NY Jets miss out on favorite LB target and Jamien Sherwood could be next

The NY Jets are just days away from the unofficial start of free agency on Monday, but they’ve already missed out on one of their reported top targets. The Detroit Lions re-signed linebacker Derrick Barnes to a three-year, $25 million deal on Friday in a move that could deliver a double blow to the Jets.

Barnes, a 25-year-old linebacker who played just three games in 2024 due to a knee injury, was reportedly high on the Jets' list of targets. ESPN's Rich Cimini confirmed that "Barnes was going to be a target for the Jets," while others discussed his history with new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn.

SNY's Connor Hughes insisted that Glenn and Barnes "have a tremendous relationship" and that "the Jets were preparing to target" him once he hit free agency. Now, they will have to pivot to other alternatives.

One of those alternatives could be the team's most high-profile internal free agent, Jamien Sherwood. However, if Barnes' contract is any indication of Sherwood’s market value, he may end up pricing himself out of the Jets' budget.

NY Jets miss out on Derrick Barnes and could lose Jamien Sherwood in free agency

A fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Barnes became a full-time starter for the Lions in 2023, finishing the year with a respectable 60.7 Pro Football Focus grade, which ranked 59th out of 82 qualifiers.

Barnes showed flashes of his upside in 2023 and was given an opportunity to start again the following year. Unfortunately, a knee injury suffered in the third game of the year prematurely ended his season.

It's certainly notable that, despite his injury and lack of a standout individual season, Barnes was still able to receive a contract that pays him over $8 million per year. That's a strong start for the linebacker market this offseason.

Sherwood will undoubtedly receive a higher AAV than Barnes in free agency. The former Auburn star is coming off a breakout 2024 season in which he finished with a 73.8 PFF grade, which ranked eighth among qualified linebackers (min. 800 snaps).

Sherwood just turned 25 in January and is coming off a season in which he received All-Pro votes. He's expected to be arguably the top linebacker on the market, and his contract will likely reflect that.

Not only did the Barnes news mean the Jets missed out on a linebacker they were hoping to target, quite possibly as a contingent plan, but it also boosted the market value of their top internal free agent. Talk about a double whammy.

The Jets will have to be mindful of their spending at the linebacker position, with Quincy Williams due for an extension either this offseason or next. It's rare to see teams in the modern NFL pay top-level money to two off-ball linebackers. The Jets might have to choose between Williams and Sherwood.

Perhaps that decision will be made for them, as Sherwood is expected to draw significant interest across the league. Not an ideal start for the Jets' free-agency plans.

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