Grading every NY Jets signing and re-signing in 2025 free agency

The New York Jets may not have been the flashiest or highest-spending team in free agency this offseason, but they certainly were among the most active. The Jets agreed to deals with a whopping 13 different players at the time of writing, and that's not including their own internal free agents they retained.

Some of those signings were notable and feature players who will serve an important role on the team's 2025 roster, for better or worse. Others are simply players who will be vying for a roster spot this summer.

Which Jets free agent signings were the best, however? Which moves are the most questionable? We took a quick look and graded every Jets free-agency signing and re-signing of the offseason to this point.

Grading the NY Jets free agency signings

QB Justin Fields: A

The Jets signed Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract with $30 million in guarantees to be their new starting quarterback. The Fields addition was the most high-profile of the offseason, and it was arguably the team's best.

Fields may not be a long-term solution for the Jets, but he gives the team a starting-caliber bridge option with legitimate upside — something essentially no other option on the market could provide.

The former Chicago Bears first-round pick also brings a new element to the Jets' offense with his natural athleticism and rushing ability. There were no perfect quarterback options for the Jets this offseason, but Fields was their best option. The 'A' grade is on a curve relative to other feasible QB targets.

CB Brandon Stephens: D+

Brandon Stephens is the only other free agent the Jets signed to a multi-year contract this offseason. The Jets gave Stephens a three-year, $36 million deal with $23 million in guarantees to essentially be their D.J. Reed replacement.

That's a large sum of money and lofty expectations for a player who was one of the worst starting cornerbacks in the NFL last season. The Jets are betting on athleticism and upside with Stephens, who only turned 27 a few months ago.

Still, it's hard to believe the Jets couldn't have used this money to make other moves. Unless Stephens vastly outperforms his Baltimore Ravens tape, the Jets might end up regretting this signing.

SAF Andre Cisco: B+

Andre Cisco is the third and final Jets addition who is locked into a starting role. The Jets signed Cisco to a one-year, $10 million contract in a deal that makes plenty of sense for both sides.

Cisco is coming off a down year with the Jacksonville Jaguars but has three seasons of quality tape on his resume. The former Syracuse standout has flashed his playmaking ability, racking up eight interceptions over the last three years.

The Jets needed a rangy safety like Cisco in their secondary. It's only a one-year deal, but Cisco is an excellent fit in Steve Wilks' defense and is primed for a bounce-back season.

TE Stone Smartt: B+

Stone Smartt is probably the most intriguing one-year flier signing the Jets made this offseason. A former college quarterback and wide receiver, Smartt has only been playing the tight end position for three years, but he flashed his upside as a receiver last year.

In a four-week span from Week 13 to 16 last season — the only four games he played at least 30 percent of offensive snaps — Smartt hauled in 13 catches for 164 yards. He's never going to be a great in-line blocker, but Smartt has a chance to carve out a legitimate role as a receiving threat in this Jets offense.

WR Tyler Johnson: B

Tyler Johnson is another young pass-catcher the Jets are hoping to continue developing in 2025. The former Minnesota star found a home with the Los Angeles Rams last season, hauling in 26 catches for 291 yards and a touchdown in 15 games.

Like Smartt, Johnson has made the most of his limited opportunities. He’s hauled in an impressive 13 of 19 contested-catch targets in his NFL career, including 5 of 8 last season. As it stands, Johnson is currently listed as the Jets’ WR3 on the depth chart.

C Josh Myers: A-

It's hard to find quality offensive line depth in the NFL, but the Jets did just that this offseason, signing former Green Bay Packers starting center Josh Myers to a one-year, $3.5 million contract.

Myers has started all 56 games in his career for the Packers at center, and while he was one of the weak links of Green Bay's offensive line, he's still arguably a starting-caliber center. That's fantastic depth for the Jets to have.

Myers is also more durable than his backup interior offensive line predecessor, Wes Schweitzer, having missed just one game over the last three seasons. This is the kind of under-the-radar signing that could prove to be a valuable addition in 2025.

OT Chukwuma Okorafor: C

If the Jets view Chukwuma Okorafor as a veteran depth piece competing for a roster spot, the signing makes sense. But if the plan is for him to potentially start Week 1 at right tackle, it could be a disaster in the making.

Okorafor was benched by the New England Patriots last season after just 12 snaps and essentially quit the team following the game. He was previously benched as a starter by the Pittsburgh Steelers the year prior.

The 'C' grade here is largely contingent on the Jets' plans for the veteran tackle. If he's a body competing for a roster spot, there's no issue here. But if he's expected to factor into the right tackle plans in 2025, this signing probably drops to the 'D' or 'F' range.

DT Derrick Nnadi: C+

The Jets needed to bolster their interior defensive line, and Derrick Nnadi gives the team the big-boded 1-tech run-stuffer they've been searching for. Nnadi also brings plenty of high-level experience, having started 87 of 115 games for the Kansas City Chiefs over the last seven seasons.

