Thus ends the Anderson era in New York, one that saw him earn 3,059 yards on 207 receptions, 20 of which went for touchdowns. Each of those marks is good for the best in Jets history since 2016, when Anderson joined the team as an undrafted free agent out of Temple. That yardage and reception tallies are good for 14th in overall franchise history.
Anderson’s best New York season came in 2017, when he earned 914 yards on 63 receptions with seven touchdowns. His best individual performance came ironically came that season in a loss to the Panthers. Anderson put up 146 yards on six grabs for two touchdowns in a 35-27 defeat.
Last season, Anderson hooked up with Sam Darnold for a 92-yard touchdown pass in the Jets’ October win over Dallas. It was the second-longest passing play in the NFL last season. Anderson wrapped up his Jets career with 779 yards and five scores on 52 catches.
Anderson, a native of Fair Lawn, NJ, quickly made a name for himself after joining the Jets as an undrafted signee in the spring of 2016. He would earn a roster spot over several veterans by leading the team in receiving during the ensuing preseason (264 yards on 13 receptions).
With his move to Carolina, Anderson reunites with two key names from his college football career. The Panthers hired former Owls boss Matt Rhule to be the head coach and the team recently signed his college quarterback PJ Walker from the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL. After going 2-10 in their 2013 freshman year in Philadelphia, the triumvirate guided the Owls to the American Athletic Conference East Division title two years later. Temple also won 10 games for the first time since 1979.
With Anderson’s departure, the Jets may be forced to take a wide receiver with the 11th overall pick of the upcoming NFL Draft. Current veteran receivers on the roster include Jamison Crowder, Quincy Enunwa, and newcomer Josh Doctson.
More secondary depth is in store for the New York Jets, as the New Jersey native is reportedly on his way back.
The New York Jets have reportedly restocked their secondary depth, as Connor Hughes of The Athletic has revealed that safety Bennett Jackson will be returning.
Source: The #Jets re-signed safety Bennett Jackson, who spent time on the team’s 53-man roster & practice squad in 2019. Good special teamer with versatility in the secondary
Jackson, 28, is a native of Hazlet, NJ and a graduate of Raritan High School, where he partook in both football and track and field endeavors. H
He entered the league as a sixth-round pick (187th overall) of the New York Giants in the 2014 draft. His college career was spent at Notre Dame, where he worked as both a receiver and in the secondary. He previously turned down an offer from Rutgers.
Jackson was released by the Giants in August 2016 and returned to the NFL when the Baltimore Ravens added him in January 2018. He would spend a year with the team before being released at the end of the 2019’s training camp proceedings.
The Jets added Jackson after his 2019 release from Baltimore. He spent two weeks on the active roster before being waived. New York nonetheless placed him on the practice squad before the Ravens readded him in October. Another release from Baltimore in December once again saw the Jets add him immediately after.
Jackson would go on to partake in the final four games of the Jets’ season, playing on both defense and special teams. He wound up with six tackles on the season, including one for the Jets that was ironically earned against the Ravens.
After bolstering their offensive line unit, the Jets have spent the more recent period of free agency working on their secondary depth. The team brought back both cornerbacks Brian Poole and Arthur Maulet on one-year deals and also singed former Indianapolis Colt Pierre Desir on another single-year contract.
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.
Joe Douglas’ first full offseason has brought back some familiar faces to the New York Jets. Now, the message is clear: prove you belong.
It’s a tale as old as time: new management takes over a project and changes things to how they see fit. Veterans of the organization in question are often labeled expendable, their years of service only working against them. After all, it was probably their actions that led to the necessity of a new overseer in the first place.
The New York Jets were indeed an organization in need of a makeover. Their playoff drought is nearing a decade and their collective record under the watch of Mike Maccagnan (31-49) was better than only four teams. The midsummer timing of Maccagnan’s eventual ousting could be questioned, but the decision to do so was not. In his place came Joe Douglas, a member of the front office that finally brought a Super Bowl to Philadelphia.
