The New York Jets drew a ton of headlines this offseason as they made a major change to their roster. Ownership believed that the only thing keeping this team from being a contender was the lack of consistent production at the quarterback position. General manager Joe Douglas obliged in a big way.
The Jets ended up acquiring quarterback Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers. It is a similar path to what unfolded 15 years ago when Brett Favre left Green Bay and landed with the Jets to help jumpstart the franchise.
With Rodgers in the fold, some people believe that New York can be a dark horse Super Bowl contender this season. On paper, they have a strong roster, but even the best groups can always use a little tweaking.
The Jets should be looking to upgrade whenever possible. As long as Rodgers is on the team, their goal is Super Bowl or bust. One player who could really shake things up for them in the opinion of Joe Tansey of Bleacher Report is Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Buccaneers are facing a rebuild situation of their own after Tom Brady opted to retire this offseason. Entering the final season of his contract, Evans would make a lot of sense as a trade candidate as he doesn’t quite fit their timeline for a new deal.
The Jets’ wide receiver room is quite full after the offseason overhaul it underwent. Garrett Wilson and Corey Davis are holdovers with Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman and Randall Cobb being added to the mix.
It isn’t their biggest need, but a true No. 1 such as Evans could bring everything together. The same thought process could be used for DeAndre Hopkins, who Tansey listed but has since been released by the Arizona Cardinals and is a free agent.
The same cannot be said about running back, where the health of Breece Hall is paramount. He is returning this season from a torn ACL but the Jets didn’t do much to add to their backfield, only using a fifth-round pick on Israel Abanikanda out of Pittsburgh.
So, Tansey suggested Austin Ekeler as another trade target for the Jets. Putting as many weapons as possible around Rodgers makes sense and New York has been linked to some already. Free agent Dalvin Cook to the Jets has gained steam, so a veteran upgrade seems like something they would strongly consider.
Ekeler is an elite dual-threat running back possessing the versatility to even line up as a wide receiver. Also in the final year of his contract, it shouldn’t cost much to acquire him, especially if it is an in-season deal and the Los Angeles Chargers aren’t having as much success as they thought they would.
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