The New York Jets shocked the football world last offseason when they sent three NFL Draft picks to the Green Bay Packers for future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Prior to completing the trade, the Jets hired his old offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, and signed one of his former Packers wide receivers, Allen Lazard.
After the trade, they signed one of Rodgers’ best friends, wide receiver Randall Cobb. They also brought in former Packers Billy Turner and Adrian Amos. In short, they did everything they could to appease their new star quarterback, who they believed would help them return to the NFL Playoffs for the first time since 2010.
As everyone knows, though, that did not happen. New York spent so much time catering to Rodgers and what he wanted that they failed to provide him with an adequate offensive line. As a result, a pass rush four snaps into the 2023 season ended with Rodgers suffering a torn Achilles.
After another 7-10 season, the Jets knew they had to do a better job of surrounding Rodgers with good blockers, not just exciting big-name playmakers that are past their primes.
Offensive Line Depth Was a Strong Focus of the New York Jets Offseason
In an effort to boost their offensive line, the Jets went out and signed one of the best left tackles of the past decade: Tyron Smith. The eight-time Pro Bowler was a Second Team All-Pro last season, playing in 13 games a year after he was limited to four games by injury.
In addition to Smith, New York used their first-round pick on Olu Fashanu out of Penn State. He is projected to be their backup left tackle as he learns the ins and outs of the NFL from Smith.
At right tackle, the Jets decided to bring back Morgan Moses, who had played with the team in 2021. He had spent the last two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
With a revamped offensive line, New York is hopeful that they have done enough to protect their 40-year-old quarterback who is coming off of an injury that is a career-ender for many players.
The New York Jets Have Been Named a Top Landing Spot for Free Agent Tackle Connor Williams
While their tackle positions are secured, for now, there are still some questions regarding the guard positions in New York. Alijah Vera-Tucker has not been healthy over the past two seasons and was limited to just five games last year. John Simpson was brought in to play left guard after starting 17 games for the Ravens last season, but the depth behind him is concerning.
For this reason, Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports named the Jets as one of the top landing spots for former Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins star Connor Williams:
“Protecting 40-year-old Aaron Rodgers is the Jets’ top priority, so adding a veteran like Williams to the group only makes sense. The fact that starting interior lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker is coming off back-to-back season-ending injuries only adds to New York being a possibility for Williams. Money, though, is one of the things that makes the Jets a less likely scenario.”
The financial aspect of pursuing Williams does present an obstacle. However, if the Jets are really serious about winning a Super Bowl with Rodgers under center within the next year or two, they should not spare any expense in protecting him.
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