This most unusual offseason is Douglas’ first at the helm and he has had no qualms about changing the scenery. Several Maccagnan staples have been bid farewell, be it through expiring contracts (Brandon Shell, Brandon Copeland) or cap-freeing releases (Trumaine Johnson, Darryl Roberts). His additions have been a stark reminder that these aren’t your father’s Jets or your older sibling’s Jets. Heck, they might not even be your twin sibling’s Jets at this rate.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – SEPTEMBER 08: General Manager Joe Douglas of the New York Jets in action against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium on September 8, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images)
Contrasting Maccagnan’s negligence of blocking (i.e. one offensive lineman chosen in the draft’s first three rounds), Douglas has added offensive linemen from elsewhere during the first week of free agency. Sam Darnold and Le’Veon Bell, the supposed franchise saviors, are going to need some help to benefit the Jets in the long-term. The plan is for Connor McGovern, George Fant, and Greg Van Roten to provide that assistance over the next several seasons, evidenced by the multi-year deals offered to them.
But also along for the ride are several familiar faces. The offensive line renovations were completed by adding August acquisition Alex Lewis back on a three-year deal. Such a move was necessitated by the dire need for protection. That’s not the case for several other returnees and newcomers, who have their New York stays extended, by only a short while.
Cornerback Pierre Desir wasn’t on the unemployment line for long, granted a one-year deal by Douglas less than 24 hours after his release from Indianapolis. Joining him in the secondary will be one-year extension receivers Brian Poole and Arthur Maulet, each of whom provided bright spots where the overpaid Johnson could not.
The Jets undoubtedly hope C.J. Mosley and Avery Williamson (the latter of whom appears to be staying despite a possible release saving $6.5 million) stay healthy but they were impressed enough by Neville Hewitt and James Burgess’ exploits in substitution to offer matching one-year invitations to stay. Jordan Jenkins seemed to be a goner at the start of the offseason but the Jets began the week with yet another one-year deal, bringing back the starting linebacker on a bargain of $5 million after he posted a career-best eight sacks.
Any veteran Jet asked by Douglas to stay shouldn’t take the honor lightly. Douglas, after all, was the same general manager who dealt Maccagnan’s first-ever draft pick (Leonard Williams) further down the MetLife Stadium tunnel to the Giants just over a quarter of a year into his tenure.
Douglas saw value in these remnants of Maccagnan, outliers that could further flourish with the proper support around them. But with the summoning back comes a stern message: prove it.
Those who earned one-year deals have proven themselves valuable during relatively hopeless times for the Jets. Over the past two seasons, the Jets haven’t even come close to reaching the playoffs. These players have provided a glimmer hope in the dark times, even if victory wasn’t always to be.
With the long-term blocking additions, ones that are expected to accentuate the performances of their backfield mavens, this latest iteration of Jets’ neverending rebuild is perhaps the most hopeful rendition yet. That hope only grows with the unveiling of an additional wild card slot to the NFL playoff system.
What Douglas has done with these one-year deals is offer a tryout period. With prosperous times possibly ahead (with good times potentially rolling soon upon Tom Brady’s New England and AFC departure) and big contracts likely due to franchise pillars soon (i.e. Darnold and Jamal Adams), Douglas’ offer comes with an intriguing ultimatum: you’ve been here for the bad times, now prove you’re worthy of sticking around for the good.
The case of Desir defines Douglas’ offer and ultimatum perfectly. Desir has accomplished a lot in the pros. The ex-Colt has risen from his Division II origins to become a reliable corner. It was he, after all, who kept DeAndre Hopkins from swaying the 2019 AFC Wild Card playoffs (Hopkins put up a mere 37 yards on five receptions as his Texans fell 21-7 to Desir’s Colts). But he has to earn his spot in this potential revolution of New York football. A long-term deal could well be in the cards, but he must first earn it in 2020.
