New York Jets: All-Pro guard Joe Thuney would be ‘safe investment’ in FA

The New York Jets should make a ‘safe investment’ in free agency in 2020. Here’s why All-Pro guard Joe Thuney should be the team’s target this March.

Over the years the New York Jets have made plenty of splashes in free agency with big sexy additions.

Those moves made the back cover of magazines and newspapers throughout New York state. While technically the green and white haven’t won a Super Bowl in over 50 years, they’ve won plenty of offseason trophies that mean absolutely nothing.

In 2020 it’s time for a change.

The team has over $60 million in cap space and could project to have upwards of $80 million come free agency (with potential cap casualties and some roster finagling). A large portion of those funds should be invested in the offensive line and one player that would be a safe investment would be New England Patriots All-Pro guard Joe Thuney.

Thuney is the perfect type of free agent the New York Jets should be investing in:

• Young (27).
  • Too often the New York Jets have paid players for what they’ve done in the past and not on what they’ll do in the future.
• Durable.
  • Since Joe entered the league back in 2016, he’s made 64 consecutive starts over four seasons. Last year he was voted a second-team All-Pro at guard.

The #Jets Zone w/ @BoyGreen25:– #SeniorBowl chat.– STORY TIME: that one time Paul awkwardly met Eli Manning in person. – Addressing #NFLDraft rumors that could help/hurt #TakeFlight in 2020.– Which players is team fielding calls on?#ThankYouEli https://t.co/DEMz804zf9

— The Jets Zone (@TheJets_Zone) January 24, 2020

Now if the Jets decide to pay Joe Thuney, it’s going to cost a ton of money. Per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, “Joe Thuney could fetch at least $13 million per season on a long-term deal.”

Although that’d be a small price to pay to ensure the health of the team’s franchise quarterback in Sam Darnold. Thuney plays left guard and currently, the Jets have a gaping hole at that position on the line.

Kelechi Osemele is long gone and his temporary replacement Alex Lewis is a pending free agent. So why not fill the void with arguably the best offensive linemen available on the open market?