Jets Free Agency: Initial grade and analysis of Cairo Santos

The New York Jets quickly replaced the departing Chandler Catanzaro with kicker Cairo Santos in a move that could be considered done out of desperation.

When news broke that kicker Chandler Catanzaro was bolting via free agency to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New York Jets quickly went to work to find his replacement. Within a matter of hours, the Jets came to terms with kicker Cairo Santos.

Would it have been better for the Jets to have been a bit patient? Santos made NFL history by being the first Brazilian born player to make and play on an active roster and had some good first years with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Before he got hurt last season, Santos averaged an 84.3 percent success rate of his field goals. He also averaged a successful 95.8 percent of extra points made. On the stats sheet, his numbers look good but most concerning of all is the fact that he landed on the injured reserve list twice last season.

First with the Chiefs until he was released and once again when he ended up with the Chicago Bears. Santos only played in a handful of games last season due to a lingering groin injury. The Jets are taking a big risk here since if he’s overworked due to kicking a lot of field goals, there is a high chance he’ll probably end up getting hurt again.

Contract details

Claiborne signed a one-year deal with the Jets. Financial details of the contract haven’t been made publically available yet.

National reaction

Former Chiefs' and Bears' kicker Cairo Santos is signing a one-year contract with the New York Jets.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2018

“The moment I stepped in the door, I was sold," said new #Jets placekicker Cairo Santos: https://t.co/VC9MqXqde5. #NFLFreeAgency pic.twitter.com/eVlaf16grn

— Eric Allen (@eallenjets) March 15, 2018

Grade

It looks like the Jets made this free agent acquisition out of desperation just to get someone with starting experience in the mix. Considering how well kicker Ross Martin did last summer in training camp for the Jets, makes this a head-scratching move.

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The Jets would have been better off being patient and waiting to see what other options there were with kickers in free agency. They probably could have even used one of their late-round picks in the 2018 NFL Draft on one.

Santos might turn out to be decent but if his groin injury acts up again, this move could turn into a disaster when it matters most during the regular season.

Hopefully, things work out for the Jets but they might regret making this free agent move. Considering that no financial details have surfaced yet, this one-year deal is probably an inexpensive one at that due to his injury history.

Final Grade: D+