Jets lose Bryce Huff to Eagles; GM Joe Douglas adds OL John Simpson, QB Tyrod Taylor and DL Javon Kinlaw
Bryce Huff of the New York Jets reacts after his sack against the Chicago Bears at MetLife Stadium. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Jets suffered a major loss on the first day of free agency and finally started addressing some holes late Monday night.
Bryce Huff, the Jets’ top pass rusher last season, will join the Philadelphia Eagles on a three-year, $51.1 million deal. It seemed unlikely that Huff would be back with the Jets, but it’s surprising just the same, given that he was such a big piece of their third-ranked defense, which values disruptive players up front.
There was a flurry of activity around the NFL on Day 1 of legal tampering. Things were mostly quiet for the Jets and general manager Joe Douglas until they heated up nearly 11 hours after the negotiating window opened.
The Jets reached a deal with offensive lineman John Simpson and came to terms with former Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor to be Aaron Rodgers’ backup, according to league sources. They also struck a deal with former 49ers defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw.
Many predicted that Douglas wouldn’t spend wildly even after owner Woody Johnson put him and Robert Saleh on notice that they need to win this season. But Douglas has work to do to strengthen the offensive side of the football and give Rodgers as much help as possible.
The Jets went into free agency needing three starters on the offensive line, a top receiver to pair with Garrett Wilson and a proven veteran quarterback to back up Rodgers. Douglas has begun checking off some of those boxes.
Better late than never.
New York Jets place kicker Greg Zuerlein after kicking the game-winning field goal in overtime against the New York Giants on Oct. 29, 2023. Credit: AP/Frank Franklin II
The Jets still need another receiver and some offensive line reinforcements. Guards Kevin Zeitler, Andrus Peat and Dalton Risner and tackles Tyron Smith, Jonah Williams, David Bakhtiari and Trent Brown remain available.
Simpson, 26, will sign a two-year deal that’s worth up to $18 million, a league source said. The 6-4, 330-pound Simpson started 17 games at left guard for the Baltimore Ravens last season and allowed only one sack. He spent three seasons with Las Vegas before signing with Baltimore last year and has started 38 of the 52 NFL games in which he’s played.
The Jets needed a veteran to back up Rodgers. Zach Wilson did not perform well after Rodgers tore his left Achilles tendon in Week 1 last season and now is on the trading block.
Taylor, 34, has started 58 games in his 13-year career with the Ravens, Bills, Browns, Chargers, Texans and Giants. He’s thrown 65 touchdown passes and 29 interceptions. Last season, he had five touchdown passes and three interceptions in 11 games for the Giants, making five starts.
Kinlaw is someone Saleh knows well. A first-round pick of the 49ers in 2020, Kinlaw played one season for Saleh in San Francisco. He appeared in 17 games last season, starting six, and finished with a career-best 3.5 sacks. The 6-5, 319-pound Kinlaw is a good depth piece for the Jets, who will try to re-sign tackle Solomon Thomas.
Losing Huff is a big deal, but the Jets are deep on the defensive line and have glaring needs on the other side of the ball. These appear to be the main reasons the Jets let Huff leave their building without much resistance.
The Jets signed Huff as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2020 and developed him into one of the better edge rushers in the league. He led the Jets in sacks last season with 10. Huff also was improving as an early or three-down lineman after often being used only on passing downs.
After choosing not to franchise-tag Huff, the Jets still hoped to re-sign him. His deal with the Eagles was reasonable. All of this could have been avoided by the Jets extending Huff’s contract when they had the chance. Nothing transpired, though.
They believe Jermaine Johnson, who made the Pro Bowl last year as an alternate, will continue to develop. The Jets also expect last year’s first-round pick, Will McDonald, to have a bigger role on defense this season and take the step that Johnson did last season.
Johnson and John Franklin-Myers were the Jets’ starters on the outside of their 4-3 defense. They also have Micheal Clemons, who can line up inside and out. Quinnen Williams is their anchor at tackle.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
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