5 NY Jets free agent targets the team should prioritize

The NY Jets have mostly steered clear of the high-profile free agent signings this offseason. Aside from the addition of wide receiver Allen Lazard, the Jets have almost exclusively signed depth players to short-term deals.

Part of that has been due to the Jets' tight cap situation, partially spurred on by the pending Aaron Rodgers trade. Players like Corey Davis and Carl Lawson remain on the roster at their current cap hits, even though both seem unlikely to play at that price tag in 2023.

The Jets don't have a ton of cap space at the moment, but they have more than enough financial flexibility to make a few moves. That's evident in their pursuit of players like Orlando Brown Jr., Fletcher Cox, and Jake Brendel.

The Jets are trying to land bigger names, but they haven't been able to yet. With that in mind, here are five remaining free agents the Jets should prioritize as we enter the third week of free agency.

5. NY Jets target: John Johnson III, S

The Jets may have traded for Chuck Clark in an excellent value swap earlier this month, but they shouldn't be done adding to the safety position yet. The duo of Clark and Jordan Whitehead isn't a particularly inspiring safety tandem.

Both players occupy the same role, leaving the Jets without a true replacement for Lamarcus Joyner. Barring a Kevin Byard trade, the best option remaining on the open market could be John Johnson III.

Johnson was released in a cap-saving move earlier in March, and the former Los Angeles Rams third-round pick could be an excellent addition in the latter stages of free agency.

He's coming off a down year, but Johnson earned a Pro Football Focus grade north of 81.0 in three out of four seasons between 2017 and 2020. Johnson is a natural free safety who, along with Clark, could provide a significant upgrade over the safety duo the Jets had last year.

4. NY Jets target: Kwon Alexander, LB

The Jets signed Kwon Alexander to a cheap, one-year contract last summer to provide much-needed linebacker depth to the team's defense. Alexander's lengthy injury history is why he was still unsigned in early August.

The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft pick stayed healthy throughout the 2022 season, appearing in all 17 games for the first time in his career and playing an important rotational role in the Jets' defense.

Alexander was credited with 12 starts, finished with 69 tackles — the most since his Pro Bowl 2017 season — and played 49 percent of the team's defensive snaps.

The Jets re-signed Quincy Williams to a three-year extension, and he, along with C.J. Mosley, will return in 2023. The team is still searching for a third linebacker, however.

It's hard to predict exactly what Alexander's market is right now, but given the fact that he's still available in late March, it's hard to imagine he's asking for very much.

Replacing a starter who played essentially half of your team's defensive snaps last season isn't an easy task, especially when that player exceeded expectations in the way that Alexander did.

Unless the Jets plan to use a Day 1 or 2 pick on a linebacker or have something else in mind, it would make sense for the team to explore re-signing Alexander.

Right now, former sixth-round pick Hamsah Nasirildeen is penciled in as the starter alongside Mosley and Williams (Jamien Sherwood is the backup MIKE). That's not going to cut it.

3. NY Jets target: Odell Beckham, WR

When the Jets traded away wide receiver Elijah Moore in a swap of Day 2 picks last week, it became abundantly clear that one player was his most likely replacement.

The addition of Mecole Hardman was a welcome one, and the two-time Super Bowl champion should provide excellent depth to the Jets' wide receiver room. But he and Allen Lazard aren't exactly an exciting WR2/WR3 combo.

The Jets need to add another wide receiver, and Odell Beckham is the obvious candidate.

Beckham has been connected to the Jets in rumors dating back to January, and there appears to be significant mutual interest in a union between the two sides. Beckham is interested in playing with Aaron Rodgers, and Rodgers has Beckham on his reported "wishlist."

Between the Rodgers connection and Sauce Gardner's continued recruitment of the former All-Pro receiver, it seems as though a return to New York is likely for Beckham at this stage.

A recent report from FS1's Craig Carton suggests that Beckham is "leaning" toward signing with the Jets. The Jets and Beckham have reportedly worked out the parameters of a deal, and it feels like only a matter of time before it gets done.

Beckham comes with obvious risks, given his injury history and lack of recent production, but the former New York Giants wideout was one of the most dynamic receivers in football just a few years ago.

If the Jets can get even 80 percent of the player Beckham used to be, this would be a very worthwhile signing for Gang Green.

2. NY Jets target: Ben Jones, C

General manager Joe Douglas has insisted on making the offensive line a point of emphasis since he arrived in Florham Park. Despite this, the Jets' offensive line still has some noticeable holes.

The most prominent of those holes is currently at the center position. The Jets signed veterans Wes Schweitzer and Trystan Colon in free agency, but neither projects as a viable starting option in 2023.

Connor McGovern remains a free agent, but the Jets showed more interest in players like Jake Brendel and Graham Glasgow before both were signed. The Jets need a center, and there's one name on the market that would provide them with a sizable upgrade.

Longtime Tennessee Titans center Ben Jones was a surprising cap casualty this month, and he remains the top center on the open market. The 33-year-old has long been one of the most unheralded offensive linemen in football, and it was long overdue when he was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2022.

Jones has been the model of durability and consistency throughout his career as, before missing five games in 2022 due to a concussion, Jones had missed just one game in his prior 10 seasons in the NFL.

He also has ties to new Jets offensive line coach Keith Carter dating back to their time together in Tennessee. The Jets have reportedly expressed interest in signing Jones, although the exact level of interest is unclear.

The 2023 NFL Draft presents the Jets with a different avenue to address the center position, but they aren't going to find a better short-term option than Jones. He should be a priority for the team.

1. NY Jets target: Calais Campbell, DL

The Jets said goodbye to the likes of Sheldon Rankins and Nathan Shepherd in free agency this offseason, leaving a gaping hole at the defensive tackle position that the re-signed Solomon Thomas can't exactly fill.

Aside from Quinnen Williams, the only other defensive tackles on the roster are the aforementioned Thomas, Tanzel Smart, and waiver-wire pickup Isaiah Mack. That's it. That's all the Jets have at the position.

There are a few intriguing defensive tackles still on the open market — players like Poona Ford and Matt Ioannidis come to mind. But none would be a more impactful addition than Calais Campbell.

The six-time Pro Bowler and potential future Hall of Famer is set to visit with the Jets this week, although they aren't the only team he's meeting with. Campbell reportedly already met with the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars and has a meeting lined up with the Buffalo Bills.

There is no shortage of competition for a player who, even at 36 years old, remains one of the better interior defensive linemen in football. Campbell is one sack shy of 100 in his career and has been ranked by PFF inside the top 15 interior defenders in the NFL in each of the last two seasons.

Campbell is still playing at a very high level and fills a major need for the Jets. Not only that, but signing him would prevent the Jets' division rivals, the Bills, from adding him to their shaky front seven.

The Jets need a starting center. They can really use some safety help. But the biggest priority for the team in free agency right now should be signing Calais Campbell.