Jets head coach Robert Saleh spoke to the media (via Zoom) for the first time since talking about the hiring of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett in January. One of the things he touched on quick was some of the ways the Jets are handling the offseason and going through the process of finding a quarterback.
“It’s like everything else. Right now, we’re studying our guys, we’re going through free agency, we’re looking at the draft, so there’s a lot of overlap with regards to what we’re doing in our day-to-day process.”
“This morning, we’re going over some offensive scheme. In the afternoon, it’ll be defensive scheme. While we’re doing offense, defense is working on free agency and the draft and vice versa. It’s just trying to divvy up the time and make sure that we’re going through our normal process day-in and day-out. I guess you get used to it after all this time.”
Part of that process has been doing their due diligence and then some on quarterback Derek Carr, whom the Jets have now met with twice, including during the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Due to tampering rules, Saleh can’t talk about Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Saleh did say the team’s meeting with Carr went great. Unfortunately, Saleh could not be a part of the meeting. He was supposed to fly to Indianapolis but caught the stomach bug.
The next step in the process, presumably, is waiting for a decision from Rodgers and if he’ll play next season at all and whether the Packers are going to keep him or trade him.
Free agency starts March 15 though the Jets do still have some decisions they could make before then regarding their in-house free agents such as linebacker Quincy Williams and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, to name a few, as well as the salary cap decision to defensive end Carl Lawson, who is owed a non-guaranteed $15 million base salary next season. It’s going to quite an interesting offseason in Florham Park.
