Jets accomplishing ‘primary’ offseason goal comes with huge risks
NY Post
ORLANDO, Fla. — Priority No. 1 for the Jets this offseason was a makeover of their offensive line.
That was clear to anyone who watched the offense struggle in 2023 as the Jets went through 13 different starting combinations up front.
General manager Joe Douglas addressed the line in the first week of free agency by signing left tackle Tyron Smith and left guard John Simpson and trading for right tackle Morgan Moses.
Douglas reflected on those moves this week at the NFL owners meetings.
“I think the primary objective of the offseason was fortifying the offensive line,” Douglas said. “That was goal one. I feel good about what we were able to accomplish there and a few of the other objectives leading into the offseason. But [there’s] still a lot ahead.”
The Jets added talent. Smith is an eight-time Pro Bowler who should be in Canton someday.
It was only a three-second glimpse, but Matt Rempe, finally, showcased offensive strides. The ones he started talking about in the preseason — after a summer’s worth of work — and kept doubling down on, even when he fluctuated in and out of the Rangers lineup and shuttled back and forth to AHL Hartford.
In a different time, in a season to come, we may be inclined to wax poetic about the way this one played out. In a different time, in a season to come, the Nets will be seeking to stack wins and not losses, will be fighting for playoff seeding and not for a few extra ping-pong balls in the draft lottery this spring.
The NBA has an All-Star Game problem. Despite Adam Silver’s efforts to inject juice into the February showcase — including a format alteration to the 2025 game that is too confusing to attempt to understand before it’s inevitably changed again — there’s little interest in watching teams eschew defense for a series of layup line highlights. That also means the most entertaining part of the NBA All-Star Game is just like the Pro Bowl — debating over who should get a spot.