The offensive tackle position has been an interesting area of focus for the Jets this offseason. The starters are believed to be in place, but veteran depth could soon be on the way as well.
The team is hosting Riley Reiff today, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The 33-year-old is coming off a one-year stint with the Bengals. He started the first 12 games of the season, but landed on IR in December. That kept him out of the remainder of the regular season, as well as the team’s run to the Super Bowl.
Reiff was rated similarly to recent years by PFF in 2021, with an overall grade of 67.3. While that continued his career arc of solid, but never Pro Bowl-caliber play, the team found a replacement in free agency by signing La’el Collins. That left the Iowa product on the move for the third time in his career.
A first round pick of the Lions in 2012, Reiff took over as a full-time starter one season later. His play led to a five-year, $58.75M deal with the Vikings in 2017. While he started all 58 contests he played in with Minnesota, he never lived up to the expectations which came with such a lucrative deal. After taking a pay cut at the start of the 2020 campaign, Reiff was released last March.
That gave him the chance to build back some value during his time in Cincinnati, though he obviously wasn’t among the most sought-after players during the initial waves of free agency. If he were to sign with the Jets, he would provide experienced depth after the departure of Morgan Moses. The team has made it clear Mekhi Becton and George Fant will start, but it remains to be seen on which side of the unit they will be deployed. Reiff would represent a more experienced alternative to Conor McDermott or Greg Senat, who are currently the team’s top backups.
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