The New York Jets 2017 season will be a ‘Flight Training’

With the New York Jets looking more like a rebuild than a reload, they’ll need a productive draft to become competitive in the near future.

New York Jets fans had the option of sitting in front of the television, with a cold one in their hand, begrudgingly watching Tom Brady and Bill Belichick do what Brady and Belichick do – go to another Super Bowl.

In just under two weeks, the New England Patriots will have the chance to win their fifth Super Bowl in seven attempts during the Brady and Belichick tenure.

Disheartening as this may be, there is a silver lining.

There actually isn’t a silver lining. For the Jets fan base, there is never a silver lining. The offseason has yet to begin and the Jets organization is on the verge of chaos.

Owner Woody Johnson has been chosen by new President, Donald Trump, to serve as Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Certainly an honor for him, but it’s still a decision that would remove him from the daily operations of the team. It has been widely reported that Woody’s younger brother, Christopher, would assume the vacated lead role.

Based upon the structure of the Jets organization, head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan would report directly to Christopher. Christopher, in tandem with Team President Neil Glat, will run the day-to-day operations. It is unclear if Woody will have final sign-off or not, after he departs for the U.K.

Another change that is destined to happen is at the quarterback position. It’s pretty clear that Ryan Fitzpatrick will not be the signal caller moving forward. It would also be a surprise if Geno Smith returned for the 2017 season. That would leave two quarterbacks on the roster in Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg.

The fans got a glimpse of Petty during 2016, who left a lot to be desired. Hackenberg did not step on the field for Gang Green, but reports from “anonymous sources” stated that the practice performances of his were dismal.

If you’re not sick to your stomach by now, there is more.

Wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker may also become casualties based on their contracts. Marshall finished the season with 788 yards and three touchdowns, only the third time he finished a season under 1,000 yards. Decker suffered a season ending rotator cuff injury in the early part of the year. He also underwent hip surgery while on injured reserve. Both players’ contracts could force the club to release the two in a rebuild situation.

Oh, but there’s more.

All-Pro center Nick Mangold and All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis are also at a crossroads in their NFL careers. The former first round picks, who are now on the back-end of their accomplished careers, may find it beneficial to either retire or ask for a release to have one more shot at a Lombardi Trophy.

This sentiment also rings true for the players on the Jets who have had extremely accomplished careers, such as running back Matt Forte and middle linebacker David Harris.

If 2017 is going to be what it appears to be – a full rebuild – then the beloved players of the past decade may want to say their goodbyes this offseason. If this occurs, let’s get the expectations set prior to the season, because there will be no joy at MetLife Stadium. Treat next season as a season long tryout.

A “Flight Training”, if you will.

If expectations are low, and the season is a tryout, there are plenty of things that can go right. Here is a look at what the Jets should focus on going into 2017.

Quarterback Camp

Chances are, the Jets will bring a veteran quarterback onto the roster for the 2017 season. What remains to be seen will be if that veteran is brought in to be the starter or as a tutor to the two young quarterbacks on the roster.

Petty and Hackenberg may get the opportunity to be the starting quarterback for the Jets to start next season. The Jets should use next season to evaluate the abilities and potential of the two young quarterbacks.

If the team believes neither Petty or Hackenberg has the potential to be a 10-plus year franchise quarterback, Gang Green can finally spend a first round pick on a franchise quarterback – something they haven’t done since drafting Mark Sanchez in 2009.

The Jets should set their sights on Wyoming’s Josh Allen. Allen is raw, but at 6-foot-6, he has the ideal size and arm strength that will wow scouts during the college season in 2017. One more year in school will allow him to hone his skills and allow the Jets to evaluate the two young quarterbacks already on the roster.

The Jets should pass on drafting Deshaun Watson, DeShone Kizer and Mitch Trubisky. Each are very good quarterbacks, and each could be serviceable QBs in the NFL. The Jets need to hit a home run on their next quarterback selection, something they haven’t done since Joe Namath.

Let the quarterback camp begin – and who knows, Petty or Hackenberg may be the next Matt Ryan, who after nine years is getting his first shot at a Super Bowl.

Unleash the Hogs

Locking up Brian Winters was very important for the cohesiveness of the offensive line. He and James Carpenter will man the two guard spots in 2017, that is certain. The two played well, despite the team’s results, and will be a nice pair moving forward.

The Jets may address the two tackle positions through free agency or the draft. Those positions are currently manned by the oft-injured Breno Giacomini and Ryan Clady, who could be cap casualties. Internal candidates Brandon Shell and Wesley Johnson will get reps during training camp to compete for the starting nods. The Detroit Lions‘ former first round pick, Riley Reiff, would be a player the Jets could target as a long term solution at one of the tackle positions.

Time will tell whether Mangold will spend his final year or two with the Jets before heading off to retirement. Certainly one of the best draft picks in the last decade or so for the Jets, Mangold has been the ultimate leader of the line.