The one-year men aren’t the only ones in this position. Projected 2021 free agents include Williamson, Brian Winters, and Marcus Maye, all of whom have put in consistent time for the organization. They too must prove that they are part of the team’s long-term plans. Otherwise, they could be looking for new settings.
It’s been a long, long time since the Jets have engaged in playoff football. But under the Douglas regime…some players, ones with the potential to be key contributors for years to come…every week now becomes a personal postseason.
The Giants signed Coleman in 2018 after the New England Patriots cut him. Corey Coleman is a former first-round draft pick from the Cleveland Browns in 2016. He has struggled to find his footing in the NFL and has been on four teams in the last two years.
In 2018, Corey Coleman appeared in eight games for the Giants, starting in one of those games. He was targeted eight times, tallying five receptions for 71 yards and five first downs. Coleman was expected to receive an increased role in the offense in the 2019 season before his injury. The Giants’ offense sorely missed a deep-threat, speedy receiver, a position Coleman could surely fill.
Since suffering the ACL injury last offseason, Coleman has been patiently waiting for a second chance. It seems now that he has received that chance and will have the opportunity to once again fight for a roster spot with the New York Giants.
The New York Giants seem to be done spending money in free agency. New York saw its large sum of cap space quickly dwindle down in a few short days. The Giants spent big at the cornerback and linebacker position, while also adding some quality depth pieces on affordable contracts.
The Giants spent millions of dollars but they did not fill every position of need. With this 4-12 roster, that would have been a near-impossible task. Of course, free agency is no the only way to add new players to an NFL roster. The NFL Draft will take place in April (though in a new format) and the Giants hold the fourth overall pick. New York has ten draft picks to spend in 2020, and they will need to make them count in order to turn this team around.
But still, it is unlikely the Giants fill all positions of need in the NFL Draft. The Giants have a long list of needs, some in critical positions, too.
The Giants’ Biggest Positions Of Need:
The New York Giants’ biggest positions of need come at the crucial offensive tackle spot and edge rusher positions. Day by day, it seems more and more likely that Markus Golden will not be returning to the Giants. This will leave the Giants, once again, lacking an impact pass-rusher.
On the opposite side of the ball, the Giants’ current offensive tackles are Nate Solder and Cameron Fleming. It is highly possible that, after the draft, the Giants will have a rookie starting opposite of Nate Solder.
How To Address EDGE and OT:
Edge Rushers and Pass-Rush:
The Giants have a variety of ways that they can address the edge rusher position defensive pass-rush as a whole. Obviously, if Chase Young somehow falls to the fourth overall pick, the Giants should have the pick handed in within ten seconds. But that is an unlikely scenario.
There is still time for the Gmen to re-sign Markus Golden. It seems unlikely at this point, but the longer the twenty-nine-year-old sits on the open market, the more his price will come down. Hopefully, the two parties can reach an affordable agreement that also satisfies Golden. But, if they cannot, the Giants will likely not have money to spend on any other edge rushers. So, to address the position, the Giants will have to get creative.
The 2020 New York Giants will need to create pressure through their defensive scheme. New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will have to dig deep into his bag of tricks and scheme up the pressure in his multiple defensive scheme. Recently signed pass-rusher Kyler Fackrell will be thrown into the mix along with young pass-rushers Oshane Ximines and Lorenzo Carter. The three of them will need to be assigned to play to their strengths and find ways to get easy lanes to the quarterback without relying too much on pure talent.
Offensive Tackle:
The Giants need to draft an offensive tackle early in the 2020 NFL Draft. If not with a first-round pick, the Giants have to draft an offensive tackle by the second round. It is a rich draft class filled with talented offensive tackles, including four first-round prospects. Andrew Thomas, Jedrick Wills, Mekhi Becton, and Tristan Wirfs will all be options for the Giants at fourth overall.
