New York Jets: 5 Offseason Needs

2. Tackle

The loss of D’Brickashaw Ferguson to retirement hit harder than any Jets fan would have imagined. That is because some Jets fans saw the name signing of Ryan Clady and forgot that injury had decimated his career, and he is nowhere near the player that his name value suggested. The Jets have a club option on Clady’s deal and they would be insane to pick that up.

Ben Ijalana started 13 games at both tackle spots, but he is a free agent who may not be back. Breno Giacomo is a swing tackle at best, and the Jets can save about five million dollars by moving on from him, which would be in their best interest. However, if those three are gone this team is essentially tied into Brandon Shell, and Brent Qvale, two inexperienced players. The two should be competing for jobs, but needless to say, they need to add some competition to the mix.

A tackle will likely not be the pick in the first round, but sometime before round four, they should address that position. A veteran like Andrew Whitworth may be worth bringing these young guys along and providing solid play for a season or two along the way. Menelik Watson and Ricky Wagner are other names who could come in and start right away that are on the market. Needless to say, they need an impact player on that unit and they need it as soon as possible.