The New York Jets have made some aggressive moves to improve the roster during NFL free agency. New York acquired safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and added a platoon of defensive players all in one afternoon. Now the Jets appear to be on the hunt for an offensive playmaker.
The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt analyzed the moves Jets GM Darren Mougey made over the last year in a recent article.
Rosenblatt noted that New York wants to add wide receivers, but they may do so during the 2026 NFL Draft.
“The Jets still need at least one more wide receiver, if not two, but Mougey went into the offseason knowing he had four picks in the first 44 selections of the NFL Draft,” Rosenblatt wrote. “The Jets also continue to explore the trade market at the position to look for value.”
New York is keeping its eyes and ears open in the trade market, too. But Jets fans should not expect a splashy acquisition like A.J. Brown anytime soon.
Rosenblatt gave a helpful example of what exactly Moughey views as New York's price range for acquiring a new wide receiver.
“At one point during Mougey’s process of evaluation during the season, the Jets were intrigued at the idea of adding Colts wideout Alec Pierce down the line, but even then Mougey knew he’d probably wind up out of their price range once free agency started,” Rosenblatt added. “During the season, he projected Pierce for around $20 million per season, which was already too much for the Jets’ liking — and the Colts wound up paying Pierce $28.5 million per season to return to Indianapolis.”
If $20 million per season is too much for the Jets, they won't want to take on A.J. Brown's $23.39 million cap hit. Let alone the draft capital it would require to get a trade done.
It will be interesting to see who New York adds to their wide receiver room over the next month.
