3 million-dollar decisions NY Jets have to make with their offensive line

The NY Jets have decisions to make at center and right guard

However, the tough decisions for the Jets begin at the center position with Connor McGovern on over to the right tackle position. McGovern, whom the team inked to a three-year deal in March 2020, hasn’t quite played up to the level the Jets were hoping for, thus making him a potential cap casualty this winter.

Per Over The Cap, cutting him would save the team $9 million, while only costing them $1.3 million in dead cap — a very tolerable number. Ultimately, this decision comes down to the Jets' confidence in their ability to find an upgrade over McGovern for equal or less money than the $9 million he’s due in 2022.

Cutting him would just create another hole Douglas has to fill, but again, if he feels he can fill that hole in a more cost-efficient manner, it could be worth it.

Another thing to be considered when it comes to McGovern is his relationship with Wilson as his center and heartbeat of the offensive line. Do the Jets really want to break that up? Is that worth saving $9 million to use elsewhere? Time will tell.

Next, the Jets have a variety of different ways they could go at right guard. The team’s starting right guard to begin the year was Greg Van Roten, also a 2020 UFA signee. Van Roten is not an ideal starting guard, and the Jets mid-season trade with the Chiefs for Laurent Duvernay-Tardif reflects similar feelings.

Duvernay-Tardif has been pretty steady in his time with the Jets; thus leading to the next tough decision considering he’s a free agent in March. LDT has put together a solid body of work over the course of his career, one that has him viewed as a starting guard by most teams around the league.

I’d expect him to have quite a few offers on the open market, so it comes down to how much the Jets are willing to pay to retain his services moving forward.

Like the decision at center, the Jets' feelings towards acquiring a similar (or better) caliber player in a more cost-efficient way will dictate what they do.