New York Jets, Brian Poole agree to 1-year, $5 million deal (Report)

The New York Jets and Brian Poole agree to a one-year, $5 million deal to return for the 2020 season as the team’s slot cornerback.

After a start that had many New York Jets fans up in arms, Joe Douglas is on fire.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Jets and free-agent cornerback Brian Poole have agreed to a one-year, $5 million deal.

Jets are re-signing their CB Brian Poole, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 18, 2020

Just one year. How is that possible?

Poole, 27, enjoyed a breakout season with the Jets in 2019. Playing the slot for Gregg Williams, Poole finished as the seventh-best corner (of 83 total players who qualified), via PFF. His 0.57 yards per snap marked the best number out of 57 total qualifiers.

And he did so without a legitimate four-man pass rush paving the way.

Nobody would have thought a one-year deal is possible. Although slot corner is an up-and-down position (a year-by-year proposition), Poole put up tremendous production behind a terrible pass rush. But maybe the year-by-year nature of the position scared off other general managers.

In 14 games a year ago, Poole tallied an interception, five pass deflections, a forced fumble and 59 total tackles in his first season as a Jet.

Additionally, he, along with Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye, created a unique identity under Gregg Williams. It was a middle-of-the-defensive-backfield identity that relied on DB blitzing and interior strength in order to make up for a nonexistent pass rush.

With Brian Poole back, he and the two starting safeties, coupled with a possible legitimate pass rush, is a scary proposition for NFL offensive coordinators moving forward.