New York Jets 2019 Season – Three Causes for Optimism & Concern

Stephen Russo with three reasons for optimism and three reasons for concern on the 2019 New York Jets

Optimism is a dangerous and foreign term in the minds of Jets’ fans. It appears we have traveled quickly from the days of the Rex Ryan bravado and gloating about taking down the Patriots, to wallowing in despair and pleading to the Football Gods to just allow us to watch meaningful games in December. Whether it’s Sam Darnold’s highlight reel final games of the 2018 season that excited the fanbase for the future, or the glaring roster holes as the season quickly approaches, there are certainly causes for optimism and concern. Let’s look at the top reasons for both…

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New York Jets – Day Before NFL Draft Mock Draft Roundup

Stephen Russo rounds up all the day before NFL Draft mock picks for the New York Jets

Is Arizona drafting Kyler Murray number one overall? Does San Francisco truly value Quinnen Williams over Nick Bosa? Is the smoke around the Jets and Ed Oliver real? We have reached that time of year (which is pretty much year-round at this point) where you can’t believe a single word from any “source” regarding what will happen on Thursday night in Nashville at the 2019 NFL Draft. The rumor mill is in full swing. Smoke screens are everywhere. Per Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, who tweeted out that his trusted source said “No one f**king knows anything right now. It’s going to be an interesting Thursday night.”

Simply put: Trust. No. One.

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Derrick Jones & Deontay Burnett – Can They Take the Next Step in 2019?

Stephen Russo with a closer look at whether WR Deontay Burnett and CB Derrick Jones can develop into major contributors for the 2019 New York Jets…

Todd Bowles’ tenure with the Jets cannot be described in just one word, but I think the word ‘frustrating’ encompasses the emotion that Jets’ fans feel towards the previous Head Coach. His in-game management and gameday roster decisions were perplexing. The overall stubbornness and unwillingness to change or admit fault was particularly maddening, especially when it came to the personnel decisions late in a lost season. In 2018, while the Jets were clearly struggling and playing meaningless football in late November and December, Bowles still seemed hesitant to give young players a chance.

Two of those players were Derrick Jones and Deontay Burnett, who were unquestionable rising stars among the Couch Coaches of Jets’ Twitter. Even if these two don’t blossom into Deion Sanders and Jerry Rice like many fans expect, one thing is certain: they should be given a chance to earn themselves more playing time than what Bowles’ provided. Allow me to take a closer look at their careers to date to see what we may anticipate from Jones and Burnett as we enter a new year, with new coaches and new systems.

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New York Jets – Tom Compton & Chandler Catanzaro Signings, A Closer Look

Stephen Russo with a closer look at the signings of Tom Compton and Chandler Catanzaro

The Jets’ were in on their fair share of big market names at the start of this free agency period. Two of the more under-the-radar moves that they did make were Tom Compton and Chandler Catanzaro signings. Let’s take a closer look at those moves below.

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New York Jets FA Addition Breakdown – WR Josh Bellamy

Stepehn Russon with a closer look at the Jets signing of WR/special teamer Josh Bellamy

The Jets were one of the more active teams at the start of the 2019 Free Agency period, signing and trading for impact players to address immediate needs. One of the early moves they made was jumping to sign Josh Bellamy, a 29-year-old wide receiver with good size (6ft, 210lbs), formerly of the Bears.

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The Best & Worst of Mike Maccagnan Through Four Seasons

Stephen Russo on the best/worst of Mike Maccagnan so far during his Jets tenure

Let’s take a walk down memory lane and look at the best and worst of Maccagnan’s first four years as Jets’ General Manager.

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Free Agent Cornerbacks – Who Should New York Jets Target?

Free agency is less than a week away and the Jets are entering with one starting caliber (loose term) cornerback on the roster in Trumaine Johnson. The Jets need help in the secondary. Let’s look at the top five options in the free agent cornerback market…

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New York Jets – Top Five Free Agent RB Options

Stephen Russo ranks the top five free agent targets for the New York Jets at running back…

Let’s dive into Free Agency and look at the best options that can immediately upgrade the Jets’ talent level and assist Darnold in both the run and pass game: Running Backs. Here are my top five free agent targets at the running back position:

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New York Jets – Top 5 Free Agent Linebacker Targets

Stephen Russo ranks the top free agent linebacker targets for the New York Jets in free agency

The NFL is an offensive league. Plain and simple. The New York Jets have neglected the offensive side of the football for far too long, and the game has surpassed them. There is no question that the Jets should invest most of their capital (draft, free agency, trades) on offensive weapons to surround Sam Darnold with. However, this doesn’t mean that you can completely neglect the defense. Jets fans have witnessed far too many late-game situations where their defense has folded in big moments (see 2018 Browns, Titans, Texans, Packers games).

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New York Jets – Assessing Mike Maccagnan’s First Four Years As GM

Stephen Russo with a recap of Mike Maccagnan’s first four years as GM of the New York Jets

As we quickly approach arguably the most important offseason in the organization’s history, I’d like to take a closer look at the man who will be assembling the talent around Sam Darnold and getting Jamal Adams more “dawgs”: Mike Maccagnan (will refer to him as “MM” for remainder of the article).

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