NY Jets listed as 'best fit' for this intriguing safety in free agency

NFL free agency is rapidly approaching, and the NY Jets will enter it with many roster holes to fill. One of the biggest holes that the Jets will need to fill is safety.

After a disappointing 2024 season at the position, New York will be looking for two new starters. Chuck Clark and Ashtyn Davis will hit the open market as unrestricted free agents while Tony Adams enters the offseason as a restricted free agent.

One of the biggest things to watch this offseason is how Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn approach the safety position. During the Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh era, the Jets never spent big on the position and instead looked for lower-tier free agents and draft picks.

ESPN's Matt Bowen listed the Jets as the "best team fit" for veteran free agent safety Justin Reid. The top-50 free agent would be a major splash for the Jets on defense.

NY Jets should target veteran safety Justin Reid in free agency

Justin Reid, 28, has spent seven seasons in the NFL, split across the Texans for the first four years of his career and the Chiefs during the last three seasons. The former third-round pick has turned into one of the better safeties in the NFL and one of the biggest on the open market.

In 2024, Reid tallied 87 total tackles, five tackles for loss, two interceptions, and nine passes defended. The 28-year-old also registered a 76.9 Pro Football Focus grade which ranked 16th among qualified safeties.

Jets safeties struggled in 2024 at both stopping the run/tackling and in coverage. Reid would be able to come in and add much-needed improvement to both of those weaknesses.

Last season, Reid had a 75.9 run defense grade and a 77.4 coverage grade. Both of these would instantly rank first among last year's Jets safeties by a wide margin which shouldn't come as much of a surprise.

The biggest question is whether the Jets are willing to pay the price that 2x Super Bowl champion Justin Reid demands. The veteran safety is coming off of a 3-year, $31.5 million contract worth $10.5 million per year with the Chiefs and could be looking for $12.5 million per year or more this offseason.

Only time will tell how big this new regime is willing to spend on the safety position, but if they are willing to pay the price for Reid, New York should make it happen.

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