The New York Yankees are preparing for a very active offseason this year. Granted, their activity might be hindered in the short-term based on the lockout that could occur, but nevertheless, the Yankees know they have to make some upgrades and plan on doing so.
One of the most obvious areas for upgrades would be the starting rotation. Right now, there are once again a lot of question marks surrounding the Bombers rotation. Of course, you have Gerrit Cole who will be starting game one next season.
Behind him, Jordan Montgomery and Luis Severino figure to have spots in the rotation. Severino hasn’t started a game in a couple of years, but he did return and looked solid out of the bullpen in 2021. The Yankees are planning on slotting him back into the rotation.
Jameson Taillon will be a part of the rotation at some point, however, offseason ankle surgery will prevent him from starting the season. After that, you have options like Nestor Cortes, Domingo German, and Clarke Schmidt among others.
With the lack of certainty, the Yankees are already looking into the starting pitching market. The first guy they’ve looked at so far this offseason is someone that fans should be very familiar with. That pitcher would be former Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander.
Yankees in on Verlander?
This week, Justin Verlander had a bullpen session that was scouted by many teams in baseball. The Blue Jays and Mets were among the teams that sent scouts to watch Verlander who was apparently touching 95-96 MPH on his fastball.
The Yankees were also among the teams that sent out scouts to watch Verlander per Joel Sherman. The Yanks did this last year with Corey Kluber and they ended up signing Kluber to a one-year deal. While Kluber had moments, including a no-hitter, injuries plagued his time in pinstripes.
Verlander was shut down and was forced to get Tommy John surgery after one start in 2020. In that one start, Verlander got the win by going six innings and giving up two runs. Verlander also missed all of 2021 while recovering from Tommy John.
His last full season came back in 2019 and he was sensational. Verlander edged Gerrit Cole for the Cy Young by going 21-6 with a 2.58 ERA and a historic WHIP of .803 while assisting in leading Houston to the World Series which included defeating the Yankees. The prior year, Verlander finished second in the Cy Young voting.
If the Yankees were to sign Verlander, they would have to give up draft compensation to Houston. At this moment, there’s no indication on how serious the interest is from New York. However, it is a very Brian Cashman-like signing. This isn’t Corey Kluber btw, I think if Verlander were to sign with New York, he would make a much bigger impact.
The New York Jets have begun to address their medically-induced defensive woes through the signing of former Giants starter B.J. Goodson.
B.J. Goodson is reportedly back in the New York groove, albeit in new colors.
The former New York Giants draft pick is coming back to the metropolitan area as one of four additions to the New York Jets’ active roster. Gang Green has picked up Goodson and punter Thomas Morestead from the free agency market while blocker Isaiah Williams and safety Jarrod Wilson were called up from the practice squad. These moves are in conjunction with the placement of Mekhi Becton, Blake Cashman, Lamarcus Joyner, and Braden Mann onto the injured reserve list.
Goodson originally donned blue in New York as a fourth-round pick out of Clemson in 2016. He spent three seasons with the Giants before spent the past two campaigns in Green Bay and Cleveland. The linebacker played a sizable role in the Browns’ playoff push last year, leading the team with 91 tackles and two interceptions. Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Goodson’s one-year deal is worth $2.1 million.
In addition to Cashman, the Jets are also missing offseason arrival Jarrad Davis, who is not expected to play prior to the Jets’ bye in Week 6. Head coach Robert Saleh also said that another linebacker, rookie Jamien Sherwood (sprained ankle), will miss the next two weeks.
Morestead, a 2012 Pro Bowler, joins the Jets after 12 seasons in New Orleans. He’ll relieve Mann for at least the next four weeks after the 2020 draft pick suffered a knee injury on his second Sunday kick in Carolina. Placekicker Matt Ammendola took over for the remainder of the game before Morestead’s arrivals.
Williams will provide depth on the offensive line George Fant relieves Becton on the blindside and Morgan Moses takes over Fant’s regular duties on the right. The Akron alum has yet to appear in a regular season NFL game but joined the Jets’ practice squad after appearing in their preseason finale against Philadelphia. He had spent time on either a practice squad or training camp in seven different NFL locales and earned professional starting experience with the Alliance of American Football’s Atlanta Legends and the XFL’s Tampa Bay Vipers.
Wilson arrives as reinforcement to the Jets’ secondary after injuries to Joyner and Ashtyn Davis left Marcus Maye and newcomers Sheldrick Redwine and Adrian Colbert as the only healthy safeties on the roster. Formerly of Jacksonville, Wilson has seen action in 75 games since entering the league as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan in 2016. Sunday starter Lamarcus Joyner (torn triceps) is out for the season.
