The New York Jets find themselves at 1-5 on the season and headed on a downward spiral under first-year head coach Robert Saleh.
New York is coming off a pathetic performance in a 54-13 loss to the New England Patriots. It just lost rookie quarterback Zach Wilson for multiple weeks to injury, only to reacquire Joe Flacco in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Ranked 32nd in scoring and 29th in points allowed, one might think that New York is about to go into fire sale mode ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
Not so fast. Saleh touched on that in his weekly press conference with reporters, making it clear that the Jets are not going to make trades just for the sake of being active.
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“I’m in complete lockstep with Joe with regards to making every decision that we need to make that’s in the best interest of this organization and the future of it and the direction we’re trying to go. So, if it’s something that will help us, great. If it’s not, great,” Saleh told reporters. “Forcing things is not Joe’s forte, he is very deliberate, he communicates with us all the time.”
Given that these Jets are one of the least-talented teams in the NFL, it’s an open question whether contenders will actually have interest in engaging them in trade talks. But there’s a few options to be moved.
New York Jets trade chips
- Jamison Crowder, wide receiver: There were some rumors leading up to the season that New York might look to move off this veteran pass-catcher. He’s slated to become a free agent next March and is seemingly holding back rookie second-round pick Elijah Moore. Crowder, 28, has recorded 15 catches for 119 yards in three games. He’d be of interest to teams with need at the slot. The veteran averaged 766 yards in his first two seasons with New York.
- Marcus Maye, safety: Yet another impending free agent, there’s been speculation that Maye wants to be traded. He’s playing under the franchise tag and believes his play has warranted a long-term contract. Maye, 28, is another player that would be of interest to contending teams giving his ball-hawk ability as a center fielder.
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These are two players that Saleh mentioned specifically that other teams have called about leading up to Tuesday’s trade deadline. But there’s lesser-known options out there.
- Tevin Coleman, running back: While this veteran has not done much for the New York Jets in 2021, he could be of interest as a depth option. Back in 2019 with San Francisco, Coleman tallied 724 total yards and seven touchdowns.
- C.J. Mosley, linebacker: Since signing a huge free-agent contract with the Jets ahead of the 2019 season, Mosley has not panned out. He missed all but two games of his first season with the team to injury and opted out of last year due to COVID-19. We’re still talking about a three-time Pro Bowler who could help out a contending team in need of linebacker help.
If we were to listen to what Saleh had to say, it’s not a sign that the Jets will be inactive on the trade front. Rather, it’s all about making sure that the team’s long-term plans are not thwarted. These four players mentioned above don’t have long-term futures in Jersey. Each one could be moved for the right price.