If Mangold happens to play out next year, he could play tutor to a mid-round draft pick in this year’s draft. A player like Ohio State’s Pat Elflein would be a perfect heir to the former Buckeye in Mangold. Elflein has the ability to play all three interior positions of the O-line, and could transition to center after a season next to the All-Pro.

All Out Blitz

Jumping over to the other side of the ball, one unit that underwhelmed in 2016 was the highly touted defensive line. The unit of Leonard Williams, Sheldon Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson and Steve McLendon unfortunately were not the “Fearsome Foursome” Bowles and Maccagnan had envisioned.

Williams was the most productive of the group, earning his first Pro Bowl selection when Khalil Mack was removed due to injury. He finished the season with seven sacks, almost as many as the other three combined. Williams was a bright spot this season, as he will likely grow into one of the more formidable lineman in the league.

One of the challenges that Maccagnan and Bowles will have with this group moving forward is the money that gets invested in this area of the roster. With Wilkerson receiving a big deal last offseason, the same will be expected with Richardson and Williams. The Jets could explore moving Richardson for a pick to avoid paying him, but Williams is more likely to receive a deal.

With the exception of 33-year-old David Harris, the linebacking corps of the Jets is rather young. Last year’s first rounder, Darron Lee, along with Jordan Jenkins and Lorenzo Mauldin, can grow together, with all three being under the age of 25. That trio combined for six sacks and over 100 tackles in 2016.

Star Search

New York tryouts, in all reality, begin Saturday with the Senior Bowl. Bowles and Maccagnan will be on-hand to get a view of some of the nation’s brightest talent. One player in particular they will be focused on will be O.J. Howard, the talented tight end from Alabama. Howard had a sensational National Championship game, racking up 106 yards on four receptions, including a touchdown.

No definitive choices will be made solely based on the Senior Bowl. There will be plenty of time for evaluation during the Senior Bowl and Combine season. The Jets are a team that will need to bolster an aging roster in the next two drafts and free agency if they’re looking to compete in an ever changing AFC East landscape.

Slotting in at the No. 6 pick in this year’s draft will be very beneficial for Jets’ brass. It is certain that a player with star potential will fall in their laps, as did Williams just two years ago. A list that includes Clemson’s Mike Williams and Watson, LSU running back Leonard Fournette, and a slew of defensive stalwarts from ‘Bama.

One option that may be presented to Maccagnan is to trade the pick and move out of the top 6. A team could fall in love with one of these young, budding stars and make them the type of offer that landed Julio Jones in Atlanta or Carson Wentz in Philadelphia.

Got you Covered

Revis is arguably one of the top five Jets of all time. Revis Island, for over a decade, became the place where a team’s best receiver went to take the week off. If you look at his stats, interceptions mainly, there isn’t anything staggering. But if you sat down and watched the tape during those prime years, you saw a shutdown corner who was the best among his peers.

He possessed the covering ability of Deion Sanders and the physicality of Rod Woodson. If Mike Tannenbaum has a crowning achievement, it was drafting the All-Pro cornerback. If Rex Ryan could build a defense from scratch, Revis would be his first choice. He was that good.

It will be bittersweet for the Jets when Revis decides to either leave, move to safety or retire. The player who was one of the best to suit up in the ‘Green and White’, won his lone Super Bowl with their hated rival, the Pats. As if being a Jets fan wasn’t tough enough?

His replacement could come as early as this year. There are a few cornerback prospects that are head and shoulders above the rest. Florida’s Quincy Wilson, Alabama’s Marlon Humphrey and Washington’s Sidney Jones, all fit the bill for what a Bowles defense needs to be successful. With the No. 6 pick, at least two of that trio are likely to be there for the Jets.

Evaluating the Evaluators

If Christopher Wold Johnson becomes the new monarch of the Jets, he will be able to use 2017 as a benchmark year for Bowles and Maccagnan. It could be the first time the tandem will start one of their drafted players at quarterback from day one. If that is the case, Johnson could actually determine whether the team is progressing under the tutelage of the Bowles regime.

Th Decker and Marshall acquisitions are the two signature moves of Maccagnan. In their first year, he was made to look like a genius, with both wide outs topping 1,000 yards for the season. In year two, it was the opposite, as Decker went on injured reserve and Marshall looked like a shell of his former self.

Maccagnan is standing at a crossroads in 2017, with the decision to stay the course, or to tear it all down and start from scratch. No one can compete with Father Time, and the Jets have never been a franchise that takes advantage of the youth they possess.

The screams calling for Bowles have grown louder, especially with Dan Quinn, a coach who was under consideration prior to the Jets hiring Bowles, now in the Super Bowl. Those voices will continue to grow if the Jets cannot show progress, or at least a plan during the 2017 season. This conversation seems to pop up every four or five years, as the patience of Jets fans, who long for a title, remain patient no more.

All stats referenced were obtained through sports-reference.com, unless otherwise specified.