Amid a three-game dropping streak, the New York Jets (2-4) have pushed all their chips to the middle of the desk, however will their aggressiveness be sufficient to show the season round?
On Tuesday, New York struck a blockbuster cope with the Las Vegas Raiders, buying and selling a 2025 conditional third-round draft decide for star WR Davante Adams, 31. The worth to reunite Adams along with his former Packers teammate QB Aaron Rodgers is steep, but it surely’s well worth the danger for Jets GM Joe Douglas, who’s taking one other huge swing to avoid wasting his job.
Throughout their eight seasons collectively in Inexperienced Bay, Adams caught 615 passes for 7,529 yards and 68 touchdowns from Rodgers, making the 2 one of many extra prolific QB-WR duos in NFL historical past. On the floor, the rekindling of the connection looks as if it ought to present the spark that the Jets offense, which ranks twenty second in factors and yardage, desperately wants.
Even so, though Rodgers will probably see an uptick in manufacturing, the addition of Adams will not change a lot for the Jets. Other than the truth that Adams is on the mistaken aspect of 30 and has seen his efficiency decline lately, the six-time Professional Bowler merely cannot masks New York’s extra important shortcomings.
As talked about, the Jets offense has struggled mightily to start the season, an element that performed a task in proprietor Woody Johnson’s choice to fireside former HC Robert Saleh final week. The receiving corps hasn’t gelled how the staff envisioned, as evidenced by their 11 drops this season, the fifth most amongst groups. Nevertheless, New York’s offensive woes transcend the unit’s inconsistent play.
After watching the Jets offensive line permit the fourth-most sacks within the NFL final season (64), Douglas made it a objective to revamp the unit. He added OTs Tyron Smith, Morgan Moses and Olu Fashanu and guard John Simpson in the course of the offseason.
On paper, these would appear to be substantial upgrades, however that hasn’t been the case via six video games. Not solely has Rodgers been sacked 16 times — the sixth most amongst quarterbacks this season — however the Jets O-line additionally ranks twenty fifth in pass-block win price and twenty eighth in run-block win price.
Despite the fact that Rodgers would possibly be capable to get the ball out of his palms faster with Adams on the sector, it is arduous to think about the wideout’s presence will assist the offensive line enhance dramatically, if in any respect.
Adams absolutely will not help the Jets in overcoming their lack of self-discipline, maybe a fair higher space of weak point than the offensive line, on condition that penalties have been a difficulty on either side of the ball. To this point this season, New York has been penalized 50 times, the second most amongst groups, trailing solely the Houston Texans.
With the sixth-easiest remaining schedule, in keeping with Tankathon, New York has the potential to string collectively a number of extra wins. Nonetheless, it faces an uphill battle to achieve the postseason. Per ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Jets have only a 46% probability of reaching the playoffs, the eighth-best odds within the AFC.
Buying and selling for Adams will maintain Rodgers comfortable and followers off Johnson’s again for now. Nevertheless, given the opposite holes on the roster, coupled with the staff’s disastrous begin to the season, it is truthful to say the deal wasn’t accomplished early sufficient to make a season-saving impression.
