4 offseason moves NY Jets GM Joe Douglas has foreshadowed

1. NY Jets won't re-sign Bryce Huff

The Jets are going to try to re-sign Bryce Huff. They're not foolish enough to just let him walk in free agency without at least making an effort to extend him. Unfortunately, both Douglas' words and actions strongly suggest he won't be back with the team in 2024.

Douglas was asked about Huff and his expiring contract during his press conference this week, and he did his best to dodge the question, saying, "Bryce isn’t the only free agent we want back."

He went on to add that the Jets were "not there yet" when asked if the team would consider placing the franchise tag on their star pass rusher. That certainly doesn't sound like someone who expects to reach a deal before free agency begins.

Douglas' actions, however, mean more than anything he's said publicly regarding the situation. The Jets used first-round picks in each of the last two seasons on edge rushers with the sole intention of developing younger talent to replace the soon-to-be free agents on their roster.

Jermaine Johnson isn't going anywhere. John Franklin-Myers will likely be back in 2024 as well. If the Jets were to re-sign Huff, they would essentially be residing to the fact that Will McDonald, their 2023 first-round pick, will be a backup for the entire duration of his rookie contract.

The Jets didn't draft Johnson and McDonald because they believed Huff would be a part of their future. In fact, the McDonald pick was meant as a direct replacement for Huff — a player they've been actively planning to replace.

Sure, Huff's 2023 season was better than anything they would've hoped for. They never expected him to be this good, and plans could change.

The safe bet, however, is to assume that the Jets simply let Huff walk in free agency and recoup what would likely be a third-round compensatory draft pick in 2025.

Is that what they should do? Probably not. But it's an unfortunate move that Joe Douglas and the entire Jets organization have been foreshadowing for the last two years now.