Between now and the end of August, TGS will offer up a quick snapshot of every NFL team heading into the 2016 regular season. Today, the New York Jets.
2015 in a nutshell: Led by the league’s No. 4-ranked defense, they win 10 games but fall just short of the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.
Why 2016 could be different: Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick botched a do-or-die game to conclude the 2015 season, and only came back after the Jets played contract hardball with him for almost the entire offseason. He’s 33 now, and there’s no guarantee he’ll be as effective this year as he was in 2015.
Major additions: They added two-time Pro Bowl back Matt Forte and veteran defensive tackle Steve McLendon in free agency.
Major losses: Gone are linebackers Demario Davis, Quinton Coples and Calvin Pace, as well as nose tackle Damon Harrison and running back Chris Ivory.
Breakout watch: With big-money defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson still easing back from a leg injury and the linebacker corps facing questions (more on that in a moment), they’ll be looking for 2015 first-round pick Leonard Williams to step up. He’s been getting strong reviews this summer.
Position to watch: The linebacker corps is in a transition period, with Davis, Pace and Coples gone, David Harris entering his 10th season and youngsters Lorenzo Mauldin and Jordan Jenkins slated to play major roles. Throw in veteran Erin Henderson and they have a nice mix of youth and experience, but Jenkins is a rookie third-round pick and Mauldin has just one career start under his belt.
Prediction: If anything, they got slightly worse in the offseason. And I don’t totally trust Fitzpatrick. I like head coach Todd Bowles, but I don’t think his team has enough to unseat the Patriots. The Jets will win eight or nine games, again just missing out on the playoffs.
