While New York Jets fans are primarily focused on the new players who will be entering the building this offseason, general manager Darren Mougey also has some key decisions to make regarding the Jets’ own free agents.
The Jets have 28 players who are set to become free agents. Of those, five are not unrestricted free agents. Let’s run through each of them and determine what the Jets should do.
DT Bruce Hector (ERFA)
Bruce Hector, 31, played 118 defensive snaps across six appearances for the Jets in 2024. The Jets primarily utilized him as a situational run stuffer; 70 of his 118 snaps (59.4%) came on run plays.
Hector displayed capability as a run defender, making 10 total tackles against the run without missing any. Those tackles tended to be impactful, as his average depth of tackle was -0.2 yards, the best among all Jets defensive players in 2024 (obviously, a small sample size alert is necessary here).
In a concerning indictment on the Jets’ defense, Hector’s respectable 64.1 run defense grade at Pro Football Focus was the best among Jets defensive tackles in 2024.
Hector does not provide much of anything as a pass rusher (1.5 sacks, 10 total pressures over 163 career pass-rush snaps). Still, for a Jets team that struggled against the run last year, he could be a useful player in the defensive line rotation.
The Jets can retain Hector on a non-guaranteed league-minimum salary by extending the exclusive rights free agent tender. With a thin interior defensive line room, he is worth keeping around to compete throughout the summer. There is essentially zero risk to retaining an ERFA.
Keep
IOL Xavier Newman-Johnson (ERFA)
Previously best known for executing a last-second spike drill in the Jets’ thrilling 2023 comeback win over the Giants, Xavier Newman-Johnson showed noticeable progress throughout a standout preseason in 2024. Playing center and both guard positions, he looked athletic in the run game and was clean in pass protection. His performance was enough for him to make the Jets’ initial 53-man roster in 2024.
Newman-Johnson entered the season as New York’s secondary backup interior lineman behind Wes Schweitzer. However, Schweitzer missed the Jets’ first 13 games, leaving Newman-Johnson as New York’s primary backup interior lineman for the team’s first seven games until he missed four games with a concussion. He would return, although he missed four more games with a groin injury.
Thanks to the health of the Jets’ starting interior trio, Newman-Johnson only had to step in for offensive snaps in one game during the 2024 season. He ended up playing in nine games, frequently appearing on special teams.
John Simpson, Joe Tippmann, and Alijah Vera-Tucker are locked in to return as the Jets’ starting interior offensive line trio in 2025. However, beyond the starting three, the Jets’ only other interior lineman under contract is Kohl Levao.
Retaining Newman on the ERFA tender is a no-brainer.
Keep
WR Irvin Charles (ERFA)
Irvin Charles ranked sixth on the Jets in special teams snaps and showed flashes of playmaking ability in that phase. In addition to tying for second on the team with seven special teams tackles, Charles had a critical blocked punt in New York’s Week 2 win over Tennessee.
Charles made the Jets’ roster as an undrafted rookie in 2023 thanks to his special teams performance. Robert Saleh labeled him “an absolute wolf.” As a rookie, Charles ranked seventh on the Jets in special teams snaps and tied for third with seven tackles.
Before Charles can be considered a true special teams ace, there are weaknesses he must clean up. Charles had three penalties in 2024. All three were boneheaded fouls that should have been avoided. He also leads the Jets with 10 missed tackles on special teams over the past two seasons, although he improved from six in 2023 to four in 2024.
As new special teams coordinator Chris Banjo rebuilds this unit, Charles is worth keeping around on the ERFA tender to compete for a roster spot. Considering he has not shown signs of offering value on offense, Charles must prove he can eliminate his negative plays on special teams if he wants to make the roster solely based on his impact in that phase. He is a fascinating project for Banjo to work on in his first season as a coordinator.
Keep
LB Chazz Surratt (RFA)
Surratt was a key special teams player for the Jets, ranking third on the team in snaps and first in tackles (10).
It flew under the radar, but Surratt also received the first extended defensive action of his four-year career. The former third-round pick logged 137 defensive snaps after playing nine over his first three seasons. Surratt flashed some potential in these reps, recording 18 tackles and just two missed tackles while allowing only two catches for 11 yards in coverage.
As a restricted free agent, the minimum tender the Jets can place on Surratt is the right of first refusal tender, which costs $3.185 million and allows the Jets to match any offer sheet that Surratt signs elsewhere. However, that seems a bit rich for Surratt, so it would probably make more sense for New York to allow him to become an unrestricted free agent and see if they can bring him back on a cheaper deal.
The Jets may lose Jamien Sherwood as an unrestricted free agent, which would leave a starting linebacker spot open. Perhaps if the Jets’ new defensive staff loves what they saw from Surratt’s defensive film, they would be comfortable staying cheap at the linebacker position and allocating the Sherwood money to more important positions. They could allow Sherwood to walk for a lucrative contract while rolling with a competition between Surratt and other affordable additions through free agency and the draft.
Surratt offers a larger frame than Sherwood, weighing in at 233 pounds to Sherwood’s 216, so these are two different types of linebackers from a physical perspective. With a revamped scheme coming in, it is possible the new staff may see Surratt as a better fit. Aaron Glenn’s Lions defense featured Jack Campbell (243 pounds) and Alex Anzalone (238 pounds).
Sherwood is significantly more proven than Surratt, though. The former is coming off a breakout season with over 1,000 snaps, while the latter has barely played over 100 defensive snaps across four NFL seasons. For this reason, $3.185 million is too rich for Surratt when the Jets can likely use that money more efficiently on players who are more proven, whether it’s Sherwood or an outside free agent.
If Surratt can be retained affordably, he is worth having back for linebacker depth and special teams impact. Negotiating with him after allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent is arguably the wisest course of action.
Keep, but not as RFA
S Tony Adams (RFA)
As an undrafted rookie in 2022, Tony Adams made the Jets’ roster after a standout summer, contributing as a special teams player and backup safety.
Adams won the Jets’ starting job in 2023 and held it down over the next two seasons, starting in 26 of his 30 appearances. He recorded four interceptions, 11 passes defended, and 166 total tackles.
Based on most metrics, Adams’ body of work from 2023-24 is that of an average starting safety. He was far from atrocious but also did not move the needle in any noticeable way.
In coverage over the past two seasons, Adams allowed 39-of-55 passing for 495 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions, which is a passer rating of 80.5. That is well above average for the position, as the 2024 league average for safeties was 100.5.
However, Adams struggled as a tackler, recording 27 missed tackles and a subpar missed tackle rate of 14.4%. The 2024 league average for safeties was 12.0%. Additionally, Adams tied for fifth among safeties with four penalties in 2024 (he had two in 2023).
If PFF grades are your thing, Adams posted coverage grades of 65.2 and 67.5 in 2023 and 2024, respectively, while his run defense grades were 69.7 and 59.4. In both categories, he was neither bad nor great.
Jets owner Woody Johnson apparently nudged the team to bench Adams in 2024, although that move was not justified given the way he was playing. Adams was far from perfect, but he did not deserve to be scapegoated for the team’s struggles.
Adams spent four games on the bench. The Jets went 1-3, while the defense allowed 26 points per game and 258 passing yards per game. New York’s two worst performances of the season in terms of passing yards allowed came during the stretch Adams was benched (331 at Miami, 285 at Jacksonville). Adams returned to the starting lineup for New York’s final three games.
The Jets should seek to improve over Adams at some point, but he is a capable stopgap in the meantime. That is especially true given the current makeup of their roster; the only safety under contract for New York is Jarius Monroe, a 2024 undrafted free agent who played 17 snaps.
Using the right of first refusal tender on Adams is a smart option for New York. At $3.185 million, it is a reasonable cost for a starter with his production level. Tendering Adams would lock down at least one starting-level safety on the roster while the Jets fill out the depth chart and pursue more appealing long-term options.
Keep on right of first refusal tender
