NY Jets reunite Justin Fields with his college center in potential major OL shake-up

This could sneakily be a major move by the Jets.

Justin Fried

Josh Myers / Kara Durrette/GettyImages

The New York Jets made an important addition to their offensive line on Wednesday, signing former Green Bay Packers center Josh Myers to a one-year, $3.5 million deal. The move not only gives the Jets quality depth, but it could signal a major shake-up with the team's offensive line.

A second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Myers has started 56 games for the Packers over the last four seasons and has performed reasonably well. The former Ohio State star allowed just one sack in 16 games this past season.

Myers has played over 1,000 snaps in each of the last three seasons, missing just one game over that time. This is a low-end starting-caliber center we're talking about, which is what makes it a little surprising that he signed such a team-friendly contract presumably to be a backup.

It probably doesn't hurt that Myers will have the opportunity to reunite with his former college quarterback, Justin Fields. However, there might be another factor to consider.

What does the Josh Myers signing mean for the NY Jets' offensive line?

The assumption is that Myers will essentially be the team's Wes Schweitzer replacement. The 26-year-old has only played center at the NFL level, but he does have some experience at guard dating back to his high school days and early college career at Ohio State.

Myers gives the Jets additional flexibility beyond his own versatility, though. He is currently one of the five best offensive linemen on the roster, and that includes veteran tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, who the team also signed on Wednesday.

If the Jets wanted to, they could do some reshuffling on the offensive line to get their five best linemen on the field. That could see the team insert Myers at center, move Joe Tippmann over to right guard, and kick Alijah Vera-Tucker out to right tackle.

Is that the Jets' best option? Not necessarily. Vera-Tucker has held his own at tackle but has always been more effective as an interior lineman. The Jets also don't want to put him at further risk of injury, given his history.

Tippmann also played well at center last season, so the Jets may prefer to keep him there. However, his past snapping issues could make this move a way to address that.

But even if that isn't the plan to start the season, having that increased flexibility with a starting-caliber interior lineman on your bench is incredibly valuable, especially given how weak the Jets' offensive line depth has been in recent years.

Myers is a quality NFL offensive lineman who offers excellent depth and the versatility to change around the starting unit if need be. His past experience with Fields is just the cherry on top.

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Justin Fried

Justin Fried is an editor for FanSided who has over seven years of experience covering the NFL and various other sports. A diehard Jets fan since birth, Justin has served as the editor for The Jet Press since 2019, interviewing athletes such as Sauce Gardner, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joe Klecko, and many others. Justin has also worked closely with brands like Red Bull to help highlight the niche sectors of the sporting world. His four-part series on the sport of breaking remains one of his proudest pieces of work. In his spare time, Justin is an avid pro wrestling fan who is fortunate enough to have traveled to nearly 30 different countries.