The New York Jets have huge needs at offensive line and a ton of money to spend. That’s where Joe Thuney and Graham Glasgow come in.
According to Connor Hughes of The Athletic, the New York Jets are expected to be “all-in” on Joe Thuney and Graham Glasgow. Thuney and Glasgow are two of the best interior linemen on the open market.
Thuney is just 27-years-old and coming off an All-Pro year. He looks set to become the highest-paid guard in the NFL during free agency. Based on Hughes’ report, it’s safe to assume the Jets are comfortable fulfilling that asking price.
Glasgow likely won’t cost as much as Thuney, but he’ll still earn a significant payday. He doesn’t have the accolades Thuney does, as he’s never been to a Pro-Bowl nor has been an All-Pro. He isn’t an elite player in the NFL, but likely the next tier down.
Glasgow’s versatility will likely garner him a large market. He can play either guard or center, which is a good sign for a Jets team that needs assistance at either spot.
Hughes notes the Jets would ideally like to sign both Glasgow and Thuney. That could cost the Jets close to $30 million in cap space.
The bad news is that Hughes believes the Jets’ tradition of losing could turn off both players. Glasgow has spent his entire career losing in Detroit and may want a positive change. Thuney, on the other hand, has spent his entire career winning in New England and likely doesn’t want to start losing now.
It’ll be up to Jets general manager Joe Douglas to convince both players that the Jets can win in the immediate future.
Does signing both Thuney and Glasgow make sense?
Hughes’ report is an interesting one that aligns with everything that’s come out about Douglas. He’s a guy who builds around the offensive line and he’s willing to spend money and draft capital to make it happen.
Would that be wise though? The Jets possess a ton of holes on their roster and only limited cap space and draft picks to fill them. Obviously, the offensive line is the biggest hole and filling it is important, but it leaves the team weak in so many other areas.
Signing both Thuney and Glasgow, although improbable, would be a huge commitment to the offense. That would be great, but it could also be pointless. The Jets only employ one receiver on their roster who’s capable of succeeding in a starting role.
What good would giving Sam Darnold more time be if he doesn’t have anyone to throw the ball to? The draft is the obvious fix here, but they can’t address the receiver spot in round one even if they acquire both Glasgow and Thuney because they still have a huge hole at left tackle.
That means the Jets would be trusting Darnold to carry Jamison Crowder and a rookie receiver drafted in round two or later to competency. Simply speaking, it’s a huge task for the soon-to-be third-year quarterback.
Not to mention that signing both Glasgow and Thuney likely means the Jets can’t make any big investments in their defense. That would mean no big investment at cornerback nor edge rusher.
Douglas has the unenviable task of trying to put a broken team together to compete. Building a strong offensive line would be a start, but that’s all it would be.
The Jets would be better off only signing one of them and spreading the rest of their money around to fill other holes. This team won’t be fixed in one year, but that strategy should at least help the team stay competitive as they head into 2020.
