NY Jets: Should the team re-sign or decline Brian Poole?

The NY Jets have some very important decisions to make this offseason and one of the most crucial will be whether or not to re-sign Brian Poole.

The NY Jets have a number of key internal free agents to make decisions on in the coming weeks. And perhaps the most important of which will be cornerback Brian Poole.

Poole was signed by the Jets to a cheap, one-year, prove-it deal this past offseason worth just $3 million. But by the end of the season, it’s safe to say that he significantly outplayed that meager contract.

The nickel cornerback played perhaps the best season of his NFL career providing stability to a previously unstable cornerback group. While the likes of Trumaine Johnson and Darryl Roberts faltered and were later replaced, Poole remained steadfast holding down his starting role for the entire year.

On an injury-riddled Jets defense, Poole was one of the many bright spots who stepped up and made the unit one of the best in the league despite their glaring holes.

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After three seasons of decreasing play with the Atlanta Falcons, Poole regained his rookie form with the Jets and is expected to be paid handsomely for it come free agency.

So with Poole set to hit the open market, will the Jets be able to bring him back?

Should the Jets re-sign him?

Out of all 21 of the Jets unresected free agents this offseason, Poole should be the easiest decision.

The 27-year-old earned an excellent 79.0 Pro Football Focus grade for his efforts last season which ranked ahead of star cornerbacks like Tre’Davious White and Marshon Lattimore. In one season, he established himself as one of the premier slot corners in the league.

Expect him to want to be paid as such too.

Last offseason, the Denver Broncos signed Bryce Callahan to a three-year, $21 million contract while the Detroit Lions signed Justin Coleman to a four-year, $36 million deal. Expect Poole’s to be somewhere in between those two.

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Perhaps a three-year, $27 million deal worth around $9 million per season seems fair given his stellar play in 2019. If that’s the price tag, there’s little argument that the Jets should pay it.

There’s no sense in losing your most valuable player at a major position of need especially when you could afford the contract.

The Jets must do everything they can to bring Poole back in 2020.

Will the Jets re-sign him?

With any free agent coming off a career year, there’s always a little hesitation. But with Poole, it seems unlikely that the Jets will think twice about wanting him back.

He was too good in 2019 and is too valuable for the team to simply let him walk without a fight. The Jets will make a play for Poole — but whether they could re-sign him or not remains a different story.

The market for him will likely be extensive, meaning that the Jets’ best chances are coming to terms on a deal before the start of free agency. If not, they risk entering into a bidding war that they might not want to even win.

Still, it does seem likely that Poole will be back in green and white in 2020 given everything that we’ve heard so far.

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At the moment, it seems more likely than not that the Jets will find a way to re-sign Brian Poole.

Odds of re-signing: 60%

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