Jets $36 Million Pickup Turned Heads For Wrong Reasons

The New York Jets wrapped up mandatory minicamp this week and there were a lot of positive takeaways and some that weren't as great.

The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt shared a column highlighting players who have raised and lowered their stocks so far this offseason. One player Rosenblatt said has had their stock go down is cornerback Brandon Stephens.

"Stock Down: CB Brandon Stephens," Rosenblatt said. "It’s too early to fret about Stephens, who has often been tasked with covering Wilson — a tough assignment for any cornerback. But the same things he was criticized for in Baltimore, so far, have shown up for the Jets: He maintains tight coverage but sometimes struggles to get his head turned around in time to break up a pass. The Jets staff believes in his tools, and he’ll have more opportunities to prove himself during training camp."

Stephens was a big-ticket free agent signing for the Jets this offseason as he inked a three-year, $36 million deal essentially to replace DJ Reed who left in free agency.

The 27-year-old spent the first four years of his career with the Baltimore Ravens before coming over in free agency. He started all 17 games for the Ravens last year and held opposing quarterbacks to a 64.7 percent completion percentage against him on 102 targets. He's big at 6'1'' and has the tools to thrive in Aaron Glenn's defense, but he's going to be someone to keep a close eye on as training camp approaches.