The New York Jets are ushering in a new era this offseason- an era they undoubtedly hope will be more successful.
The team ended the Aaron Rodgers experiment this offseason and brought in Justin Fields to be the new quarterback. Aaron Glenn is the new head coach, and Glenn had plenty of success as the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions.
WR Allen Lazard
Allen Lazard is a reliable veteran wide receiver. The Iowa State product has been a valuable target during his seven-year career, but could be looking for a new team soon.
The reason Lazard could be on the outs in New York is because his old friend, Aaron Rodgers, finally has a new team. Lazard has always been on the same team as Rodgers, and the duo have undeniable chemistry. It’s possible Lazard requests out, with his eyes set on Pittsburgh.
The Jets don’t have the deepest receiver room, but they could prefer to give all of the targets to the younger guys anyway. Plus, if the team trades Lazard, it could save over $2 million.
TE Jeremy Ruckert
Up until the 2025 NFL Draft, Jeremy Ruckert was penciled in as the starting tight end. However, Mason Taylor was the team’s second-round pick and has an infinitely higher ceiling than any other tight end on the roster.
Also, Ruckert has failed to impress to this point in his NFL career, and the team could just decide to move on. In three seasons, Ruckert has caught just 35 passes for 264 yards and zero touchdowns.
What if the team decides to add a veteran free agent to backup Taylor? Gerald Everett is available, and he’s been a much more reliable pass-catching tight end than Ruckert. Releasing Ruckert would also save the team around $1.3 million in cap space.
DL Derrick Nnadi
Derrick Nnadi was brought in on a one-year deal this offseason to bolster the defensive line depth. The Jets have been desperately trying to find a reliable producer to pair with Quinnen Williams, and the hope is that Nnadi can be that person.
In 2024, Nnadi racked up just 11 tackles with no tackles for loss or sacks. Sure, the Kansas City Chiefs had impressive depth, but it was still disappointing to see Nnadi fail to provide much on the stat sheet.
Nnadi wasn’t the team’s only addition on the defensive line, though. Byron Cowart and Jay Tufele were also brought in, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see either veteran impress more than Nnadi this summer.
Cutting Nnadi wouldn’t free up much cap space, but it would allow the Jets to give chances to younger guys like Phidarian Mathis and Leonard Taylor III.