Two Free Agent Linemen for the Jets to Re-Sign Before The Frenzy Begins
The Jets have 19 pending unrestricted free agents from their 2022 roster, including two important linemen.
General manager Joe Douglas can't realistically re-sign all 19 players, nor should he want to, but center Connor McGovern and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins are two men who likely pique the GM's interest.
Should the Jets let McGovern and Rankins hit the free agent market, they'll have significant question marks in the middle of both the offensive and defensive lines.
They could turn to that same free agent market for replacements or wait until the NFL Draft, but McGovern and Rankins are known commodities who have had success in New York.
If the best ability is availability, then McGovern should have plenty of value to the Jets moving forward. The six-year pro has made 48 appearances for Gang Green over three seasons, including starting all 17 games last fall.
Connor McGovern leads the Jets out of the tunnel
Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
McGovern, who entered the league as a fifth-round pick of the Denver Broncos in the 2016 NFL Draft, was the Jets top performing offensive lineman over the course of the 2022 season by multiple accounts.
Rankins proved to be a worthwhile addition after the Jets inked him to a two-year contract prior to the 2021 campaign.
Durability was something of a concern for any team initially signing Rankins after injuries affected his four of his five seasons with New Orleans. Following a sensational 2018 regular season effort highlighted by 8.0 total sacks, he suffered a torn achilles injury during the Saints' Divisional Round win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Rankins proceeded to miss a combined 10 games over the course of the 2019 and 2020 campaigns.
Sheldon Rankins sacks Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen
Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
The Saints' former first-round pick, who played out his entire rookie contract (plus the fifth-year option) in Black and Gold, made 31 appearances for the Jets over the past two seasons.
Rankins, who helped fortify the Jets’ defensive front alongside All-Pro Quinnen Williams, totaled 43 tackles and 3.0 sacks in 2022.
Jets’ Unrestricted Free Agents
LB Kwon Alexander, FB Nick Bawden, DE Vinny Curry, G Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, T George Fant, OL Dan Feeney, QB Joe Flacco, G Nate Herbig, RB Ty Johnson, S Lamarcus Joyner, C Connor McGovern, T Cedric Ogbuehi, DT Sheldon Rankins, T Mike Remmers, DT Nathan Shepherd, DT Solomon Thomas, QB Mike White, LB Quincy Williams, K Greg Zuerlein
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