If this were a feel-good movie, it would be the one where the Jets make a grand gesture and reunite two people who were never meant to be apart.
However, there's no guarantee that the Jets' melodrama and trade-hopped Raiders receiver Davante Adams to pair with Aaron Rodgers will turn things around. Or as good as it was when these two formed a deadly relationship with the Packers.
According to various reports, Adams has the Jets and Saints (who former NFL teammate Derek Carr is pitching for in college) at the top of his wish list, with the Jets, Cowboys, Bills and Steelers ahead of the Raiders. It is said that he has a contract with.
According to Sports Illustrated, teams in the trade market believe Adams is trying to plot his way to the Jets.
“We're always looking at ways to improve our roster, whether it's utilizing the players we have here or moving them to different spots on the field,” Jets head coach Robert Saleh said before Wednesday's practice. It will be,” he said. “We’re always going to figure out the best way to utilize our players.”
Saleh was careful not to violate the NFL's tampering rules, but reports have suggested the pros and cons of the Jets meeting with the Raiders, who have asked to acquire Adams for a second-round draft pick plus more. Both arguments are as follows.
Strong Points
1. He's still very good, isn't he?: Adams, 31, averaged 102 catches, 1,330 yards and 11 touchdowns in 17 games in his first two seasons in Las Vegas. He's not just Rodgers' creation, and he might be able to teach rising star Garrett Wilson a trick or two.
“He's one of my favorite teammates and one of my biggest mentors,” said Jets receiver Allen Lazard, who played with Adams for four years. “I’m so grateful for the time we spent together doing what we did in Green Bay.”
Adams' numbers are down this year, but that may be due to subpar QB Gardner Minshew and a hamstring injury.
ESPN analysis shows Adams has fewer lanes available for the fifth year in a row and fishing productivity has declined for the third year in a row, raising concerns that yards are becoming less available. .
2. Chemistry with Rogers: How is it possible that Wilson is on pace to do worse against Rodgers than he did in his first two seasons with other mediocre (or worse) quarterbacks?
Rodgers is known for holding his receivers to very high standards in everything from learning hand signals to route coordination.
Adams caught 622 passes for 7,590 yards and 69 touchdowns from Rodgers.
“They were together for eight years,” Lazard said. “It's something that was built over time. It didn't happen overnight. It took a lot of mistakes, a lot of incompletions and a lot of bad plays to get to this point.”
3. You're already all in: The Jets have been fully committed to Rodgers since January 2023, prior to acquiring him, and have been aiming for a Super Bowl appearance.
They hired offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and signed Lazard, receiver Randall Cobb, backup quarterback Tim Boyle, and offensive tackle Billy Turner (all friends of Rodgers) for the 2023 season. .
Why draw the line now at Rodgers' desire to reunite with the most talented band of all these players?
The Jets also treated 2024 like a win-or-lose affair by trading away rental Haason Reddick, but it turned out to be a disaster as they continue to have expensive holdouts.
Left tackle Tyron Smith, right tackle Morgan Moses and receiver Mike Williams were added as high-end, one-year stopgaps.
Cons
1. Locker Room Messaging: There are limited paths to go around.
Wilson is a proven No. 1 receiver.
Williams ranks second among active players with 15.5 career yards per catch and appears to be doing well after missing the offseason while rehabbing a torn ACL.
Lazard led the team with 206 receiving yards and three touchdowns, and the trust he has developed over the years with Rodgers has helped him forget about last season's struggles.
Dropping all these players into spots playing on Rodgers' favorite team would send a dangerous sidekick message to Wilson, who is already unhappy with the new route-running restrictions on offense. — and the annual receiver, which means he'll make $10 million (Williams) or $11 million (Lazard), will be taken as the No. 5 option after factoring in slot receiver Xavier Gipson. .
“We're going to focus on the players we have here,” Saleh said.
2. Greater needs: Due to the unresolved Redick holdout and John Franklin Myers' non-payment, the Jets lack a defensive line that works best with a deep rotation.
Breakout sophomore Will McDonald has five of his 14 sacks.
On the O-line, Smith was injury-prone, Moses was sidelined, and rookie first-round pick Olu Fashanu struggled in Moses' place in his first career start.
If the Jets are going to trade and build up draft capital, there are positions that need more attention.
The Jets' salary cap allocation to receivers ($23.4 million) is already the 14th highest in the league this year, according to Spotrac.com.
3. Finances: Acquiring Adams now would eat up about $13.5 million of the Jets' $15.3 million salary cap space, raising the possibility that other reorganization would be necessary to get through the season. Adams' salary will decrease by $983,333 per week.
Adams' contract runs through 2026, but there is no money guaranteed beyond this season. He may be looking for a layoff.
The Jets, who have some important extension talks on the horizon, have no intention of redoing Redick's contract until he shows up and proves himself. Why does Adams' stance change?
