The New York Jets improved their record by three games in 2019, but they will need to address these five major needs if they want to truly contend in 2020.
There is something to be said for momentum in the NFL, and two squads that got off to absolutely abysmal starts in 2019 finished strong by going 6-2 in the second half. One of those squads was the New York Jets, who took advantage of a pillow-soft schedule to play very well in the second half.
The Jets are trending in the right direction, but they still have a lot of holes to fill. With a much tougher schedule on tap (the Jets have the second hardest schedule in 2020 based on 2019’s records), the Jets will need to improve in order to have a chance to turn their second half momentum into a playoff push in 2020.
Let’s take a look at the Jets’ five biggest needs this offseason, beginning with the place kicking position.
5. Kicker
The Jets had a Pro Bowl kicker in 2018, but then-GM Mike Maccagnan opted not to re-sign Jason Myers, instead letting him walk in free agency. Myers’ departure for Seattle began a revolving door at kicker for the Jets, who went through three more kickers before landing on Sam Ficken in Week 2.
Ficken was more stable than any of the other options, but he still missed eight field goals and three extra points, so the Jets could definitely use an upgrade at this spot. Finding a good kicker is challenging, however, so expect current GM Joe Douglas to explore his options at the spot.