Jets Might Sign Colts' Projected $24 Million Safety To Strengthen Secondary

New York is aiming to construct a robust secondary

Sep 15, 2024; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; General view of an Indianapolis Colts helmet during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

With former Pro Bowl NFL cornerback Aaron Glenn now the head coach of the New York Jets, the Jets are not surprisingly prioritizing their secondary in free agency.

Glenn will oversee a blitz-heavy scheme along with defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, and New York will need a boatload of talent and depth in the secondary to make that scheme effective.

The Jets’ new general manager, Darren Mougey, is doing work in that regard. Mougey has already signed cornerback Brandon Stephens and safety Andre Cisco this week while retaining cornerback Isaiah Oliver and safety Tony Adams.

But Mougey likely isn’t done beefing up the secondary, especially with talent still available in free agency at safety.

One guy Mougey must be calling about is 26-year-old safety Julian Blackmon of the Indianapolis Colts. Blackmon falls within the age range that Mougey has been shopping in, and Spotrac projects the former Utah Ute to land something in the realm of a three-year, $24 million deal.

Blackmon was selected at No. 85 overall by the Colts in the 2020 NFL draft. Since then, he’s tallied 300 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 21 pass deflections, and ten interceptions.

Blackmon is now in his athletic prime and will surely attract multiple suitors, which might drive his projected price up. It will be interesting to see if Mougey and the Jets stay in the sweepstakes for Blackmon if that becomes the case.

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