In addition to the moves on the active roster, the Jets restocked their practice squad with the additions of blocker Elijah Nkansah and linebacker Noah Dawkins. The latter returns to the Jets after appearing in five games with the team last season.
The Jets (0-1) return to action on Sunday afternoon in their home opener against the New England Patriots (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
The New York Jets continue to tinker with their roster after setting their original 53. Who could they target amongst the recent departees?
The New York Jets’ unveiling of their 53-man roster has been anything but final.
Joe Douglas and Co. have continued to tinker with the Jets roster as their Sept. 12 opener against the Carolina Panthers looms. New York wasted little time in attacking the waiver wire, primarily focusing on defensive replacements in the wake of several medical absences. Tim Ward came over from Kansas City on the line in hopes of replacing some of Carl Lawson and Vinny Curry’s production. Meanwhile linebacker Quincy Williams joins his brother Quinnen after two seasons in Jacksonville and can hold down the interior linebacker spot while Jarrad Davis heals. Reports have also linked the Jets to former Cleveland safety Sheldrick Redwine, though no official announcement has been made.
The active nature of Jets management suggests the team isn’t done making moves, even as the countdown to Carolina reaches single digits. ESM has compiled a list of final cuts from elsewhere that would improve the Jets’ immediate fortunes in the skill positions for the better. Some have been claimed for practice squads, but are eligible to be added to an active roster.
Gilbert enjoyed a lucrative run as the quarterback for the Orlando Apollos, the class of the short-lived Alliance of American Football. The Buffalo native played his AAF success into backup gigs with Cleveland and Dallas, performing respectably in a single start with the Cowboys while filling in for Dak Prescott and Andy Dalton last season. Dallas opted to go with Cooper Rush and waiver wire addition Will Grier as the backup for Prescott’s return. Gilbert has since been signed to the New England Patriots’ practice squad, where he and Brian Hoyer are the prime candidates to backup Mac Jones.
The Jets’ backup situation has been the subject of much scrutiny: the team opted to go with Mike White (he of a passable preseason but zero NFL regular season pass attempts) as their primary name behind Zach Wilson while keeping the well-traveled Josh Johnson amongst their own practice corps. Obviously, the Jets hope no backup will be necessary this year. Robert Saleh has made it clear that the team wasn’t going to add a veteran backup for the sake of having one on the roster with Wilson. But the Jets should no better than anybody about the importance of a reliable name in the second slot: no green quarterback has started a full season’s worth of games since Ryan Fitzpatrick went all 16 in 2015. Gilbert would a great addition that could fill in in case of a Wilson emergency.
RB: Alfred Morris, NY Giants
Frankly, the Jets are very well equipped in their run game and might be better off exploring a trade involving their rushing surplus. Rookie Michael Carter is obviously off-limits but offering Tevin Coleman, Ty Johnson, or La’Mical Perine to a team in need of rushing (i.e. Jacksonville and/or Baltimore after respectively losing Travis Etienne and J.K. Dobbins to season-ending injuries) is an endeavor worth investigating.
If the Jets were to scour the rushing help from elsewhere, however, Morris (a bit of an early cut, as he was part of the Giants’ initial departures) would a strong candidate to help solve their woes in short-yardage situations. The veteran and three-time 1,000-yard rusher proved to still have some NFL mettle last season, averaging 4.3 yards per carry with the Giants (second-best on the team behind Wayne Gallman). New York has tried to address its short rushing game. One such step includes the continuation of the fullback experiment with tight end Trevon Wesco. If they want to go a more traditional route, Morris would be the best option from abroad.
True to their nature, the football gods have thrown another wrench into the Jets’ best-laid opening day plans: reports from this week indicate that Jamison Crowder has tested positive for COVID-19 in an isolated case. Crowder has been the Jets’ most potent and consistent offensive weapon over the last two seasons and has established himself as one of the most reliable slot targets in the league.
On the current roster, this seems like a big opportunity for rookie Elijah Moore to make a name for himself. But if the Jets want to add someone with a little more experience in the short term, Coutee would be the way to go. The experienced slot man was part of Houston’s final cuts but was quickly added to the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad.
A fourth-round selection in 2018, Coutee had a roller-coaster career with the Texans but was capable of athletic plays (including offensive trickery) and making himself open. Coutee’s catch rate of 82.5 percent (33 receptions on 40 targets) was good for ninth in the league amongst qualified receivers.
