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The past few weeks, we’ve asked Gang Green Nation readers which players they’d most want from other teams (Buccaneers last week). With the Jets on their bye week, let’s reverse the question this time. Who do you think is the most intriguing Jet to a rival NFL team?
This question all depends on the type of team we’re talking about. Let’s start with a rebuilding team. A team in this state, like the Browns or 49ers, is probably worried less about present-day contribution and more about youth and upside. With that in mind, I think a rebuilding team would be most likely to take Jamal Adams. Just turning 22 this past October, he is a younger rookie. Adams has the leadership, passion, and versatility to be an excellent core piece to build a defense around. As one of the foundation parts of a rebuilding defense, he would give a team lots of freedom to fit incomplete but talented young players where they fit best as they develop.
Other candidates could include Marcus Maye or Leonard Williams. Both make tremendous cases, but I think Adams’ advantage in youth and upside compared to Maye and well-roundedness compared to Williams, a primarily interior defensive lineman, make #33 my choice. Darron Lee also makes a case here, as he was a young rookie as well and is a high-ceiling, low-floor kind of player who has shown lots of progress in his second year. Offensively, the only legitimate candidate to me is Robby Anderson. He’d be great to test out the arm of a young quarterback while opening things up underneath.
Poll
Which Jet would be most intriguing to a rebuilding team?
This poll is closed
-
56%
Jamal Adams
(438 votes) -
7%
Marcus Maye
(55 votes) -
27%
Leonard Williams
(216 votes) -
1%
Darron Lee
(11 votes) -
5%
Robby Anderson
(42 votes) -
1%
Other
(11 votes)
What if it was a contending team, like the Patriots or Steelers? Let’s say one of these teams had a tremendous injury or has a gaping hole in a certain spot, and needs a player who can help them win one playoff game. With those specifications, I think Adams drops off a bit compared to his intrigue to a rebuilding team. By all means, he has been a good player this year. He has had some troubles in coverage, though, specifically against tight ends, and that has held him back from being the team’s top performer.
In my opinion, Marcus Maye has been the best Jet this year, with his consistency, instincts, and smart positioning, but I wonder if a contending team would want to rely on a rookie safety in a key game. Leonard Williams seems like a safer choice and is my pick in this scenario. His stats have been below expectations, but his disruptiveness and impact have still been high-level this year. I think Morris Claiborne also makes an appearance in this discussion. His injury woes have come back the last couple weeks, but just prior to that he was locking down Julio Jones. Claiborne’s sound coverage this year has covered up some rough moments from the rest of the Jet corners. If healthy enough to play, Claiborne is as capable of helping a team as any Jet right now. Demario Davis is another strong candidate. He has value with his experience and on-field leadership at inside linebacker, and has played very well since a rough start to the year.
Besides Robby Anderson, is there a Jet offensive player a team would really want? Austin Seferian-Jenkins has been solid, but many playoff teams have better options at tight end. Bilal Powell hasn’t proven to be a reliable workhorse, but is versatile and an efficient big-play producer as a reserve, so he could be an option. Anyone else teams would clamor for? I don’t think so as of right now.
Poll
Which Jet would be most intriguing to a team trying to win one game?
This poll is closed
-
45%
Leonard Williams
(247 votes) -
4%
Marcus Maye
(25 votes) -
7%
Jamal Adams
(40 votes) -
5%
Demario Davis
(32 votes) -
6%
Morris Claiborne
(34 votes) -
17%
Robby Anderson
(92 votes) -
11%
Bilal Powell
(62 votes) -
1%
Other
(9 votes)