Jets veteran is about to cost the team in the best possible way

Premier pass rushers are not a position you let walk out the door and Huff is knocking on the doorstep of being a premier pass rusher. The undrafted rookie free agent out of Memphis is just 25-years-old and continues to get better.

Huff ended the 2023 season with 10 sacks and 21 QB hits. Considering how little the Jets played with a lead, it was rare for Huff to be able to pin his ears back and straight pass rush. If Rodgers and the Jets offense can get going in 2024, that should change.

The Jets defense is based on pressure with their front four and coverage on the back end. Sauce Gardner, DJ Reed and Michael Carter have the backend sewn up. Quinnen Williams didn’t have the best statistical season but was still a Pro Bowler. Jermaine Johnson is really coming into his own, but to lose a player of Huff’s ability is not easily replaced.

Huff likely won’t get the franchise tag because the cap hit for the year would be somewhere between $23 - $25 million. The Jets will likely need to sign him to a long-term deal before the new league year begins in March or hope that after seeing what else is available to him, he decides to come back to the Jets.

Don’t expect Huff to give any type of hometown discount. At the end of the season, Huff was very transparent with the media on his plans this offseason.

“I’m not giving any discount. I worked too hard for myself and family and the people around me to maximize my earnings. I’m definitely open to every scenario and every team. I just want to do what’s best for me at the end of the day,” Huff said.

He’s absolutely right. He should do what he can to get the best deal possible. And the Jets should give it to him. Huff is not a guy you want on the opposite sideline because of a little thing like money. Ultimately, it's a good problem to have when a team is in a situation like this, because it means they received ultimate value from Huff's entry level contract/tender he's signed over the years.

2. RB Michael Carter II

Michael Carter II is the unsung hero of the Jets secondary. Sauce Gardner gets most of the attention (rightfully so) and DJ Reed plays with a chip on his shoulder, but Michael Carter II is one of the most important pieces to the Jets defense that ranked third in pass defense in 2023.

Carter is tested often because most quarterbacks tend to stay away from Sauce or even Reed, but Carter usually finds himself up for the task. In today’s NFL when three wide receiver sets are the base offense more often than not, having a corner that can cover the insider receiver is necessary and Carter is one of the best in the league.

Carter is one of the top corners according to pff.com especially for playing the slot. He has an 83.3 coverage grade and has gotten better every season.

The third-year man out of Duke is entering the final year of his rookie deal and the Jets should get him locked up before it becomes an issue. 

3. Quinton Jefferson

You know who was third on the team in sacks this year for the Jets after Bryce Huff and Jermaine Johnson? Hint: it wasn’t Pro Bowler Quinnen Williams. It was the Jets’ bottom of the barrel defensive tackle signing out of Seattle last off season, Quinton Jefferson.

Jefferson isn’t a guy who will break the bank and does very well in Robert Saleh’s defensive scheme. He isn’t the best in stopping the run, but he feasts in rushing the passer and that’s what the Jets signed him for.

The 30-year-old Jefferson had six sacks on the year in only 14 games played. He also hit the quarterback 13 times. Jefferson is just the type of role player the Jets need along their front four to keep the defense humming while allowing guys like Quinnen Williams and (hopefully) Bryce Huff to get paid to be game wreckers.

Be sure to check back in for more on the Jets offseason in the coming days and weeks.