3 Jets Who Deserve Bigger Roles After New York's Quiet Trade Deadline

The NFL trade deadline has come and gone, leaving the Jets focused on finishing the second half of the season. Organizations like New York decided whether to part with players no longer in their long-term plans or stand pat. Outside of trading Andre Cisco on Monday, Gang Green did nothing.

To his credit, head coach Aaron Glenn shed some light on the subject on Monday.

"Never say never, but right now I know we're going to stand pat," Glenn said. "Listen, we're in the business of keeping good players. That's how I see it... But you never know what's going to happen."

But things can certainly change when offers come flying in. And if the Jets had made more moves on Tuesday, it could've created opportunities for other players on the roster to get more playing time.

Despite the lack of moves, here are three Jets who still deserve more snaps moving forward.

1. D'Angelo Ponds, CB

If the Jets traded Jarvis Brownlee, then there would be no player to start over second-round rookie D'Angelo Ponds. The Indiana prospect was called for a penalty that gave Kansas City a first down in Sunday's loss, but otherwise was not targeted in the game.

Ponds's role is going to expand regardless as we get to the second half of the season, and a move away from Bownlee could've shown that the team sees him more as a nickel corner than a boundary one for the remainder of his career.

Things can certainly change, and based on Brownlee's recent play, Ponds should see a significant uptick in snaps following the deadline.

2. Darrell Jackson Jr., DT

Jackson is another rookie who should see his snap count increase significantly after Tuesday's deadline. Harrison Phillips is on an expiring deal and Jowon Briggs is an RFA. If the Jets decide neither is in their long-term plans, they could cut their playing time and shift it over to the rookie tackle in the second half.

In Sunday's loss to the Chiefs, Jackson played 43% of the defensive snaps and actually led the team in run stops. He has been a surprise addition to the interior defensive line of the Jets. He isn't a perfect prospect, but he's shown enough for the next coaching regime to find a place for him going forward.

It's also worth mentioning that with injuries to T'Vondre Sweat and David Onyemata, the Jets will need to give Jackson more snaps regardless.

3. Nate Lynn, DE

Lynn logged just 12 defensive snaps in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. But the preseason standout could've seen his role increase tremendously over the final few weeks of the season if the Jets had found a way to move Will McDonald for the right price.

Lynn recorded a sack in the team's loss to the Dolphins back in October and is someone who certainly has the burst to make plays. But if the Jets had taken the best offer on the table for McDonald, another hole along their defensive line would've opened. It would've been a perfect opportunity for Lynn to show he's worthy of a roster spot going forward.

Hopefully, the Jets realize what they have in front of them and find a way to play Lynn more frequently down the stretch.

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