The Jets are all in for 2024. Aaron Rodgers is back, the young core is intact and the team is primed to deliver on the promises of the previous season.
General manager Joe Douglas made every effort to ensure the mistakes of the 2023 season were avoided this time around. He brought in four new offensive linemen through free agency, trades and the draft as well as added four new offensive skill position players (two wide receivers and two running backs). The Jets didn't have to do much work on defense, but Douglas did shore up positions of need after free agency claimed a few starters.
With minicamps upon us and training camp approaching in a few months, the Jets will begin to see which of their moves could pan out in 2024. Nothing will truly signal a good or bad move until the Jets' season opener against the 49ers on Monday Night Football, but we have some indications of how well the Jets fared this offseason.
JETS 2024 SEASON: Full schedule | Draft class | Biggest revenge games | Top-5 matchups
For this exercise, we looked at all the Jets' signings, trades and draft picks to pick the best and worst moves of the offseason. New York earned relatively positive reviews so far, but that doesn't mean every decision was the correct one.
Here are the best and worst moves of the Jets' 2024 offseason so far.
Jets 2024 offseason superlatives: The best and the worst moves
Best signing: OT Tyron Smith
In terms of star power, Smith is the biggest acquisition by the Jets since the Rodgers trade a year ago. Smith is an eight-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro. Rarely do those types of players become unrestricted free agents. Yes, Smith comes with age and injury concerns. But the reward of a top-flight tackle is worth the risk. The Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer agrees.
Best trade: QB Zach Wilson
A classic "addition by subtraction" move by the Jets. Wilson's time was up in New York after a horrific 2023 campaign, and now he and the Jets have parted ways amicably. His departure acknowledges Tyrod Taylor as the top backup and gives the Jets the chance to see more of rookie Jordan Travis in training camp and the preseason.
Best draft pick: WR Malachi Corley
The Jets' first three picks of Olu Fashanu, Corley and Braelon Allen were all solid, but Corley will contribute immediately whereas Fashanu and Allen will start from the bench. Corley gives the Jets' offense a key skillset it missed in 2023 — yards after the catch. He's a shifty receiver with strength that should give Rodgers a great target in the middle of the field.
MORE: New York Jets 53-man roster prediction heading into 2024 season
Worst signing: OG John Simpson
New York needed offensive guard help, but Simpson isn't necessarily the best option. He's certainly a bit cheaper at a two-year and $12 million total rate, but signing Simpson isn't the "all-in" move the team needed at guard. Simpsons started all 17 games for the Ravens in 2023 after being cut by the Raiders the previous year.
Worst draft pick: QB Jordan Travis
The Jets didn't make many bad picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, and Travis isn't even that awful of a pick. However, New York needed players to contribute within one or two years and Travis won't have the chance to even see the field until that time.
MORE: Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson among Jets' most expensive upcoming contracts
Worst trade: DE Haason Reddick
The trade made sense on its surface after the Jets let Bryce Huff walk in free agency. Reddick is a productive veteran who gives the Jets more credibility on the edge than they've had in a while. The problem, though, is how much it'll cost to keep him around. Reddick hasn't shown up for voluntary practices as he enters the final year of his contract and reports indicate he wants a new deal sooner rather than later. So until Reddick practices, this is a miss.
Biggest steal: CB Qwan'tez Stiggers
Stiggers very well could be the steal of the 2024 draft. While he never played college football, Stiggers won the CFL's Rookie of the Year as a defensive back. The Jets have three bonafide starters in Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed and Michael Carter II, but Reed and Carter II will be impending free agents after this season. Just in time for Stiggers to take over alongside Gardner.
