The New York Jets still don’t have a trade in place for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but the franchise is expected to keep taking steps that would make the future Hall of Famer happy.
New York began the offseason by firing offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and replacing him with Nathaniel Hackett. Immediately after the hire, speculation emerged that the Jets could make a push for Rodgers if the Green Bay Packers were open to trading him.
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Rodgers, age 39, has called Hackett one of his favorite coaches across his entire NFL career. The four-time NFL MVP credits much of his success to Hackett and likes the way he runs offenses and interacts with players.
Once Green Bay made its intentions with Rodgers clear, New York flew its team officials to California to meet with Rodgers. Days later, the franchise signed wide receiver Allen Lazard with the hope of reuniting him with Rodgers.
There is still no deal in place with negotiations between the two sides reportedly hitting a wall this week. In the meantime, it seems general manager Joe Douglas could start looking toward NFL free agency for more additions that would make Rodgers happy in New York.
Related: Aaron Rodgers trade talks at a ‘standstill’
Yahoo Sports NFL insider Charles Robinson shared on the You Pod to Win the Game podcast that he expects the Jets to sign at least one of Randall Cobb or Marcedes Lewis, potentially both.
“I’d be surprised if they didn’t add either Randall Cobb or Marcedes Lewis or both by the time this is all said and done.”
Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson on New York Jets possibly adding more players Aaron Rodgers knows
Lewis, who turns 39 years old in May, is the better fit for New York. While the 6-foot-6 tight end is no longer a viable receiving threat outside of the red zone, he remains one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL. Lewis’s leadership, blocking and familiarity with Hackett’s offense would all make him an ideal fit for New York.
On paper, Cobb doesn’t fit as easily into the Jets’ plans. Entering his age-33 season, Cobb ranked 67th in target separation (1.64), 41st in yards per route run (41st) and 86th in air yards (481) last season in Green Bay. While he is a close friend of Rodgers and a go-to target on the field, he is currently a worse wide receiver than Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis, Mecole Hardman and Lazard.
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However, the Jets might be preparing for trade talks with the Packers to drag out. If a deal isn’t reached by training camp and Rodgers doesn’t spend a lot of time practicing with his new receivers, New York will want as many familiar receiving options as possible on the roster. If that happens, adding Cobb and Lewis makes sense from a short-term perspective.