The Jets have granted TE1 duties to Tyler Kroft, solidifying the move by trading Chris Herndon to Minnesota. Formerly of Piscataway, Kroft has been a reliable red zone option in Cincinnati and Buffalo but it’s been a while since he held full-time primary tight end duties. Kroft and Wesco were the only tight ends kept amongst the original 53, but the Jets later re-added Daniel Brown and Ryan Griffin.
Speculation has surrounded one tight end from the City of Brotherly Love, as some have implored the Jets to trade for Zach Ertz. Those rumors have been quelled by Ertz himself (who insisted he wishes to retire in Philadelphia) But the Eagles also released a reliable veteran target, one capable of making big plays and is used to an expanded role in the starting lineup.
Rodgers previously worked with another Rodgers…the unrelated Aaron. In fact, Richard (no relation) is the recipient of one of Aaron’s most famous touchdowns (seen above). His career sputtered with consecutive years on injured reserve, but he filled serviceably when both Ertz and Dallas Goedert went down. During a three-game stretch in November (two starts), Rodgers tallied 161 on nine receptions, two of which went for touchdowns (his first since the 2017 season).
The New York Jets had an eventful Wednesday, making several adjustments to their active roster and naming their practice squad.
The New York Jets adhered to the NFL’s mandated cut down to a 53-man roster on Tuesday, but Wednesday saw them make several roster moves…
Unrelated Davis defensive pair, McDermott to IR
Defenders Ashtyn Davis and Jarrad Davis were placed on injured reserve with tackle Connor McDermott. Since the moves were after 4 p.m. on Wednesday, the trio is eligible to return after the third game of the season.
Ashtyn Davis spent all of training camp on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list and did not appear in any preseason games. Injury issues ate away at his rookie year, limiting him to 10 games. He earned 36 tackles, one for a loss, after the Jets chose him in the third round (68th overall) of the 2020 draft.
Meanwhile, Jarrad Davis was expected to take over one of the interior linebacker roles before he suffered an ankle injury in the second week of the preseason against Green Bay. Head coach Robert Saleh previously predicted that Davis would be unable to play prior to the Jets’ open date in Week 6. Davis inked a one-year, $5 million contract with the Jets in the spring after four seasons in Detroit.
McDermott was likewise injured in the preseason tilt against the Packers, sustaining a knee injury. He is set to enter his third season with the Jets, having entered the league as a sixth-round draft pick of New England. McDermott appeared in 15 games last season, starting one.
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Tight Ends, Neasman return to active roster
Tight ends Daniel Brown and Ryan Griffin and safety Sharrod Neasman were all part of the Jets’ original final cuts but were re-added to the active roster on Wednesday. Brown and Griffin re-enter a tight end room that will be missing Chris Herndon after the fourth-year man was traded to Minnesota earlier this week. Neasman should help hold down the secondary fort while Ashtyn Davis heals. He previously worked with Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich in Atlanta.
(Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
Austin, Zuniga released
Two of the Jets’ more recent defensive draft picks were bid farewell, as cornerback Bless Austin (6th, 2019) and defensive end Jabari Zuniga (3rd, 2020) were both released.
Austin was expected to take one of the Jets’ starting cornerback roles alongside Bryce Hall. He gained a reputation as a strong hitter but struggled in coverage. Zuniga appeared in only one preseason game this summer (earning one tackle in the exhibition opener against the Giants) after dealing with a knee issue. Injuries were also a common theme in his rookie year, as a quad ailment limited him to a half-season with only eight tackles.
The Jets confirmed the arrivals of two players released from elsewhere on the waiver wire, adding former Kansas City defensive end Tim Ward and ex-Jacksonville linebacker Quincy Williams. Ward was tied for second amongst preseason defenders in sacks (3) while Williams is the older brother of Jets star Quinnen. The elder Williams made eight starts during his rookie season out of Murray State, chosen 95 picks after his sibling went third to the Jets in 2019.
Their first 53-man roster only came out yesterday, but the 2021 New York Jets already look different.
Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Jets are releasing cornerback Bless Austin. The Rutgers alum and Queens native was projected to be one of the team’s defensive starters in his third NFL season. With Austin gone, the Jets wasted no time in adding defensive reinforcements, picking up defensive lineman Tim Ward, linebacker Quincy Williams (per waiver claims released by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network), and safety Sheldrick Redwine (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter). Each defender was released as part of Tuesday’s cutdown to 53-man rosters across the league.
Head coach Robert Saleh confirmed the departure of Austin shortly after Garafolo’s report. Per DJ Bien-Aime of the New York Daily News, Saleh was “appreciative” of what the 25-year-old Austin brought to the team but wanted to work with some of their even fresher talents. Sophomore Bryce Hall is now the most experienced cornerback on the roster, while the Jets also kept drafted rookies Michael Carter II, Jason Pinnock, and Brandin Echols. New York also opted to keep undrafted freshman Isaiah Dunn.
