NY Jets 2022 free agency Day 1 review and Day 2 preview

Take a deep breath NY Jets fans, after the first 24 hours of "legal-tampering free agency," the Jets 'Are who we thought they were! ' *Dennis Green voice (RIP)*. Joe Douglas and the New York Jets, if nothing else, have been consistent.

The legal tampering period in the NFL began March 14 at noon EST, wherein NFL teams were able to contact, negotiate, and come to agreements with players/agents, but contracts can officially be signed on the first day of the new league year which begins on March 16 at 4 pm ET.

This may seem like semantics, but every Jets fan remembers Anthony Barr "agreeing to terms" with the team and getting cold feet when free agency officially began — so as is tradition since 2019 — beware of the "Anthony Barr gambit."

'Twas the night before free agency, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Until there was a Tweet heard around the world, from some guy named Tom, who announced that he was returning to work a mere 17 hours prior to free agency.

This announcement not only changed the landscape of the NFL, but for the purposes of the Jets, the dominoes began to fall as soon as Brady hit 'send.'

Whether or not the Jets "loved" Tampa Bay Buccaneers' unrestricted free-agent Ryan Jensen is disputed between some prominent NFL reporters, however, there is no doubt, according to reports, that the Jets had significant interest in acquiring the center.

Similarly, there was no doubt that Jensen was going to run it back for Brady's 23rd NFL season (shoutout to Mo Lewis).

Nevertheless, Joe Douglas and the Jets' front office entered the 2022 offseason with roughly $48 million in salary cap (fifth highest) and nine draft picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Simply put, the tools are available to "improve the team, not just acquire talent," as the Jets' general manager has eloquently articulated the Jets' gameplan. The question is, how would Joe Douglas execute filling the massive holes in all three phases of the team, with free rein and virtually unlimited resources?

Most recently, the Jets' front office has been on the extreme sides of the spectrum, from John Idzik's strategy of inaction to Mike Maccagnan's spending spree.

In the case of Joe Douglas, he does not "break the bank" or set the market for any player or position, but finds contemporaneous value in on-field versatile veterans who fit the scheme and demonstrate high-quality off-the-field character.