INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL will gather this week for the NFL Scouting Combine, something that goes far beyond the college prospects running, jumping and lifting for the NFL decision-makers.
The combine also doubles as an NFL convention with general managers, agents, coaches and sometimes owners showing up in downtown Indianapolis and having backroom discussions about free agents and trades at the bars at night or the coffee shops in the morning.
For the Jets, this is a critical week in the offseason. GM Joe Douglas will be in town with other members of the front office and the team’s scouts. Head coach Robert Saleh and a good chunk of his coaching staff are not making the trip, choosing instead to stay home and work on other things. Saleh will participate in player interviews virtually.
The Jets are not drafting in the top 10 for the first time in three years. That means this week it is harder to pinpoint what areas the Jets will be looking at in advance of April’s NFL draft. Instead, this week has more intrigue with the Jets and what happens with veterans.
The biggest question remains the quarterback market. One NFL source predicted the dominoes will begin to fall this week. Everyone is waiting on word from Aaron Rodgers. The Packers quarterback emerged from his darkness retreat last week but, so far, has kept the NFL in the dark. If Rodgers makes his intentions known this week, things could heat up in Indianapolis. If Rodgers says he is open to a trade, the talks between the Jets and Packers could get serious here. They have had some preliminary discussions already but nothing substantive can happen until Rodgers makes it known what he wants.
Derek Carr’s agent can meet with more teams here and possibly get his market heated up. The NFL Network reported that Carr will also be in attendance at the combine, as well. It feels like nothing will happen with Carr until Rodgers’ future gets clearer, but things can happen at the combine, where the rumor mill usually works overtime.
While the quarterbacks surely will consume much of the oxygen here, there are other matters for Douglas to deal with. He surely will sit down with Nicole Lynn, the agent for Quinnen Williams, this week and we’ll see if any progress is made on an extension for Williams. Lynn also represents Quinnen’s brother Quincy, the Jets linebacker scheduled to hit free agency.
This is the week when teams get a better feel for what the markets look like for free agents. While negotiating is technically not allowed to begin until March 13, there are plenty of quiet talks this week. Douglas also needs to get the Jets’ salary cap in shape through cuts and contract restructures. Some of those could come this week. Wide receiver Corey Davis, linebacker C.J. Mosley and wide receiver Braxton Berrios are names to watch with their contract situations.
Quincy Williams and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins headline the Jets’ free agent class and the Jets would like to bring both players back.
As for the college prospects, the Jets need to add along the offensive line. The tackles and centers are the ones for the Jets to watch this week. That top tackles in the draft are Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski, Ohio State’s Paris Johnson and Georgia’s Broderick Jones. The top centers are Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz, Michigan’s Olusegun Oluwatimi and Ohio State’s Luke Wypler.
This is the week where it really feels like the offseason ramps up. It should be an eventful one for the Jets.