Jets Country

Jets Strengthen Secondary, Signing Two Proven Starters in Free Agency

New York has been active, as expected, in improving this roster since free agency began earlier this week.

Max Goodman

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After bolstering their offense in free agency on Monday, making moves on both the offensive line and at tight end, the Jets flipped to the defensive side of the ball, using their cap space to address two more deficiencies.

New York made a pair of signings in their secondary on Tuesday, adding cornerback D.J. Reed and safety Jordan Whitehead, according to multiple reports. 

While Whitehead's contract is worth $14.5 million over two years, Reed and the Jets agreed to a three-year, $33 million deal. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN had the details of Whitehead's contract while Tom Pelissero of NFL Network first reported the financials of Reed's pact.

Reed, 25, was ranked by Pro Football Focus as the eighth-best corner available in free agency this offseason, a defensive back with ties to Jets head coach Robert Saleh from their time together with the 49ers. Whitehead, who turns 25 later this month, was New York's No. 1 target at safety entering free agency, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini, a second proven player with championship experience.

Both defensive backs project to start right away in New York, strengthening the secondary of a unit that had the worst overall defense in the National Football League a year ago (allowing 397.6 yards and 29.6 points per game).

By bringing in Reed, the Jets are creating an environment where their other young cornerbacks can compete with one another. That'll foster development and improvements across the board. Reed will start on one side while Bryce Hall, Brandin Echols and more compete for playing time on the other.

At safety, barring any more additions, Whitehead will start alongside Lamarcus Joyner, who was re-signed by the Jets a few days ago. Longtime starter Marcus Maye departed in free agency on Tuesday, taking his talents down to New Orleans.

In other words, these two moves have the potential to be incredibly impactful for New York. Both players seem like solid fits and will be able to shine at their respective positions in big roles, bringing the most out of their new teammates as everyone evolves cohesively.

Before coming to an agreement with Reed and Whitehead, general manager Joe Douglas had already worked his magic to surround Zach Wilson with weapons.

New York signed right guard Laken Tomlinson and tight end C.J. Uzomah on Monday, re-signing wide receiver (and fan favorite) Braxton Berrios in addition to veteran running back Tevin Coleman.

There's still plenty of room for improvement on defense, namely up front in the trenches. Douglas and his team can look to add to their pass rush in free agency or wait patiently until the NFL draft next month. Perhaps they'll even do both. 

Other than Maye, former Jets defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi (Jaguars) and offensive tackle Morgan Moses (Ravens) also signed with new teams in free agency on Tuesday. 

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher  of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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