Most Underrated Offseason Move the Jets Made

The New York Jets have emerged as major winners this offseason. From trading a pair of seventh-round picks to acquire Minkah Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith, to selecting David Bailey, Kenyon Sadiq, and Omar Cooper Jr. in the first round, general manager Darren Mougey couldn’t have done a better job rebuilding the team. 

With Mougey and company’s draft additions garnering all the attention from fans these last few weeks, one of the franchise’s smartest moves has quietly flown under the radar. Dylan Parham is arguably the Jets' best free agent signing, inking a two-year, $16 million contract with Gang Green. 

New York desperately needed help up front following the departures of John Simpson and Alijah Vera-Tucker. With Parham’s experience and versatility, he provides them with a quality replacement at the position.

Dylan Parham will play a critical role in the Jets’ offense

By no means is Parham on the same tier as Chris Lindstrom or Quinn Meinerz; however, he’s a reliable guard who has proven capable of holding his own. While he doesn’t excel as a run or pass blocker, he’s been a steady contributor in both areas.

Last season, Parham earned a 63.6 overall grade, per Pro Football Focus, ranking 38th out of 81 qualified guards. Additionally, the former Memphis Tiger has experience at all three interior positions and has done a solid job. 

Across 3,803 career snaps, Parham has allowed 18 sacks, 21 quarterback hits, and 106 hurries. While last season wasn’t his best season, allowing six sacks and 17 hurries in 15 games, he was the only dependable piece on a dysfunctional Raiders’ line that gave up the most sacks (64) last year.

Fortunately for Parham, he’s in a substantially better situation with the Jets. Unlike Vegas, New York has invested heavily in its offensive line, using first-round selections on tackles Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou. 

With both players having good pass protection skills, Parham won’t have to extend help to either tackle and can focus on anchoring the middle. That’s where the Jets have struggled in recent years.

While Vera-Tucker was one of their best linemen, he could never stay healthy. Meanwhile, Simpson was a below-average player with the Jets and committed too many penalties, committing 17 in the last two seasons. 

With Parham, the Jets finally add much-needed stability up front, given he’s appeared in 64 out of 68 games. His reliability should have a direct impact on his former quarterback, Geno Smith, who was constantly under duress last year. 

Giving Smith comfort and time to throw to his new receiving corps was a clear priority of
Mougey, and he took advantage by signing Parham. 

Considering he’s not one of the best guards in the league, his signing hasn’t drawn as much buzz. But that doesn’t mean his addition isn’t important. He provides consistency and versatility to a Jets’ offensive line that needed it more than ever.