Can the Jets Turn it Around In 2021?

Author: Trevor Schwartz

Editor: Mark Awadallah

The abysmal 0-11 New York Jets are on their way to the 1st overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. People are saying no way can this team can turn it around in a year but before you think that, just know the Jets have the second highest cap space in the NFL after this season and they have a surplus of draft picks, courtesy of their GM, Joe Douglas.

Let us start with the 1st overall pick. If the Jets do indeed lock up the 1st pick, you can expect them to lock in Trevor Lawrence and trade Sam Darnold. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, he thinks the Jets can get a 2nd and a 5th for Sam Darnold. That is the same thing the Cardinals got for Josh Rosen back in 2019.

The Jets already have two 1st rounders, a 2nd rounder, and two 3rd round draft picks. If the Jets could in fact get a 2nd rounder for Sam Darnold, they would have two picks in each of the first three rounds. With these picks, Joe Douglas can do a lot to turn around the direction of this franchise.

Add Trevor Lawrence, plus Joe Douglas’s other draft picks in the 2021 draft and now we are talking. Joe Douglas had a solid first few rounds of his first draft as GM of the Jets. In the first round in the 2020 draft, he took arguably the best tackle in the draft, Mekhi Becton, who happens to be in the race for his first Pro Bowl. Becton has showed that he is the savior the Jets needed and is already playing like a top-5 tackle in the league. Douglas then traded back in the 2nd round and still got the man he wanted: Denzel Mims. Mims did not play the first 6 weeks but after seeing his performance in his first five games, it looked like Joe Douglas was on the money about him. Mims is a star in the making and could be a very good WR number two. Mims has had at least 40 yards in all of his games and above 60 in 3 out of 5 games. In the 3rd round, he drafted safety Ashtyn Davis. Davis did not get much playing time early on but after placing McDougal on IR, the rookie safety has impressed people.

Besides the surplus of draft picks, the Jets have $80,859,956 in cap room next year, second most in the NFL, just behind the Jaguars. The Jets need a true number one WR and there are plenty of them that are projected to be on the market this upcoming offseason: Chris Godwin, Allen Robinson, Kenny Golladay, and Will Fuller (Pending they don’t get franchise tagged or resigned). The Jets just need one of those guys, preferably adding Godwin or Allen Robinson to the mix of Mims and Crowder and then bringing back Perriman and Trevor Lawrence. With that kind of lineup, the Jets will have a ton of weapons to throw at any team. This would also be a dream offense for a rookie QB, and the Jets have the money to make it happen.

There are two great guards who are also potentially available this upcoming offseason: Joe Thuney and Brandon Scherff. Assuming both of these guys don’t get either franchised, tagged, or resigned and Joe Douglas signs one of them, adding a guard like Scherff or Thuney, plus a WR like Godwin or Allen Robinson, will put the Jets in a prime position to turn it around next year.

Don’t forget also that the “QB guru” Adam Gase will most likely not be the head coach next year. The Jets can bring in any coach from Eric Bieniemy to Arthur Smith to Joe Brady. The 2021 New York Jets can be good if Joe Douglas has a solid draft and free agency. If all goes as planned, watch out NFL: The Trevor Lawrence led Jets may be a problem for years to come.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

Start Spreading the News: Time to Move on from Sam Darnold

Author: Trevor Schwartz

Editor: Fran Attie

“With the 3rd overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the New York Jets select Sam Darnold quarterback, USC.” Jets fans had a sigh of relief. Finally, they have their franchise quarterback… or so they thought.

Fast forward to now, it’s Darnold’s 3rd season and all those feelings are gone: the New York Jets are the league’s worst football team with an 0-9 record, the first time in franchise history they have started 0-9, and are currently the frontrunners to draft Trevor Lawrence, top QB out of Clemson. If the Jets do not win a game this year and go 0-16, they will have the 1st overall pick and would be a laughing stock if they ended passing up on Trevor Lawrence. I know some Jets fans still believe in Darnold, but Jet nation, the time has come, you simply cannot pass up an A+ potential QB prospect.

