New York Jets fans had reason for excitement for all of about an hour.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk previously reported Tennessee Titans offensive tackle and impending free agent Jack Conklin was expected to sign with the Jets at the start of free agency.
However, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter said that is not the case. Schefter reported while the Jets have interest in Conklin, they are not likely to sign him because he is going to have a number of suitors:
Titans’ OT Jack Conklin will have many suitors in free agency, but he is not expected to land with the offensive-line-needy Jets, per sources. Jets like him, but the competition for him will be intense and there will be many suitors.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 1, 2020
This is not to say the Jets could not pull a rabbit from the hat. After all, they have a tendency of making surprise splashes in free agency.
However, Conklin might be the most coveted non-skill position player on the market. He was a First-Team All-Pro member in his rookie year with the Titans in 2016, and he has started in all 16 games in three of his four seasons in Tennessee.
Conklin was one of the anchors for Mike Vrabel's team, ranking among the best tackles in the NFL in terms of run blocking and helping Titans running back Derrick henry win the rushing title.
The Titans elected not to accept Conklin's fifth-year option last Spring, which is the reason he will hit the market in the next few weeks.
Conklin's dependability and talent should indeed make him attractive to a number of teams. He would make for an excellent fit in New York, especially considering the Jets ranked towards the bottom of the league in terms of rushing DVOA last season.
Alas, Conklin figures to earn a fairly large contract, which might price the Jets out after they handed big contracts to C.J. Mosley and Le'Veon Bell last year.
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