NY Jets news: Micheal Clemons pay raise, Tanzel Smart coaching, Tyler Warren draft

Few players on the NY Jets' roster faced more criticism for their 2024 performance than defensive lineman Micheal Clemons. The former fourth-round pick was thrust into a starting role after John Franklin-Myers' departure and Jermaine Johnson's injury, but he struggled to fill the void and proved to be a noticeable downgrade.

Despite this, Clemons actually received a pay raise for his 2024 performance. Breece Hall and Clemons each qualified for PPE (Proven Performance Escalator) raises, per projections by Over the Cap.

Players drafted between Rounds 2 and 7 are eligible to earn PPE raises after their third year with a formula primarily based on playing time. Clemons, who played 54 percent of defensive snaps last season, saw his base salary rise from $985,000 to $3.3 million.

The Jets can still release Clemons at any point with very little in dead cap penalties, but if he's on the roster in 2025, he will be making over triple the amount he was expected to. Hall's base salary, by the way, will rise from $1.5 million to $3.3 million, and yes, this affects the salary cap.

Other NY Jets news:

Tanzel Smart begins his coaching career

Longtime Jets fan favorite and "Hard Knocks" legend Tanzel Smart is returning to the NFL, but this time it won't be as a player. The Dallas Cowboys officially announced head coach Brian Schottenheimer's first coaching staff on Friday, and Smart was listed as a defensive assistant/quality control coach.

Smart spent nearly five years with the Jets from 2020 to 2024, appearing in just 10 games but remaining a regular on the team’s practice squad. He was released during final roster cuts this past August and was not re-signed to the practice squad this time.

Now, Smart will have the opportunity to reunite with his former position coach, Aaron Whitecotton, who was hired as the Cowboys' defensive line coach this offseason.

Smart's days as a perennial member of the Jets' practice squad and a beloved member of the locker room appear to be over, but he’s found a new path in the NFL as he begins his coaching career.

Could the Jets draft Tyler Warren at No. 7 overall?

The Jets will have plenty of options with the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham and Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan have been popular mock draft choices for the Jets, but another intriguing name has been gaining traction in recent weeks.

ESPN's Mina Kimes made the case for the Jets to consider Penn State tight end Tyler Warren in the first round of this year's draft. Kimes agreed that it might be a bit early to draft Warren, mostly because of perceived position value, but there's no questioning his talent.

Kimes referred to Warren as "about as complete of a tight end as we've seen in recent years" with co-analyst Ryan Clark even insisting that the 2024 John Mackey Award winner was "more versatile" than Las Vegas Raiders star Brock Bowers.

The Jets will be in the market for tight end help this offseason, and after passing on Bowers last year, Warren could be the team's long-awaited solution at the position.