The NY Jets are coming off of another disappointing season and after the way the offense performed, the team is looking to upgrade and names like Golden Tate, Hakeem Nicks, Eric Decker, Michael Vick, Brandon Pettigrew, Darren McFadden and Ben Tate could be targets for the 2014 season, as the team will have some money to spend.
The Jets missed the playoffs again last season and now they come into the offseason looking to upgrade on offense, as their skill position players were some of the worst in the league. The team is expected to have about $20 million in cap space to work with and while that's not a ton, that is plenty more than some other teams and the Jets would be wise to get some more weapons for Geno Smith.
The team never did that for Mark Sanchez, claiming each season they were getting "better" but each season they let players leave like Thomas Jones, Brad Smith and Jerricho Cotchery and replacing them with older players and then blaming Sanchez for being terrible. The Jets always act this way, but this season they have a chance to change that and they could do that by signing some names. Nicks and Decker are options, but if they are too expensive, names like James Jones, Tate and Sidney Rice could be possible pickups.
The team likely will release Mark Sanchez and some names they are looking to re-sign include Jeff Cumberland and Austin Howard. Santonio Holmes and Antonio Cromartie are likely gone and that gives the team some more money to spend and Tate could be a cheaper option, as he made less than $700,000 last year. Tate is coming off of a Super Bowl championship with the Seahawks and he should be getting between $4 and $6 million per season and that is in the wheelhouse for the Jets.
Tate is coming off of a 64 catch, 898 yard season with five touchdowns and his skill returning punts is another plus for the Jets, as they love to use players on special teams as well. Tate will be 26 when the season starts and that is a solid age for the type of player he is, as he has great speed and is solid running after the catch, as he led the league in yards on average after the catch and that could be a new element to the offense for the Jets, an explosiveness they sorely lacked last season.
Michael Vick and Josh McCown could be veteran quarterback options to compete with Geno Smith and they both will likely get attention on the market. The team could offer Nicks the ability to stay home and change teams, while Decker would get an upgrade as a number one or two receiver with the Jets if he signed. The team may look at Pettigrew as well even if they sign Cumberland, as the tight end position could be a huge weapon for Smith this season. The Jets have money to spend and some big decisions to make.