Though Darnold has shown signs of greatness, overall he has been digressing since his rookie year. Back in 2018, the 6’3 quarterback had flashes of promise: he threw for 2,865 yards, 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions with a QBR of 45.5 in 13 total games. Then in the 2019 season he threw for 3,024 yards, 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions with a QBR of 43.5, down from his rookie season in 13 games. This year he has played in 6 of the 9 games and has thrown for 1,045 yards, 3 touchdowns and 6 interceptions with his lowest QBR yet: 39.5, which sits at 29th in the NFL, just ahead of Drew Lock and Dwayne Haskins. Darnold’s numbers are going down, and at a bad rate. This isn’t what the New York Jets expected when they drafted him; they were hoping for years and years of success.

I can understand the argument that they haven’t put a good roster around him, but a good QB should help a team win, no matter the roster. To make matters worse, Darnold also hasn’t proven he can stay healthy. In 2018 and 2019 he missed 3 games each, and this year, he has already missed 3 games due to a shoulder injury and may very well miss more. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the Jets could possibly get a 2nd round pick and a 5th round pick for Darnold. If I am Joe Douglas, Jets GM, I take that trade and add on to the surplus of picks this team already has.

Here is the plan Jets fans: you trade Sam Darnold, draft Lawrence and use your picks to help build a better team around your next franchise QB. New York will always love you, Sammy, but it is time to say goodbye, and say hello to Trevor Lawrence.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

Same Record, Different Stories

Author: Frank Caggino

Editor: Aaron Mesco

After the first two weeks of the 2020 NFL season, the Jets and Giants feel like they are headed for another year of losing records. Both teams had disappointing seasons last year and were hoping to improve. The Jets had a bad offensive year and tried to address this need by building up the offensive line. The Giants struggled on defense and made moves in free agency to improve in that department. Neither team has shown drastic improvement as they are both 0-2, but one team feels significantly better than the other.

Last year, the Jets brought in Adam Gase to be their head coach to develop Sam Darnold and as an attempt to improve the offense. That did not happen, as they had one of the worst offenses in all of football. One would imagine that the Jets would have to improve in year two. That has not happened, as the team is still one of the worst offensive teams in the league. They are struggling in all areas on offense with play calling, passing the ball, and establishing a running game. Injuries have made it even tougher for the Jets, and they have not looked competitive in either one of their first two games. The Jets could not move the ball against the Bills, while Buffalo could do whatever they wanted with Josh Allen under center. The following week, the Jets played a heavily injured 49ers team and still got blown out. This has led to fans calling for Adam Gase to be fired and questioning if Sam Darnold is the franchise quarterback. The Jets look like one of the worst teams in the NFL and might have a major decision to make in the draft if they finish with the worst record and secure the first overall pick.

The Giants are also 0-2, but have been much more competitive in their games. They had a 10-3 lead against Pittsburgh, but turnovers made it difficult to defeat a very good Steelers team, especially without Golden Tate. In week two, the Giants found themselves down early to the Chicago Bears, but were able to fight back and make it a very close game. The Giants had a play in the end zone where they could have won the game, they could not execute. Unfortunately, the Giants lost Saquon Barkley in that game, who is a massive part of their team. They are trying to replace him for the time being (meaning the rest of the season) with Devonta Freeman, who they just signed.

Safety Bradley McDougald is one of the pieces the Jets got back for trading away their best player Jamal Adams (who is excelling in Seattle), and he has mentioned the differences between the Jets and the Seahawks. McDougald said that even the Jets practices are bad and that they are losing in practice. There have been no reports like this coming out of the Giants, which shows the differences in the culture of both of these organizations. Even though these teams have the same record, the Jets look like the worst team in football and the Giants look like a more competitive squad.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE