Jets GM Joe Douglas talked a lot about trades but none got done

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The Jets made several roster moves at Tuesday’s trade deadline, but none of them was a trade.

General manager Joe Douglas said there were “a lot of calls” and “a lot of conversations” over the last couple of weeks, but nothing materialized. The only trade the Jets ended up making was two weeks ago when they sent Mecole Hardman back to Kansas City.

“We made a lot of inquiries and had a lot of discussions about a lot of different positions,” Douglas said Tuesday afternoon. “Ultimately, we didn’t get any other deals done. That’s where we are. Excited for these next 10 games.”

Douglas also sounded excited about the prospects of Aaron Rodgers’ returning from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered in Week 1. This was the first time Douglas spoke to the media since Rodgers got injured and made a statement that almost started a firestorm. It started to, at least.

“We’re expecting Aaron to be back,” Douglas said.

The presumption was Douglas meant this year. He later clarified that and said the Jets expect Rodgers to be back “with the team.” Douglas said it’s remarkable how quickly Rodgers is recovering and added “nothing surprises me when it comes to Aaron Rodgers.”

“I have no timeline to give you guys on him coming back,” Douglas said. “It’s just good having him around. When he’s out there pregame, when he’s around the team, it’s just good to have him in the building.

“I’m not putting anything out there like that. That’s not my place. I’m not a doctor. I don’t have any breaking news for you.”

The Jets have done far better than anyone expected after losing Rodgers.

They’re 4-3 and have won three in a row. The Jets believe they have a playoff team. They need to stay in the hunt for a Rodgers’ return later in the season to even be possible. But Douglas said they’re focused on playing the Chargers this week.

“There’s a lot in front of us,” Douglas said. “We have 10 games left. Look, everything we do is in the here and now. We’ve got a huge, huge game Monday night.”

Although everything was quiet on the trade front, the Jets were busy transactionally.

They placed Connor McGovern (knee), Wes Schweitzer (calf) and Al Woods (torn Achilles) on injured reserve. The Jets also signed defensive lineman Tanzel Smart and offensive lineman Dennis Kelly to the active roster. They replaced them on the practice squad with veteran offensive lineman Rodger Saffold and defensive lineman Jalyn Holmes.

Saffold, 35, eventually will be added to the active roster. The Jets need interior offensive line depth. Saffold has played guard for much of his 13 NFL seasons. He made the Pro Bowl the last two seasons with Tennessee and Buffalo. Saffold played for the Jets offensive line coach Keith Carter while with the Titans, so there’s plenty of familiarity.

The Jets had needs, namely at wide receiver and on the offensive line. They could have addressed both through trades and it might not have cost them much.

The Vikings dealt right guard Ezra Cleveland to Jacksonville for a sixth-round pick next year. The Browns sent receiver Donovan People-Jones to Detroit for a 2025 sixth-round pick.

Douglas was asked specifically about Cleveland and the wide receiver position, but he wouldn’t get into any details.

“I will say that we had a lot of talks with a lot of teams about a lot of players at a lot of different positions,” Douglas said. “At the end of the day, we did what we felt was best for the team. We’re excited about the guys we have.”

That includes running back Dalvin Cook and edge rusher Carl Lawson. Neither is playing much, and both sounded open to being traded last week.

Lawson, who was inactive last week for the third time, said, “I do want to produce and I do want to help because I’m a football player not a cheerleader.” Cook said he would sit down with his agent and Douglas to figure out what’s “best for everybody.”

Douglas praised Lawson and Cook and said they could play an important role going forward for the Jets.

“I have a feeling we’re going to need those guys a lot down the stretch,” Douglas said. “They’re assets to this team. We’re glad they’re here.”

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.