Are Jets in Full Rebuild Mode or Talented and Undisciplined?
With the Jets sitting as the NFL’s only winless team at 0-5 while also sporting a fourteen-year playoff drought, fans are understandably growing increasingly agitated as the season drags on. Some fans who were bought in to the hire of Aaron Glenn and told themselves he was the answer, are now demanding he be a 1-and-done head coach.
And one word we’ve seen floating around far more now than at any point this offseason is “rebuild”, as some suggest that’s the stage the Jets are in right now. Is that true though? Is Gang Green in a position in which the entire roster, or at least their 22 starters, need to be replaced? Not necessarily.
If you wan to see a team that needed to be torn down and built back up, look no further than the 2019 Jets, whose starting lineups on both sides of the ball were littered with players who would not only be benched, but out of the league entirely within just a season or two. Is this team today as bad as that team was in terms of talent? Not a chance.
In fact, their 0-5 record would suggest the Jets another collection of players who can’t get out of their own way in any facet of the game, but that’s simply not the case.
Gang Green is currently the NFL’s third-best rushing team behind a strong young offensive line that’s performing well despite the loss of guard Alijah Vera-Tucker just before the season got started.
On defense, they have multiple players who have either been all-pro or pro-bowlers at every level. So is this a roster that need to be completely gutted, or are there just some gaps that need to be filled?
We would argue the latter. The Jets are set on the offensive line with only Josh Myers being somebody they should explore upgrading this offseason. Breece Hall may not be around for much longer, but as long as he is, he gives the Jets a very good dual threat back who is currently averaging 5.3 yards per carry; his best production since his rookie season.
Of course the biggest hole on the roster is the most important one in the sport as Justin Fields struggles to produce points before games get out of hand. Aside from his touchdown pass in week 1 that gave Gang Green an early lead, his three scoring strikes since then have all come with the Jets trailing by at least two touchdowns. At this point in time, Fields would have to be viewed as a guy you don’t expect to move forward with for very long.
Other than Fields, the Jets have a gaping hole at WR2 where they hope Arian Smith will eventually step up, but that’s not likely to happen anytime soon. A viable slot receiver would also come in handy, but the need there isn’t as pressing with the recent emergence of rookie tight end Mason Taylor.
In the grand scheme of things, that’s not a great deal of need on offense. And on defense? Will McDonald, Quinnen Williams and Jermaine Johnson, for as long as they’re with the team, gives the Jets a trio of former first round picks who range anywhere from very good to all-pro. Jowon Briggs has been a nice find at defensive tackle, but if we assume he’s not a long-term answer, that gives you three out of four rock solid starters.
Quincy Williams is one of the top linebackers in the NFL and once healthy, should be in line for his best year as a pro in terms of getting to the quarterback. There’s no denying that the safety room is a mess and that Brandon Stephens is far from a sure thing as their second cornerback, but needing five or six players to round out your starting lineup is a far cry from having to overhaul more than half of them.
Browns’ OC Tommy Rees Shares Plans for New OT Cam Robinson After Limited Debut
The Cleveland Browns have been very busy on the trade market over the past couple of weeks, as they have swung three separate deals recently that have shaken up their roster. The first of that bunch saw them acquire offensive lineman Cam Robinson and a seventh-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft from the Houston Texans in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2027 draft.
With Dawand Jones suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 3, the Browns needed some more help at left tackle, which prompted them to make a move for the veteran Robinson. After playing sparingly in his first game with his new team, though, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees opened up on what Robinson’s role with Cleveland will be moving forward.
Tommy Rees Dishes on Cam Robinson
In addition to trading for Robinson, the Browns have also sent Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals after he was benched in favor of Dillon Gabriel and acquired Tyson Campbell from the Jacksonville Jaguars, with Greg Newsome II going the other way. Of these three moves, though, Robinson’s could end up being the most important given the team’s need for help at left tackle.
Even though Robinson turned in one of the best seasons of his career last year, this is his fourth team in the past 12 months. Robinson started the 2024 campaign with the Jaguars before getting traded to the Minnesota Vikings. In free agency over the offseason, Robinson signed with the Texans, but he quickly lost his starting job at left tackle, leading to him getting sent to the Browns.
Robinson started Cleveland’s first offensive series in its Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings before KT Leveston took over for him, which led to questions about Robinson’s role with the team moving forward. Rees refused to commit to Robinson as the team’s starter at left tackle in Week 6, but it sounds like his role should be expected to increase moving forward.
“Hard week for Cam. You come here and then all of a sudden, you’re going to Europe,” Rees said on Thursday. “We felt like he did a nice job during the week. We had a plan going into the game, get his feet wet a little bit, see how it continues to go. and evaluate him from there. He did a nice job for us a week ago getting ready to play, and we’ll continue to build on that.”
Will Cam Robinson Start for the Browns in Week 6?
It remains to be seen whether or not Robinson will start in Week 6, but the situation has been made a bit more complicated due to Leveston dealing with a calf injury that has limited him at practice on both Wednesday and Thursday. With Robinson not being on the injury report, could that lead to Cleveland taking the training wheels off for him sooner than expected?
The Browns draw a tough matchup in Week 6 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with their longtime division rival featuring a strong pass rush led by T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. If Cleveland’s offensive line doesn’t hold up, it could be a long day for Gabriel under center in this one. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon, and fans will be paying close attention to Robinson to see how much he plays after his limited debut in Week 5.
