The New York Jets are once again heading in a new direction with the lowly AFC East franchise notably hiring former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as the team's latest head coach. After making their way through Todd Bowles and, more recently, Adam Gase, it is now Saleh that will look to right the ship in East Rutherford as the Jets have struggled mightily over the course of the last several seasons.
With yet another new regime coming in to patrol the sideline for Gang Green, though this time New York appears to have made the correct hire, there is no doubt that the Jets will be making some major changes to its roster ahead of the upcoming 2021-22 campaign. As the Jets gear up for both the offseason and 2021 NFL Draft, which will see New York pick at No. 2 overall, the organization will need to begin preparing for the present—and the future—sooner rather than later. As Saleh becomes more acclimated and front office decisions get made, it wouldn't be all that surprising to see the Jets part ways with a variety of players as “out with the old and in with the new” could very well take on a pretty literal meaning.
Chris Herndon
One move that the Jets could potentially make this offseason is parting ways with veteran tight end Chris Herndon, a player that always seems to have so much hype and promise surrounding him before every season. However, Herndon has yet to even remotely live up to the standards that have continually been bestowed upon him during his first few seasons atop the highest level. If the Jets were to ultimately release Herndon this offseason—whether it is before or after June 1—New York would take a dead cap hit of $167,381 in 2021 alongside a 2021-22 salary cap savings of $920,000.
The soon-to-be 25-year-old tight end was originally selected by the Jets in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Miami. After a relatively impressive rookie season back in 2018, Herndon then missed all but one regular-season game in 2019 due to injury. He did manage to bounce back by appearing in all 16 regular-season games this past season, but his production remains nowhere near the initial expectations.
As a rookie, Herndon, who is currently in the final year of his four-year deal with the Jets, appeared in all 16 regular-season games en route to registering 39 receptions, 502 yards and four touchdowns on 56 targets, all of which still serve as single-season career-high marks for the veteran pass-catcher. With the 2019 campaign ultimately amounting to a lost year for Herndon, he most recently recorded 31 receptions, 287 yards and three scores on 45 targets in 2020-21. He also lost two fumbles across 16 regular-season appearances last season.
Not only has Herndon just simply not lived up to the hype surrounding him as an NFL tight end, but there are also several other options that the Jets can—and should—consider moving forward.
The Jets actually wouldn't even have to look that far as the team currently employs veteran tight end Ryan Griffin, who originally broke into the league with six seasons as a member of the Houston Texans before heading to MetLife Stadium ahead of the 2019 campaign. Thankfully the Jets were prepared for the eventual loss of Herndon as Griffin stepped in nicely in his absence in 2019. Over the course of 15 regular-season appearances that year, Griffin tallied 34 catches, 320 yards and an impressive five touchdowns while receiving a total of 41 targets.
With Herndon returning to the fold in 2020-21, Griffin was not utilized not nearly as much as his numbers obviously took a nosedive. Nonetheless, Griffin has proven that he is more than capable of handling a larger workload with both the Texans and Jets. In 2016, Griffin posted 50 receptions and 442 yards on a whopping 75 targets for the Texans.
Even if the Jets want to stick with Griffin as the team's second option at the position due to his ability to catch the football and serve as a reliable blocker in the run game, there are plenty of other free-agent options out there for New York to target this offseason. Although Tennessee Titans tight end Jonnu Smith, Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry and others will surely cost much more than Herndon, it would no doubt be worth the financial risk as a legitimate contributor at a key position would do wonders for a franchise looking to rebound in a big way—regardless of who is under center.
It is also worth noting that there are cheaper options out on the open market that can easily replace Herndon considering that his production, or lack thereof, wouldn't be too difficult to replicate.
Follow Us
Subscribe