Despite an injury-plagued career in Piscataway, Austin was chosen in the sixth round (196th overall) by the Jets in the 2019 draft. He developed a reputation as a strong hitter but struggled in coverage. His New York career ends with 88 tackles (three for a loss) over 18 career games in green.
The Jets’ new additions continue to work toward the goal of bolstering the top defensive unit after the medical departures of Carl Lawson and Jarrad Davis. Ward, formerly of the Kansas City Chiefs, had three sacks this preseason while Williams (the older brother of Jets defenders and fellow 2019 draftee Quinnen) is an experienced option that can help the defense tread water until Davis returns. Redwine has worked as a free safety and slot defender during two seasons with the Cleveland Browns.
New York’s 2021 regular season opens in Charlotte against the Panthers on Sept. 12 (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
The New York Jets placed Carl Lawson on injured reserve and signed a lineman on both sides of the ball on Monday.
The New York Jets announced a series of roster moves on Monday, headlined by the placement of defensive end Carl Lawson on injured reserve. Lawson, signer of a three-year, $45 million contract over the offseason, ruptured his Achilles tendon during a joint practice with the Green Bay Packers last week.
New York also added defensive end Aaron Adeoye and offensive lineman Isaiah Williams while waiving cornerback and kick returner Corey Ballentine.
A previous report from ESPN Adam Schefter indicated that the Jets would seek pass rushing help in the wake of Lawson’s injury and the arrival of Adeoye appears to be their first step in that endeavor. Adeoye, a basketball player at several Division I programs, has spent the last two seasons in Baltimore’s system, partaking in a single game with the Ravens last season. His previous professional stops include Champions Indoor Football with the Salina Liberty, The Spring League, and the Alliance of American Football’s Birmingham Iron. He earned 20 tackles and a forced fumble for the Iron, who had clinched an AAF playoff spot at the time of the league’s shutdown in April 2019.
Meanwhile, Williams has spent time on and off the practice squads of seven NFL teams and also has professional spring football experience through the AAF (Atlanta) and XFL (Tampa Bay). Williams’ most recent NFL time came with the San Francisco 49ers, where he signed in December and was waived on August 10.
The Jets also bid farewell to Ballentine, a former New York Giants draft pick who established himself as a kick returner after joining the team in November. Ballentine averaged 26.2 yards on 12 returns last season and took back a Green Bay kickoff 73 yards in Saturday afternoon’s victorious exhibition. His runback set up the Jets’ second and final touchdown of the day, an 18-yard Zach Wilson pass to tight Tyler Kroft.
New York (2-0) ends its preseason on Friday night at MetLife Stadium against the Philadelphia Eagles (7:30 p.m. ET, WCBS).
With Carl Lawson done for the year, the New York Jets are looking for help from abroad to strengthen their pass rush.
After losing Carl Lawson to a season-ending torn Achilles, the Jets now are looking for ways to acquire a pass rusher to help fill the void, per sources. A trade before the season is being explored.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the New York Jets are looking for help from abroad to find pass rushing reinforcements after losing prized acquisition Carl Lawson for the entire 2021 season. Lawson, signed to a three-year, $45 million deal in March, was carted from the field after he ruptured his Achillies during a joint practice with the Green Bay Packers on Thursday.
The Jets do have a decent pass rush even with Lawson done for the year. They are set to welcome back 2020 breakouts Quinnen Williams, John Franklin-Myers, and Foley Fatukasi while former New Orleans Saint Sheldon Rankins also joins the front four. Bryce Huff has likewise earned positive reviews for his training camp efforts.
But the defense struggled without Lawson’s prescience in Saturday’s preseason game against the Packers, allowing a Green Bay offense consisting mostly of backups to score on two of four drives in the first half. The latter scoring drive saw Green Bay embark on a 19-play, 81-yard drive that ended with Kurt Benkert’s five-yard touchdown pass to Jace Sternberger. New York (2-0) also tallied only one sack (via safety J.T. Hassell in the fourth quarter) after earning five against the Giants last weekend. The Jets ranked 25th in pressure rate last season (21.7 percent) and 20th in opposing hurry rate (8.8 percent).
If the Jets were to seek out a late offseason trade, there is plenty of draft capital to work with. New York owns 13 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, including Seattle’s first-round choice obtained through the Jamal Adams deal. A notable name to keep an eye on could be 2017’s sack leader Chandler Jones of Arizona. Jones, formerly of the New England Patriots, reportedly requested a trade from the Cardinals earlier this summer, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The Jets will conclude their preseason slate on Friday night against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET, WCBS).
