How the Jets transformed their offense with Aaron Rodgers trade, Dalvin Cook signing & more

Jacob Camenker

How the Jets transformed their offense with Aaron Rodgers trade, Dalvin Cook signing & more image

Every offseason, teams across the NFL see a lot of changes on both sides of the ball, but the Jets have undergone one of the more pronounced transformations of 2023.

New York entered the 2023 offseason in the hope that it would finally find the upgrade for which it had long been searching at quarterback. As luck would have it, Aaron Rodgers became available and wanted to play for the Jets.

That move was the most important in a series of moves that have helped reshape the Jets' offense as we know it.

While New York will still have a few of its top players from last season returning, most notably 2022 draft picks Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall, the team has brought in a lot of veteran talent around Rodgers. Some signings were meant to appease him, as they came from the reported "wish list" he was said to have in free agency.

As for the other acquisitions, they were added to improve the team's depth and to build out a quality stable of weapons with which the Jets could surround Rodgers. Now, they appear ready to take a leap forward because of those transactions.

MORE: Why Aaron Rodgers is taking a $35 million pay cut after joining the Jets

But how exactly did the New York offense transform? Here's a look at its big offseason acquisitions and how each addition will help the team in 2023.

Jets offensive additions for 2023

Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers is obviously the biggest addition that the Jets have made during the offseason. The four-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl 45 champion is an instant upgrade at quarterback for New York. He will be a massive improvement over Zach Wilson, who struggled in his first two NFL seasons, and should emerge as the team's best quarterback since the turn of the millennium — if all goes well.

Rodgers completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 3,695 yards, 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for the Packers last season in what was generally considered a down year for him. If he can regain the form he showcased in 2020 and 2021, when he won back-to-back MVP awards, he should have a chance to lead the Jets to playoffs.

It will help Rodgers' cause that he is working with a better group of pass-catching weapons with the Jets than he had in 2022 after the Packers traded Davante Adams. Garrett Wilson should emerge as a favorite target of the 38-year-old, so he will be fun to watch in this new offensive system.

Dalvin Cook

It also helps that Rodgers will have a top running game at his disposal. The responsibility for creating that won't fall solely on Breece Hall anymore, either.

The Jets signed Dalvin Cook after hosting him on a visit at the end of July. Cook was released by the Vikings in early June but he spent two months on the free-agent market before signing with the Jets. He was patient and so too was New York, which maintained an interest in him through his availability.

Cook has tallied at least 1,135 rushing yards in four consecutive seasons. He has 46 touchdowns over that span and has been a Pro Bowler four times. He is a three-down threat even as he gets into the twilight of his NFL career and will provide the Jets with quality depth.

Cook should be able to create a top-tier, one-two punch with Hall that will allow the second-year running back to get reacclimated to the game as he recovers from a torn ACL. Having Cook around for that reason makes a lot of sense and that will make him a quality addition in the early days of training camp.

MORE: Why did Dalvin Cook sign with the Jets?

Allen Lazard

Rodgers wasn't the only former Packer that the Jets acquired this offseason. The long-time Green Bay starter brought over a couple of his teammates to join the receiving corps, and the most notable of the duo is Lazard.

Lazard is a big-bodied pass-catcher at 6-5, 227 pounds and developed into a steady threat for Rodgers during their five years together. Lazard never posted more than 60 catches, 788 yards or eight touchdowns in a season with the Packers, but he is a rock-solid No. 2 receiver and fits the mold of a solid route runner and contested catch receiver.

More importantly, Lazard has chemistry with Rodgers and is still just 27. He could continue to improve his game and even if he remains what he is, his size will make him a nice complement to Wilson. He may not have the speed or shiftiness of Elijah Moore, who was traded, but he will give the Jets some extra size and the ability to mix and match their weapons depending on their matchups.

Randall Cobb

Rodgers also brought Cobb over when he came to the Jets. The 2011 second-round draft pick will soon be 33, but he has spent 10 seasons as a teammate of Rodgers. He enjoyed a prolific Pro Bowl campaign in 2014 but in recent years has been a depth option in the slot.

Cobb doesn't figure to be a major part of the Jets' offensive plans. He will probably get on the field in certain packages and will help replace the departed Braxton Berrios, but he is more of a backup slot man than anything else. His arrival is more about his connection with Rodgers and less about his skill set at this point in his career.

Mecole Hardman

Unlike Cobb, Hardman could have a larger role to play within the Jets' offense. New York lost some speed on offense when it traded Moore, so Hardman was signed to help provide that.

Hardman was once viewed as a potential Tyreek Hill replacement for the Chiefs. However, he was never able to develop into a consistent weapon for Patrick Mahomes. And in his final season with the team, he was only able to play in eight regular season games. 

Still, Hardman has averaged 45 catches, 623 yards and five touchdowns per 17 games played during his career and has the game-breaking speed needed to be a deep threat for Rodgers. His speed is also an asset on jet motions, so that could help open things up a bit more for the Jets' running game, too.

So, Hardman's name may not be the most familiar on this list, but the former second-round pick could end up being an exciting addition for the Jets.

MORE: Breaking down the winners and losers of the Aaron Rodgers trade

Others

The Jets have added a smattering of other key players to help their offense as well. Here's a rundown of some the most significant additions:

— The Jets signed former Packers offensive lineman Billy Turner to a deal to provide depth on the offensive line. His ability to play tackle and guard will be critical for the Jets, especially considering the injury issues New York had at tackle last year.

— New York also spend an early second-round pick on Wisconsin center Joe Tippmann. He figures to be a plug-and-play starter for them at center and should marry together their strong guard play from Laken Tomlinson and Alijah Vera-Tucker to make a strong, cohesive interior line.

— Running back Israel Abanikanda was drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Pitt product rushed for 1,431 yards and a whopping 20 touchdowns on 239 carries during the 2022 college season, so he find a role with the team if injuries strike at the position.

— The Packers added Tim Boyle to their quarterback room. He will compete for the backup job behind Rodgers, a post he held in Green Bay from 2018 through 2020.

— And finally, a non-player addition. The Jets hired Nathaniel Hackett to be the team's offensive coordinator after his failed stint as Broncos head coach. That may not seem too inspiring — especially after Sean Payton slammed the job he did in Denver — but Rodgers has spoken glowingly of Hackett, who was his coordinator during his back-to-back MVP seasons in 2020 and 2021.

While the Jets may not have landed Odell Beckham Jr., who was on Rodgers' wish list, they certainly did a good job acquiring talent to surround the veteran quarterback.

Now, it will be on the 39-year-old Rodgers to help the offense mesh quickly as the Jets try to end a league-worst 12-year playoff drought.

Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker Photo

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.