Joe Douglas: Jets 'Ready to Strike' on Trade Market This Offseason
It’s that time of the year again.
With free agency and the NFL draft fast approaching, hope and optimism are flowing as the Jets look to halt a decade-long run of mediocrity, adding the players necessary to take this club back to contention.
For general manager Joe Douglas, this will be an offseason of opportunity. New York has loads of cap space to make impactful signings in free agency and the organization is strapped with a surplus of draft capital, giving Douglas and his team immense flexibility.
While those two avenues alone could point Gang Green in the right direction this spring, the general manager made it clear that he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to make this team better. If that means a blockbuster trade over the next few months, Douglas confirmed that New York is “ready to strike.”
“Look, we’re always open to business,” Douglas told reporters at the NFL Combine on Wednesday. “I think in the last two drafts, I had experience with going back and coming up. So, again, if the opportunity is right, we’re going to look at every opportunity as it comes and if there’s an opportunity to trade back, accumulate more picks, more assets and still be in target range to get the players that we’re excited about. Of course, we’re going to consider that.”
When it comes to a trade, New York has multiple options. The Jets can trade back with one of their first-round picks, taking advantage of another team’s draft-day desperation to recoup more capital. In fact, it’s rumored that the Jets “prefer” to trade out of the 10th overall selection (one of the picks they acquired in the Jamal Adams trade with Seattle).
Would a quarterback-needy club be willing to jump up to No. 10, making New York an offer they can’t refuse?
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The Jets can also take a more aggressive approach, using their arsenal of picks to target proven commodities.
Remember, Douglas himself said New York would be "aggressive" this offseason when he addressed the media after the conclusion of the 2021 season. It seems like that excitement about this offseason, and the Jets' flexibility, has grown.
Also speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Jets head coach Robert Saleh issued a reminder that the NFL is a copycat league. After the Los Angeles Rams went all-in this past season, emptying their draft-pick cupboard to acquire talent and subsequently win a Super Bowl, other clubs could follow suit.
That doesn’t mean the Jets should exhaust all their resources right away. We’re still talking about a four-win team, a unit relying on the development of countless youngsters, especially second-year quarterback Zach Wilson. But for the right player—like a top wide receiver, for instance—early-round selections should absolutely be on the table.
Douglas assured that he and his staff are having those discussions in earnest, weighing the different routes this franchise can take over the next several months. New York must find a balance between building around young talent brought in from the draft and league veterans, assets that can singlehandedly expedite a rebuild.
As those conversations continue behind closed doors, Jets fans can sleep soundly knowing that Douglas is focused on finding ways to improve, attacking this pivotal offseason with intensity.
"This is my third offseason here and second offseason to work with Coach Saleh and his staff, the work that we’ve done last year, the work that we’ve done leading up to this offseason. There’s been a lot of trust, and so I’m just excited to get this thing going. I can’t wait for the start of the league year."
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