In 2018, the Giants had holes all over their offensive line. They did not address that huge position of need in the first round, opting to select superstar running back Saquon Barkley second overall instead. Fortunately, the 2018 draft class was loaded with offensive line talent and a first-round prospect slipped into the second round. The Giants drafted Will Hernandez in the second round and he has efficiently been the team’s starting left guard ever since. Hopefully, New York can find a gem of a hog molly in round two once again if they decide to address the defense in round one.
The New York Jets added the former Indianapolis Colts defender on a one-year deal, per Connor Hughes of The Athletic.
It was anything but a quiet weekend for the New York Jets.
The team has apparently crossed off another need off of its offseason checklist, as Connor Hughes of The Athletic has reported that Pierre Desir will join them on a one-year deal.
SOURCE: The #Jets have agreed to a 1-year deal with CB Pierre Desir.
Desir, 29, is a native of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He made a name for himself at Division II Washburn and eventually played his way to a fourth-round selection (127th overall) in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.
Over the last six seasons, Desir has spent time with the Browns, Chargers, and Seahawks before finding a strong semblance of a home with the Indianapolis Colts in 2017. He would work his way into the starting lineup by the midway mark of his debut year. A strong pair of seasons earned him a three-year deal with the Colts last offseason.
Desir came up big during the Colts 21-7 win over the Houston Texans in the opening game of the 2019 AFC Wild Card playoffs. His primary duties were to cover top Houston target DeAndre Hopkins. He wound up limiting Hopkins to 37 yards on five receptions (ten targets), the longest being a 13-yard catch in the final quarter with the game in relative hand. The Jets are set to face off against Hopkins and his new squad in Arizona later this season.
Over his six seasons, Desir has earned 210 tackles, 34 pass defenses, and five interceptions. He earned a career-best 11 defenses and three interceptions last season. The Colts released Desir earlier this weekend, saving just over $6.8 million in cap space.
The Jets likewise made a move in the secondary to create space. On Saturday, the team confirmed the departure of veteran cornerback Darry Roberts, who spent the past four seasons in a Jets uniform. Such a move earned the Jets $6 million in cap.
Returning to the Jets’ secondary, and slated to work with Desir, will be veteran cornerback Brian Poole, who signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Jets earlier this week.
The New York Jets’ free agent spending spree continues over the weekend, as the team added another lineman and welcomed back a defender.
The New York Jets have continued to adjust their roster over the weekend. New York has agreed to terms with offensive lineman Josh Andrews and has re-signed linebacker Neville Hewitt.
Agent Brett Tessler confirmed that Andrews would sign with the Jets.
Happy to announce that G/C Josh Andrews is signing with the New York Jets… 6-year vet spent his first four years with the Philadelphia Eagles and the last two with the Colts. He's excited about the opportunity to reunite with GM Joe Douglas in NY.
Andrews, a six-year NFL veteran, will reunite with Jets general manager Joe Douglas. It was Douglas, then the Vice President of Player Personnel with the Philadelphia Eagles, that helped give Andrews his first NFL opportunity. Andrews partook in two different tenures with the Eagles, first from 2014 through 2017 and then a stretch on their practice squad last season. Each of them partook in the Eagles’ victorious trek to Super Bowl LII.
The signing of Andrews appears to be one for depth. A Los Angeles native and Oregon State alum, Douglas has played 98 regular season snaps in his NFL career, including a career-high 61 with the Indianapolis Colts last season.
Andrews is the latest newcomer to the Jets’ offensive line, as the team previously added George Fant from Seattle and Connor McGovern from Denver. The team also brought back lineman Alex Lewis after acquiring him from Baltimore in a trade last summer.
Meanwhile, the Jets also opted to welcome back the veteran linebacker Hewitt, who is set to play his third year with the team. Hewitt set new career-highs with 75 tackles, five pass, deflections, three sacks, and two interceptions.