The New York Jets made the mandated cutdown to 85 players on Tuesday through three waivings and an IR placement.
The New York Jets announced the waivings of defensive lineman Michael Dwumfour, safety Bennett Jackson, and running back Austin Walter on Tuesday. With offensive lineman Cameron Clark also placed on injured reserve, the Jets made the NFL’s mandated cutdown to 85 players on training camp rosters by 4 p.m. ET.
Dwumfour had a solid showing in the Jets’ preseason victory over the New York Giants on Saturday night. The undrafted rookie out of Rutgers recovered a red zone fumble forced by fellow freshman Hamsah Nasirildeen and later united with another first-year, Jonathan Marshall, for a sack at the end of the first half. However, he was unable to make an impact in the latter stages after leaving the game due to a calf injury.
Jackson played six games with the Jets over the past two seasons, earning two tackles in that span. He entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Giants in 2014.
Walter spent a good portion of Saturday’s second half in the Jets’ backfield. The former XFL participant and San Francisco practice squad representative lost three yards on four carries (fumbling one that was recovered by Corey Levin) though he jumped on a Mike White fumble and later gained a first down on an eight-yard aerial hookup with James Morgan, one that was granted an extra yard for a new set of downs through head coach Robert Saleh’s first unofficial challenge.
The wait continues for Clark’s NFL debut, as he did not dress in any regular season games after the Jets chose him in the fourth round of 2020’s virtual draft. Clark suffered a scary injury during August 3’s practice, one that was diagnosed as a spinal cord contusion. Despite his placement on the IR, the Charlotte alum is expected to make a full recovery.
New York (1-0) continues its preseason slate on Saturday night, as they head to Green Bay to battle the Packers in both joint practices and an exhibition contest (4:25 p.m. ET, WLNY/NFL Network).
Robinson previously played a single game with the New York Jets in 2017 and reunites with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
The New York Jets announced the signing of linebacker Edmond Robinson on Friday, waiving receiver Matt Cole in the process.
Robinson, 29, has partaken in 35 NFL regular season games since entering the league as a seventh-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2015 out of Division II Newberry. That includes a single game with the Jets in 2017 when he partook in special teams endeavors in the team’s opening weekend tilt in Buffalo.
More recently, Robinson appeared in 13 games with the Atlanta Falcons last season, earning a career-best 15 tackles. His return to New York also reunites him with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who moved to the Jets from Atlanta last year.
Before his arrival in Atlanta, Robinson spent time as a starter with both the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football and the undefeated Houston Roughnecks of the rebooted XFL. In terms of his spring affairs, Robinson is perhaps best known for his simultaneous sack, strip, and touchdown during the Roughnecks’ “Texas Throwdown” against the Dallas Renegades.
The addition of Robinson coincides with the release of Cole on the Jets’ training camp roster. Cole was a second-year receiver out of Division II McKendree that had spent last season with the San Francisco 49ers and was added to the Jets’ affairs in May.
The New York Jets have turned to former Oklahoma State Cowboy Matt Ammendola to solve their long-running kicking woes.
The New York Jets have added yet another kicker to their roster, announcing the signing of Matt Ammendola going into the weekend. In a corresponding move, the team released veteran leg Sam Ficken.
Ammendola joins the Jets after four seasons at Oklahoma State (2016-19), successfully converting 77 percent of his triple attempts (60-of-78). He led the Big 12 in scoring (139 points) during his sophomore season in 2017. In his final year, he earned at least 10 points in half of his 14 games. The Pennsylvania native departed OSU second in program history in successful field goals since the turn of the century. Ammendola previously spent time in the Carolina organization, signed in March and released in May.
The Jets’ search for a consistent kicker since the departure of Pro Bowler of Jason Myers after the 2018 season continues with this transaction. No matter who suits up for the Jets in their August 14 preseason opener against the New York Giants, he will become the seventh different kicker (including preseason contests) since Myers inked a four-year deal in Seattle. Ammendola is set to compete for the top kicker spot with Chris Naggar, an undrafted rookie out of Southern Methodist.
Ficken was one of the latest names added to that special teams mix, spending parts of each of the last two seasons as the Jets’ primary leg. He got off to a strong start last season, converting each of his first nine three-point attempts over the five games before a groin injury marred the latter parts of his year. Over four other games, Ficken was only 6-of-9 from three and 4-of-6 on extra points. He was released prior to the Jets’ season final in New England but was signed to a reserve/future contract shortly after.
