Jarvis Brownlee may force Jets to make obvious move at NFL trade deadline

New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey has had a very up-and-down start to his tenure as captain of the ship, but some of his biggest wins have been acquiring quality starters in the trade market. Defensive tackles Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs have looked nice, as has former Tennessee Titans cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr.

Brownlee, who has forced the only Jets turnover on the season, has seemingly seized the starting slot cornerback job from injured incumbent Michael Carter II. This development has made Carter trade bait, and a move could be close to fruition in the coming days.

ESPN's Matt Bowen and Jeremy Fowler listed Carter as one of their top 25 players to watch at the NFL trade deadline. The pair gave Carter a 45% chance to be traded. This may sound low, but it's a higher chance than the pair gave to pass rusher Jermaine Johnson II and running back Breece Hall.

Carter's fall from grace has been tough to watch, as he went from a player some considered to be the best slot cornerback in football (and was paid as such) to someone who was Wally Pipp'd instantly and the fanbase wants gone as soon as possible.

Jarvis Brownlee may lead to Jets trading slot CB Michael Carter II

Bowen and Fowler listed the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons as possible trade destinations for Carter, and both make sense. The Eagles currently have former Jets GM Joe Douglas, who drafted Carter, in their front office, while the Falcons' defense is run by old Jets defensive coordinator and interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich.

This season has shown that Carter is just not physical enough to play in Glenn's defense, which asks a lot of his cornerbacks in man coverage and forces them to tackle in the open field. When he was on the field, opposing offenses would go right at him with regularity.

Brownlee, meanwhile, has had a clear impact on a Jets defense that has given up just 26 points in their last two games combined. With Sauce Gardner performing at his usual excellent level, Brandon Stephens putting together one of the finest stretches of his career, and Brownlee assimilating nicely, the secondary is a point of strength for the Jets right now.

Carter had many years of stellar service with the Jets, but he has proven to be too scheme-specific and expensive for Glenn to carry into the future. Getting a pick back for him may be exactly what this franchise (and Carter himself) needs right now.