New York Jets: Grading every free agency move thus far

The New York Jets came into 2019 with a metric ton of salary cap space and a young quarterback to build around. Not to mention a new coaching staff.

All the signs pointed to them being aggressive in free agency with the goal of overhauling the roster as much as possible in order to compete this coming season. They certainly didn’t disappoint. With it being less than 24 hours since the legal tampering period began, GM Mike Maccagnan has been working the phones like crazy.

Already the Jets have locked up four players to new deals and rumors persist that more could be on the way. Knowing that, it’s time to take a brief pause and examine each of their additions and whether or not the team did the right thing.

Jamison Crowder (WR) – 3-year deal, $28.5 million

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Adam Gase has always valued wide receivers that have a good mixture of speed and quickness. It’s was true of Wes Welker and Emmanuel Sanders in Denver. It was true of Eddie Royal in Chicago and it was true of Danny Amendola and Albert Wilson in Miami. Jamison Crowder fits that profile perfectly. He was productive for a good stretch in Washington and can create matchups in the slot. Hopefully he can stay healthy this year and beyond. Sam Darnold will like him. Grade: B

Josh Bellamy (WR) – 2-year deal, $7 million

Depth and special teams prowess are always valued in the NFL. Josh Bellamy provided both in Chicago for several years. Gase should know since he was there when the wide receiver was first emerging on the scene. Now they have a veteran who can both be a top gunner on special teams and be that #4 receiving option who’s good for one or two big catches a game. Not to mention his immense reputation as a locker room presence. Grade: B

Anthony Barr (OLB) – Unknown

The numbers are not yet clear but the fact of the matter is the New York Jets added a four-time Pro Bowl linebacker to their defense. There’s reason to feel good about that. They had money to spend and they spent it. Barr has loads of versatility. He’s good in space, tackles well, and is particularly valuable as a blitzer in pressure packages. There are plenty of creative ways Gregg Williams will be able to use him moving forward. Grade: A-

C.J. Mosley (OLB) – 5-year deal, $85 million

By itself the move is a huge one. Mosley is a three-time Pro Bowler and one of the best inside linebackers in the NFL. The contract is massive and probably more than he should be making but the Jets had the money. Now put it into the context of he’ll be playing next to Barr? Suddenly it becomes a great move. The Jets linebacking corps is 1000x better than it was last year. Combined with their strong pieces in the secondary, things are looking up. Grade: A

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