The New York Jets have been a complete mess over the past four seasons. Under the leadership of head coach Rex Ryan, general manager John Idzik and before him, Mike Tannenbaum, the Jets became a circus. It seemed capturing the back page became more important than winning football games, and the results were brutal. It all crested last season, when New York finished last in the AFC East with a 4-12 mark.
In the end, Ryan and Idzik were ousted, giving the organization the opportunity to start fresh with a new front office. Ryan moved onto the Buffalo Bills to become their coach, while the Jets interviewed a bevy of candidates. Ultimately, New York replaced Idzik with Mike Maccagnan and found Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles for the vacant coaching position.
Bowles, who has never been a head coach before outside of a short interim stint with the Miami Dolphins, has his work cut out for him. The Jets have talent in certain spots on both sides of the ball, but need serious upgrades in multiple areas.
The good news for Bowles is the amount of resources at his disposal. New York has a bevy of cap space, projected at $49 million for this offseason, according to Over The Cap. The Jets will be active in free agency, looking to upgrade along the offensive line and secondary above all else. New York should be able to snatch up a few quality players at those spots, with a few examples being Mike Iupati, Bryan Bulaga, Doug Free, Orlando Franklin, Antonio Cromartie and Byron Maxwell.
New York’s biggest issue is at quarterback. The Jets do not have the quarterback of the future on the roster with only Chris Simms and Geno Smith signed going forward. Michael Vick is a free-agent-to-be and it would be a stunner if he’s back with the team. Smith is entering his third year, but he has gone through brutal stretches including being benched for Vick this season. Smith has been a turnover machine, throwing 34 interception in 30 career games.
Where the Jets will find the next great quarterback is the real question. New York has the sixth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft on April 30, but there is only a small chance a top-flight quarterback is available at that spot. Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston are expected to go in the top two picks with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans, respectively.
Perhaps the best option is signing Brian Hoyer, a free-agent from the Cleveland Browns. Hoyer would serve as a stopgap in 2015 while the Jets continue to improve the rest of the roster and search for the franchise signal-caller.
Bowles has a great reputation for getting the most out of his talent. He’ll need to do it once again to have a winning season next year with the Jets. Don’t count him out.