Formerly of the Miami Dolphins, Hewitt has risen to the occasion when injuries struck the defense over the past two seasons. He has put up 124 tackles and 4.5 sacks over his Jets career, which began when they signed him in March 2018.
Other Jets linebackers still up for free agency include Jordan Jenkins and Paul Worrilow.
The New York Giants are revamping their secondary. After spending three draft picks on the unit last year (four if you count Sam Beal), New York doubled down and signed free agent cornerback James Bradberry to a three-year deal worth $45 million.
The Giants’ new secondary features Bradberry and DeAndre Baker as the outside cornerbacks with the slot position to be determined. Jabrill Peppers will remain the starting strong safety. But who will man the free safety position? By the looks of it, Julian Love will be the Giants’ starting free safety in 2020.
Julian Love Stats And Highlights
Julian Love showed promise filling in as a starter for the injured Jabrill Peppers in the final five games of the 2019 season. The rookie recorded 37 combined tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and only 4 missed tackles. The former collegiate slot cornerback converted to safety as a rookie and allowed only 190 yards and 1 touchdown in coverage.
Julian Love did a pretty solid job diagnosing run plays in 2019 — playing in a strong safety role while Jabrill Peppers was out injured.
-37 combined tackles -4 missed -5 tackles for a loss
With Peppers set to return to the starting lineup in 2020, Love will likely shift over to the free safety position. Julian has demonstrated the ability to make plays in both run and pass defense. This makes him an ideal fit for the free safety position. However, the job is not yet his.
If Not Love, Then Who?
The Giants are running out of cap space now after signing free agents such as Blake Martinez and James Bradberry. Prior to the New League Year, the Giants reportedly did have an interest in signing a free safety: Anthony Harris from the Minnesota Vikings.
Unfortunately, the Vikings placed the franchise tag on Harris, keeping him off the open market. But the elite Vikings safety is still available if the Giants are still interested. According to Ian Rapoport, the Vikings “acknowledged to teams that Harris could be had for a mid-to-late round draft pick.”
The highest-graded safety in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus could be acquired via trade for a mid-to-late round pick. This is something the Giants should be all over. If New York were able to acquire Harris via trade, they would start him at free safety and allow Julian Love to move back into the position of slot cornerback, which was his primary position in college. In his scenario, the Giants’ secondary would be complete and feature one of the best safeties in the league on the back end, along with plenty more youthful talent.
The defender rose to the occasion for the New York Jets when injuries shook the secondary last season, his third year in the league.
Cornerback Arthur Maulet confirmed on Friday that he will return to the New York Jets. Maulet’s representatives at Icon Sports Consulting LLC said that Maulet would return on a one-year deal.
Maulet announced his return on Twitter, proudly showcasing his green Jets jersey bearing the number 23.
Maulet, 26, signed a reserve/future deal with the Jets in January 2019. He had previously spent time with New Orleans and Indianapolis before making his New York arrival. The early stages of his career were spent mostly on special teams, but Maulet performed serviceably after he pressed into the starting lineup by injuries. Over a dozen games (six starts), Maulet set new career-highs in tackles (38) and pass defense (2). He also earned the first interception of his career in the Jets’ victorious season finale against Buffalo. One week prior, Maulet had a career-best eight tackles in another Jets win, their home finale against Pittsburgh.
Another highlight for Maulet came in the Jets’ Week 3 visit to New England. He would recover a muffed punt in the end zone for a touchdown in the Jets’ 30-14 loss. It was the first touchdown the Jets scored at Gillette Stadium since 2015.
With this signing, the Jets are able to restock their secondary depth. Earlier this week, the team also brought back fellow cornerback Brian Poole on a one-year, $5 million deal.
The return of Maulet perhaps more than makes up for another secondary free agent’s departure. It was reported earlier this week by NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo this week that cornerback Maurice Canady joined up with the Dallas Cowboys on a one-year deal. Remaining secondary free agents for the Jets include cornerback Bennett Jackson and safety Blake Countess.
