Jets Identified As Possible Blockbuster Trade Partner For These 2 NFC Teams

Is this a winning strategy for the Jets?

Sep 29, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh fist pumps cornerback Brandin Echols (26) before the game against the Denver Broncos at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

There will be no shortage of opportunities for the New York Jets to make trades this year.

The Jets have a high first-round pick, but they might want to move in either direction of the draft order. They also have lots of star players seeking extensions (i.e. Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson), plus a new head coach/general manager combo who will be looking to reshape the roster.

So with basically all varieties of trades on the table, perhaps it's best to consider which teams the Jets might partner with on a deal at some point this season. And one NFL writer believes recent coaching hires can point to the answer.

Both Jets head coaches from last season--Robert Saleh, who was fired in October, and Jeff Ulbrich, who was his interim replacement, are now defensive coordinators in the NFC. And both went back to their old teams: Saleh to the San Francisco 49ers, and Ulbrich to the Atlanta Falcons.

On Wednesday, Brandon Costello of the New York Post suggested that the Jets could swing trades this season with either the 49ers or Falcons, thanks to the two coordinators' deep knowledge of the Jets' defensive depth chart.

"The Jets now have not one but two former head coaches from last season who are with other teams. Robert Saleh is now the 49ers defensive coordinator, and Jeff Ulbrich, who served as the interim coach for 12 games, is the defensive coordinator for the Falcons," Costello wrote.

"Could Mougey use players from the Jets defense whom Saleh and/or Ulbrich have an affinity for to get something in return at a lesser draft capital cost?"

The Jets have six players on the defensive depth chart who will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, all of whom could conceivably be trade targets for interested teams. That list includes safety Tony Adams and defensive end Michael Clemons, who were impact starters for New York in 2024.

It's early in the offseason, so the Jets might not do anything particularly flashy until the draft in April. But don't be surprised if one of these two NFC teams makes a move for a Jets player between now and Week 1.

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