The direction to which the New York Jets are going is clear. The team is last in cash spending, and having to handle the dead money from players like quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver Davante Adams, it's natural that the new management will pump the brakes to build from the ground up.
Nothing in this process is more important now than finding building blocks and adding more volume of draft picks. And this is how the latest NFL news could be impactful for the Jets.
On Monday, Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow announced his retirement from football due to injuries, leaving behind a significant void on the team's offensive line.
Presumably, the Lions will use second-round rookie Tate Ratledge at center, and the veteran options on the roster include Graham Glasgow, Kinglsey Eguakun, and Michael Niese.
It's a hard pill to swallow, especially for a team that had already lost starting right guard Kevin Zeitler to the Tennessee Titans in free agency. It would be smart to add some depth to the interior of the offensive line.
The Jets have the perfect option
Back in March, the Jets signed former Green Bay Packers starting center Josh Myers to a one-year, $2 million contract. The deal also includes $1.5 million in incentives, but only $1 million of it is likely to be earned — which means Myers' cap hit in 2025 is $3 million.
Myers is certainly not the prospect the Packers projected when they took him over Creed Humphrey in the second round of the draft in 2021, but the lack of a market for him in free agency was surprising to a certain extent.
The center was a capable starter and played 3,479 snaps throughout his rookie contract for the Packers. Last year, he allowed only one sack, 29 total pressures. According to PFF, he had a decent 64.9 pass blocking grade and a 52.2 run block grade.
At this point, the Jets are expected to start Olu Fashanu, John Simpson, Joe Tippmann, Alijah Vera-Tucker, and rookie Armand Membou. With Tippmann at center, it's hard for Myers to take over the starting job barring injuries.
And at the same time that it's important for the Jets to have some offensive line depth, a Day 3 pick for Myers would be more aligned with what the franchise plans to do.
For the Lions, Myers would be a solid and durable starting-level center. Outside of a knee injury he suffered as a rookie, the former Packer has been healthy — even avoiding a serious injury on a play that took him out of the Philadelphia Eagles game in the playoffs. He knows the NFC North very well and would offer real competition without costing too much.
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