Unfortunately, this version of Nnadi is far from his peak, which is partially why he was relegated to a bench role in 2024. Still, he fits the archetype of player the Jets needed and should be quality interior depth.

DT Byron Cowart: C

Byron Cowart is another depth defensive line signing. A former top recruit and fourth-round pick of the New England Patriots, Cowart was able to carve out a rotation role with the Chicago Bears last season after spending 2023 essentially out of football.

Cowart was moderately efficient as an interior pass rusher but was ultimately one of the weaker links on a bad Bears defensive line. He should be expected to compete for a roster spot in the summer.

DT Jay Tufele: C-

Jay Tufele exists. That's probably about the best analysis we could provide. At 6-foot-3, 305 pounds, Tufele has been a fringe rotation defensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals over the last three seasons, grading out as one of the worst interior defensive linemen in the NFL.

Tufele is here to compete for a spot in the summer and fill out the 90-man roster. Unless he surprises, I wouldn't expect him to play a major role in 2025.

DE Rashad Weaver: C

Another one-year flier, Rashad Weaver had his most productive season with the Tennessee Titans in 2022 when he finished the year with 5.5 sacks. Unfortunately, that's the only year of his NFL career he's actually registered a sack.

Weaver was waived by the Titans as part of final roster cuts last summer and spent much of the 2024 season on the Houston Texans' practice squad. That's why it came as a surprise that he was one of the Jets' first free-agency signings, but it's hard to have strong feelings about a player likely signed to the minimum.

CB Kris Boyd: C

The Jets needed a replacement for Brandin Echols as both a depth cornerback and core special-teamer. Kris Boyd gives them that.

A former Texas standout, Boyd has carved out a nice NFL career as a regular special-teams contributor who can play cornerback in a pinch. He was drafted by Jets senior football advisor Rick Spielman in Minnesota, which could at least partially explain why he was signed.

P Austin McNamara: B-

Punter Thomas Morstead quietly had a disappointing 2024 season, and given that he's the oldest player on the roster at 39 years old, it makes sense that the Jets are looking at contingency plans. The Austin McNamara signing makes sense for that reason.

McNamara had a decorated career at Texas Tech, earning All-Big 12 honors on four separate occasions before signing with the Bengals last spring. He wasn't able to win the punter job, but he'll have another chance this summer in what should be an open competition with the incumbent Morstead.

Grading the NY Jets re-signings

LB Jamien Sherwood: A-

The Jets re-signed Jamien Sherwood to a 3-year, $45 million contract with $30 million in guarantees on the eve of free agency, somewhat surprisingly retaining a core young player who many expected to have a massive market.

Sherwood is the type of player you don't let leave the building. The former college safety turned 25 just a couple of months ago and is coming off a breakout season in which he received All-Pro votes.

Sherwood is an ascending young player who should be a building block for the Jets' defense moving forward. His re-signing does call into question the future of Quincy Williams, but as a standalone transaction, it's hard not to see this as one of the Jets' best moves of the offseason.

SAF Tony Adams (tendered): B

The Jets re-signed safety Tony Adams, a restricted free agent, on a right-of-first-refusal tender worth $3.2 million. Despite his unprompted benching at the hands of owner Woody Johnson, Adams was quietly the Jets' best safety in 2024.

The former undrafted free agent is a starting-caliber player who should be in the mix for the safety spot opposite Cisco this season. While the Jets will likely add some extra competition, Adams is a talented young player, and bringing him back for another year was absolutely the right move.

DB Isaiah Oliver: B+

Isaiah Oliver was sneakily one of the Jets' best free-agent signings a year ago. A converted cornerback, Oliver filled in at both safety and nickel corner last season, holding his own in a semi-starting role.

The former second-round pick played under Steve Wilks in San Francisco and is an excellent depth piece in any NFL secondary. He has the versatility to be both the team's primary backup nickel and their third or fourth safety while doubling as a core special-teamer. This was an underrated move.

RB/KR Kene Nwangwu: B

A former All-Pro kick returner, it's incredible the Jets took so long to give Kene Nwangwu, who spent much of the year on the team's practice squad, an opportunity. Once they did, Nwangwu made the most of his touches.

The former Vikings draft pick took one of just three kickoffs he returned all the way for a touchdown before suffering a hand injury in only his second game. Nwangwu should be considered the odds-on favorite to be the Jets' starting kick returner in 2025.

LB Jamin Davis: C

Jamin Davis had a blink-and-you'll-miss-it stint with the Jets last season. The former Washington Commanders first-rounder was claimed off waivers by the Jets on Dec. 31, and he'd spend the rest of the season as a healthy scratch for his new team.

Davis was a three-year starter in Washington and has enough NFL credibility to be more than just a body. He'll compete for a depth linebacker spot this summer with an outside chance to win the third linebacker job alongside Jamien Sherwood and Quincy Williams.