There are still four weeks left in the regular season, and the New York Jets have yet to play against the Indianapolis Colts this week. Regardless if they win this week, however, all hopes for playoffs are lost. The Jets just simply could not find a rhythm this season, and as good as they looked on paper, the team was unable to live up to expectations. Now is the time to prepare for the off-season, and there are some valuable free agents in the conversation.

Quarterback

The biggest name here is Kirk Cousins, and with all the talent the Washington Redskins have, there's little chance they let him go. Hypothetically, though, the Jets could afford Cousins. With the departures of Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith being a near certainty, the Jets will need a talented quarterback for next season.

Fitzpatrick turned out being a poor excuse of a $12 million contract. Credit: Al Bello/Getty Images North America
Fitzpatrick turned out being a poor excuse of a $12 million contract. Credit: Al Bello/Getty Images North America

The Fitzpatrick experiment turned out being a mistake, and Smith was no better. The remaining options at quarterback would be Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg, both of which might can't guide the offense for the Jets unless the franchise wishes to enter a rebuilding era. Cousins is a hard target to get, but he's worth a try. The Jets have quality receivers that could complement his arm, but the Redskins will not let their star quarterback go that easily.

If the Jets manage to secure Cousins, they could simply give him a trial run to see how he affects the chemistry on the field. They just need a decent quarterback to set things in motion for the future.

Receivers

As for receivers, the Jets are mostly safe. However, Brandon Marshall has regressed this season, and with Eric Decker now looking to be an injury concern, there are less options for the passing game.

Quincy Enunwa did manage to make a name for himself this year, and Jalin Marshall is also looking to be a decent player for quick plays.

Granted, Marshall was mostly affected by the poor performance of Fitzpatrick, who somehow forgot how to play football this season. The lack of smart targets resulted in a huge decline in Marshall's game, which clearly hurt the Jets in the long run.

The best receiver the Jets should be looking at is Terrelle Pryor Sr., who is the lone bright spot on a Cleveland Browns offense that is going nowhere.

Pryor is actually an interesting piece to consider for the Jets. Credit: Eric Espada/Getty Images North America
Pryor is actually an interesting piece to consider for the Jets. Credit: Eric Espada/Getty Images North America

Pryor is a peculiar talent that could make the Jets' offense take the next step, but that all depends on how he's utilized. He's been used as a red-zone quarterback, a receiving back, and a quality wideout, given the circumstances. He's totaled four touchdowns on the season, the most in his career. It'd be interesting to see the Jets acquire Pryor and move some parts to accommodate his versatile skillset. 

At face value, he'd help the Jets more than hurt them. His role as a quarterback would also be an interesting experiment, even if his prime position is as a receiver.

Defensive players

It's truly difficult to discuss the specifics of the Jets' defense, but to start, Darrelle Revis is a problem. He's aged, slower and simply cannot keep up with elite receivers. That crucial issue makes Revis expendable, but he could also be utilized as a locker room leader.

Likewise, Buster Skrine hasn't been of much use for the Jets' secondary. He's only secured one interception on the season and hasn't forced any fumbles.

Revis has been largely disappointing for the Jets this seaosn. Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images North America
Revis has been largely disappointing for the Jets this seaosn. Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images North America

Marcus Gilchrist and Calvin Pryor are a pair of minor bright spots in a poor Jets' defense, but they, too, have been unable to do anything remarkable. Pryor has been an oft-injured player all season, so his poor play is somewhat excusable.

So to close the discussion of defense, the Jets simply have to start from scratch and hunt for any quality defensive guys they can.

In the grand scheme of things, the Jets need to avoid a rebuilding stage with all the talent they currently have. It's now or never.

VAVEL Logo
About the author
Robert Brunswick III
SUNY Binghamton Graduate with a BA in English Literature and Rhetorical Studies