Price

Connor McGovern was ranked as one of the top free-agent offensive linemen on the market, and now he’s on the New York Jets. Despite missing out on Graham Glasgow, the Jets remained steadfast in their mission for a new center. The Jets were rumored to have interest in Steven Wisniewski, a long time Eagle with connections to Joe Douglas. However, they went after McGovern and signed him to anchor the center spot for the future.

The Contract

McGovern signed a three year 27 million dollar deal to join the Jets with 16 million guaranteed. He will get A LOT more guaranteed money than Fant and much more job security within the parameters. McGovern got a very similar deal to that of Matt Paradis, a guy, the Jets, struck out on a year ago.

His Role

McGovern, as previously mentioned, becomes the anchor of the center spot. He also becomes the best center this team has had since Nick Mangold. He is 26 years old (turns 27 in April) and will be a Jet for the foreseeable future. Boy, is he talented. McGovern played 1,019 snaps last year and was flagged zero times and only gave up a single sack. The guy is a beast. PFF graded him as one of the better young centers in all of football. Production-wise he is efficient, and he becomes a great young piece.

What’s Next For The Line

The Jets woke up and added McGovern and resigned Alex Lewis. The interior of the line could be entirely sured up with the addition of G Greg Van Roten from Carolina. He’d give them a very good interior line and allow the Jets to focus on the tackle spot and other areas in the draft.

Recapping the New York Jets’ first day of free agency

March 17, 2020 by Dylan Price

The New York Jets have expressed a lot of interest but done very little, so here’s a breakdown of all that’s gone down in regards to the Jets today for both sides of the ball. As for tomorrow, Gang Green needs to wake up.

Offensive Line Rumors

The Jets were in on three key offensive linemen — Graham Glasgow, Joe Thuney, and Jack Conklin. All three are not going to be joining the Green and White. Despite prioritizing building through the trenches, the Jets added one offensive lineman today, and it was a guy they could’ve waited to scoop up in George Fant. The Jets need to add interior offensive linemen and are reportedly targeting C/G Steven Wisniewski & G Greg Van Roten. Van Roten is a longtime Jets fan and great pass protector, Wisniewski is a veteran with Douglas connections.

Wide Receiver Rumors

The Jets are devoted to helping Sam, but at what cost? The Jets missed out on adding either Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper, and DeAndre Hopkins. All three would’ve been legit number one receivers. Now the Jets head towards day two of free agency looking to add playmakers. Phillip Dorsett is reportedly a big target. Dorsett is the only guy the Jets have publicly been linked to, but expect more to emerge tomorrow and keep an eye on Emmanuel Sanders.

Edge Rusher Rumors

The Jets have been very active in expressing interest here. The Jets have shown interest in Dante Fowler Jr as expected. However, the Jets have also shown SERIOUS interest in Jadeveon Clowney. If the money is there and feasible, the Jets should go after him. He would be a monster for Gregg Williams to have fun with on defense. Fowler and Clowney would immediately add more star power on defense. The Jets also seem inclined to let Jordan Jenkins walk per Connor Hughes of The Athletic.

As for lesser names, the Jets had shown interest in Kyle Van Noy before the Dolphins added him. Expect them to target Markus Golden as well.

Cornerback Rumors

The Jets were in on both James Bradberry and Byron Jones, but it seemed more than likely they would target lesser corners. Desmond Trufant was released by Atlanta today and has already been linked to the Jets. As has Chris Harris Jr. and Prince Amukamara. Brian Poole is a guy the Jets would like to bring back, but cost is debatable. Corner is a priority for the Jets, and their goal is to find value guys.

New York Jets are stifled by New England in pursuit over top offensive guard

March 16, 2020 by Dylan Price

The New York Jets can no longer sign New England guard, Joe Thuney. Thuney was a player the Jets really really liked and he now remains in the AFC East with the Patriots. Thuney has consistently ranked as one of the best guards in football. He has played every game in the last four years for New England. He would’ve been a great addition but now the Jets have to adapt and overcome. So, where do the Jets go from here?

Other Options

Graham Glasgow and Greg Van Roten have both been linked to the Jets and Connor Hughes reports that the Jets are expected to ramp up their pursuit of Glasgow. The Jets will likely aim to add Jack Conklin as well. If the Jets can add a guard and Conklin then this would be a major success. However, losing out on Thuney is missing out on a guy who immediately would’ve bolstered the line and provided leadership. The Jets now have to adapt and change their plans and aim to find other solutions like Conklin and a guard.

The State Of The AFC East

There are suggestions the Pats tagged Thuney to prevent him from staying in the AFC East with the Jets or Dolphins. The Pats could trade him which is likely because if he remains, he and Shaq Mason take up a lot of their cap for the guard slots. With their re-signings and now Thuney, the Patriots need to do something to achieve cap feasibility. Whether that is trading Thuney or trading or releasing other pieces, they’re in a tough spot. If they keep Thuney then it’s less feasible for Brady to return and this move as a whole could drastically alter the climate of the AFC East.