Jets Free Agency: Initial grade and analysis of Trumaine Johnson

The New York Jets made their first major move in free agency Tuesday evening signing cornerback Trumaine Johnson as the ultimate highlight of a big day of signings for the team.

Breathe easy New York Jets fans. Take a deep breath and let out a long sigh of relief. The Jets have officially agreed to a contract with star cornerback Trumaine Johnson which not only serves as the first large-scale splash for New York in free agency but also as an alleviation tool for the Jets faithful who had gone into complete crisis mode just hours earlier.

The signing of Johnson will help add to an already young Jets secondary and may very well establish the position group as an area of strength. Gang Green’s defense ranked 21st last season against the pass and with the return of Morris Claiborne still uncertain, Johnson is a huge get for the Jets.

A secondary featuring Johnson, Jamal Adams, and Marcus Maye is now all but a lock for the 2018 Jets and the team hopes this will be a defensive backbone for the franchise for years to come.

Contract details

Johnson signed a five-year deal worth $72.5 million with $11 million in injury guarantees.

National reaction

The best cornerback available in free agency is going to the Jets https://t.co/FWcSQ4Cd1L

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 13, 2018

#Jets secondary now features Trumaine Johnson, Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye.

Unlikely Maccagnan finished, either.

— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) March 13, 2018

You put Trumaine Johnson with Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye, and Todd Bowles finally has the kind of secondary he's always envisioned. They'll be real good if they can add another CB, maybe Claiborne. #Jets

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 13, 2018

Grade

The Johnson signing is the type of move Jets fans had been waiting for all offseason and it certainly paid off. The former Los Angeles Ram now gives the team a true number one cornerback and arguably the best the team has had since Darrelle Revis … the first time around.

More from Free Agency

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• NY Jets: Why the team should not cut Jamison Crowder
• NY Jets should try to sign Kenny Golladay in free agency
• NY Jets: Jonnu Smith would be a smart free-agent target
• NY Jets expected to be ‘much more aggressive’ in free agency this year

Johnson is spectacular in press coverage and his large frame makes him one of the most physical corners in the league today. At 6’2″ and with the strengths he has, both metaphorically and literally speaking, Johnson is an ideal fit for Todd Bowles defensive scheme and it allows the New York coach the opportunity to finally mold this defense into what he has always visualized.

Most importantly it gives the team an identity. Every young, up-and-coming team needs to establish an identity that defines who they are and play their brand of football. For a while in this rebuild, it didn’t appear that the Jets had found theirs.

With the addition of Johnson, the Jets have finally developed a sense of self. And that concept is more important than any accolade or statistic that could be thrown out there.

Final Grade: A