13 external targets to repair a broken NY Jets offensive line

The NY Jets were able to escape with the most improbable of victories in Week 8 following a thrilling victory over the New York Giants on Sunday. Unfortunately, they didn't come away unscathed.

A Jets offensive line that was already dealing with a slew of injuries prior to Sunday's game was decimated by even more injuries over the course of that fateful afternoon.

Center Connor McGovern exited the game with a knee injury that is expected to sideline him for multiple weeks at the very least. Starting right guard Wes Schweitzer (also the team's backup center) left with a calf injury and was spotted on crutches after the game.

The Jets were forced to play undrafted rookie Xavier Newman, signed just weeks ago to the practice squad, at center despite the fact that the Baylor product had played a grand total of one collegiate game at the position.

Meanwhile, backup tackle Billy Turner was inserted into the game to play right guard. The results, as anyone could have predicted, weren't pretty.

The Jets are now down their top three centers — at least until Joe Tippmann returns — and are staring at a reality of Turner starting at right guard moving forward. That is, of course, unless the team makes a move.

The Jets will be forced to add at least 1-2 interior offensive line over the new few days. There just aren't enough healthy bodies on the roster right now. Jason Poe is the only other backup interior lineman on the practice squad.

What moves could the Jets realistically make? Is there anyone they could sign? What about potential trade targets? We take a look at a host of potential options.

NY Jets free agent targets

The options on the free-agent market are rather slim for the Jets, as should be expected in late October. The list consists almost solely of fringe NFL veterans and recently retired/half-retired former starters.

The most notable "available" name is probably longtime Tennessee Titans starter Ben Jones. Jones was released by the Titans this past March, and despite making the Pro Bowl last season, he's yet to sign with a new team.

That's largely due to his own accord, however. Jones hasn't officially retired from the NFL just yet, but there's a reason he's not on an NFL roster right now. Injuries have taken their toll on Jones' body over the last few seasons.

There's no harm in checking in on Jones to see if he's willing to make an NFL return, but I wouldn't count on this being a realistic option.

There's also former Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson. The expectation was that Hudson would retire this offseason after the Arizona Cardinals parted ways with him, but no official announcement was made. Ryan Kalil 2.0, anyone?

Other non-retired free agents include Nick Martin, the brother of Dallas Cowboys star Zack Martin, veteran Pro Bowler Rodger Saffold, and former Jets center/guard Josh Andrews. Andrews spent the 2020 season with the Jets and started five games for the New Orleans Saints last year.

The options aren't great, which isn't exactly a surprise. Unless the Jets can coax Jones or Hudson out of pseudo-retirement, there isn't much to be excited about here.

NY Jets practice squad targets

If the Jets don't want to sign a guy off the street, they could always look to poach a player off another team's practice squad. There are a few appealing options with starting experience to consider.

The likes of Austin Reiter (Kansas City Chiefs) and James Ferentz (New England Patriots) are both experienced NFL centers with notable starting experience.

Reiter spent two seasons as the Chiefs' starting center in 2019 and 2020 and has 38 career starts under his belt. He's currently a member of Kansas City's practice squad.

As for Ferentz, he's been with the Patriots organization in some capacity since the 2017 season. The 34-year-old has appeared in 60 games throughout his career, making nine starts over the last four years. He's on New England's practice squad at the time of writing.

There's also former Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick Billy Price — currently on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. Price has made 45 starts in his five-year NFL career, starting 11 games for the Arizona Cardinals in 2022.

One player with connections to Robert Saleh is veteran Hroniss Grasu. Grasu was signed off the street by Saleh's an Francisco 49ers in 2020, and he'd go on to start a handful of games for the team.

With the Jets in a very similar situation now, perhaps Saleh could revisit an old friend and sign Grasu off the Las Vegas Raiders' practice squad.

Again, the options aren't super appealing here, either, but good offensive linemen come at a premium in the NFL. If the Jets want a legitimate starting-caliber player, they'll have to explore the trade market.

NY Jets trade targets

This is where the Jets can find legitimate upgrades. That said, the downside with the trade market, of course, is that it requires both teams to come to an agreement. There are plenty of quality offensive linemen in the NFL, but how many are realistically available?

Two high-end trade targets that are at least semi-feasible for the Jets are Ezra Cleveland (Minnesota Vikings) and Daniel Brunskill (Tennessee Titans).

Cleveland is an above-average starting left guard who, at just 25 years old, should be a part of Minnesota's future. Despite this, the Vikings have yet to extend him, and his name has popped up in trade rumors.

I'd expect the Vikings to hold on to Cleveland, but if they don't see him as a part of their future plans, it would make sense to move him after Kirk Cousins' injury on Sunday derailed their season.

As for Brunskill, he spent time with Robert Saleh in San Francisco and is one of the few offensive linemen who can legitimately play all five offensive line positions. His versatility would be invaluable for a Jets team that lost Alijah Vera-Tucker to a season-ending injury earlier this year.

Unfortunately, Brunskill is the Titans' starting right guard, and it seems unlikely that they're looking to trade away starting offensive linemen following Will Levis' impressive debut on Sunday.

Other trade options include Ben Cleveland (Baltimore Ravens), Halapoulivaati Vaitai (Detroit Lions), and Brian Allen (Los Angeles Rams). Vaitai has experience with Joe Douglas and would absolutely be an upgrade, but he's battled injuries this year, and the Lions probably aren't looking to trade quality offensive linemen.

Cleveland is a realistic trade target, although the former third-round pick has underwhelmed at guard in Baltimore and might not be a real upgrade. As for Allen, he's a backup center in Los Angeles now, but he's started 32 games over the last three years.

It isn't easy to find offensive linemen in late October, but the Jets have a few avenues they could explore. No matter what route they take, it's clear that something needs to be done.