The New York Jets had one of the worst offseasons of any NFL team this offseason.
At least that is the opinion of ESPN’s Seth Walder. On Tuesday, June 30, he published a column that graded every team’s offseason. The Jets received a “C” grade. They were one of only four teams that received that same grade. The only team that received a worse grade was the Arizona Cardinals, who received a “D” grade.
Walder said the “biggest move” the Jets made was trading for veteran quarterback Geno Smith. The move he “liked” the most was trading for interior defensive lineman T’Vondre Sweat. The move(s) he “disliked” were the acquisition of “aging veterans.”
“If you knew nothing else about the Jets other than their player acquisitions this offseason, you might think this was a team pushing for a title. Because why else would a team sign 33-year-old defensive tackle David Onyemata, 37-year-old linebacker Demario Davis, and trade for 29-year-old safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and the 35-year-old Smith?” Walder questioned.
“The Jets have generally been rational since GM Darren Mougey took over, recognizing their status at the trade deadline last year and dealing Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams for more value than either was worth. But some of the additions this year were puzzling for a team with no hope of contention in 2026 and hinted at raising the floor for a coach on the hot seat,” Walder explained.
You Can’t Have It Both Ways…
Before we get into the rest of Walder’s argument, let’s address some stuff off the top.
Walder doesn’t like that the Jets added multiple veteran players? Last year, the Jets had one of the youngest rosters in the NFL. That decision proved to be a mistake.
The Jets finished the year 3-14 and were among the most undisciplined teams in football. They had the 11th most flags thrown against them of any team in the league in 2025. Given the number of young players the Jets relied upon, that result isn’t too surprising.
The Jets were called out, rightfully so, for being terrible.
When one path doesn’t work out, the pendulum usually swings in the other direction.
After relying on youth and that plan failed in 2025, the Jets decided to add veterans to help stabilize the roster in 2026. Now they’re getting called out for it?
He specifically called out four veteran additions that, in his mind, didn’t make sense.
Onyemata was signed to a one-year deal. Smith was acquired for a swap of sixth and seventh-round picks. Fitzpatrick was acquired for a seventh-round pick.
If you were to raise your eyebrow at any of the additions, you could hone in on Davis receiving a two-year deal that included $15 million in guarantees at the age of 37.
Head coach Aaron Glenn’s job is on the line in 2026. Of course, he brought in some familiar names to help. Were the Jets just supposed to roll over and die and not try to compete?
More Walder Criticisms
“The Smith deal is the most important. And the quality of that trade depends entirely on the context around it. Adding Smith cost very little — a sixth- and seventh-round pick swap and $3.3 million in cash for 2026. If Smith’s role was to be a bridge quarterback who would start a few games before giving way to a young quarterback with upside, I would be all about it,” Walder admitted.
“But the intention seems to be having Smith be the starter the season — a wasted opportunity to find out if the Jets could hit the quarterback lottery on a younger player. The Jets took only a light swing on a young QB, selecting Cade Klubnik in the fourth round of the draft. There are also potential off-field concerns, as police are investigating a June assault accusation made against Smith,” Walder wrote.
Wait, what?
Walder’s beef with the Jets is their intention to start Smith instead of, *checks notes*, a fourth-round rookie who many criticized the Jets for overdrafting in April?
That doesn’t make any sense.
In a perfect world, the Jets would have loved to find their franchise quarterback in 2026, but you can’t force a square peg into a round hole. What other choice did they have? Trade up for Ty Simpson, who many say wasn’t ready for the spotlight?
Everything was always lining up for the 2027 NFL draft, where the Jets hold three future first-rounders. For now, this is a season in between. The Jets added the quarterback that they believed gave them the best chance to win this season.
If anyone thought the Jets had a bad offseason, I’d be willing to hear the reasons why. However, this ESPN column has utterly nonsensical reasons for its claims.
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