user: Big Decisions for Jets, and Not Just on the Coach
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. â The sentiment expressed most often by Rex Ryan over the last week â aside from his pledging that, no, he has not thought about his uncertain future â is that the Jets are an ascending team. It is his steadfast belief that they have an enviable foundation, especially on defense, and a young core that will expand through free agency and the draft.

âThereâs a certain mentality you have to have when you play for Rex Ryan,â the defensive line coach Karl Dunbar said in a recent interview. âI guess the kids these days call it swag. These guys have it.â

That Ryan might not be present to watch his players realize their potential â boost their swag â remains a distinct possibility. The Jetsâ season finale Sunday at Miami could be Ryanâs final game as the coach, with the owner Woody Johnson and General Manager John Idzik expected to reveal his fate the next day.

How Idzik navigates the off-season hinges only partly on whether Ryan is replaced or retained. The Jetsâ shortcomings, priorities and needs, some apparent for much of the last year, will not change if they hire a new coach.

Surrounding Geno Smith or a starting quarterback to be determined with more offensive talent, particularly at receiver, is imperative. So is improving the secondary and signing defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson to a new contract.

This season was always going to be a transitional phase for the Jets, even though Idzik and Johnson never said as much. Idzik used last off-season to clear salary, amass draft picks and fill the margins of the roster with players who carried reasonable salary-cap charges. He wanted to position the Jets for 2014 and beyond, stressing the importance of building from within and saying that the draft would be a âlifelineâ for the Jets as they rebuild. They could have as many as 12 selections in the draft next May.

The moves Idzik made and didnât make furnished him with financial flexibility that is likely to increase further after he releases some of the Jetsâ more recognizable players. As much as they need to add a creditable veteran backup quarterback, filling that role with Mark Sanchez, whose departure would save the team $8.3 million, makes little sense. Neither does bringing back receiver Santonio Holmes, who has failed to supply production commensurate with the five-year, $45 million deal he signed before the 2011 season.

Deciding how to proceed with Antonio Cromartie could be a bit trickier. He has said he wants to retire with the Jets, but Cromartie will not return at the $14.98 million price at which he would currently count against the cap in 2014. The Jets could do far worse at cornerback, however, especially if, after visiting specialists, Cromartie resolves the nagging hip injury that hampered his effectiveness this season, and is willing to accept a pay cut; or extends his contract to reduce the cap charge; or re-signs at a lower salary after being released.

After Idzik has extricated the Jets from their salary-cap problems, how he proceeds with the $26 million of space gained by trimming Holmes, Sanchez and Cromartie will play a significant role in determining whether the Jets can contend next season.

Some of it figures to be earmarked for re-signing some of their own 17 unrestricted free agents, a group highlighted by the starting offensive linemen Austin Howard and Willie Colon, tight end Jeff Cumberland, linebacker Calvin Pace and kicker Nick Folk. As for the rest of it, Idzik must decide how much to allocate toward revamping the Jetsâ glaring weakness: the receiving corps.

The Jets do not have a No. 2 receiver, let alone a No. 1, and it is critical to their success that their quarterback next season has more pass-catching options than Smith did or, for that matter, than Sanchez had in 2011 and 2012. A premium tight end would be a boon for the development of a young quarterback, as would a set of explosive and reliable receivers. The best available free agents are Eric Decker, James Jones, Jeremy Maclin, Hakeem Nicks and Emmanuel Sanders, all of whom are more dynamic than the Jetsâ current collection.

Daniel Jeremiah, a former scout for three N.F.L. teams who now works as an analyst for NFL Network, said the draft was projected to be so loaded at receiver that teams might be discouraged from dispensing the sort of lucrative free-agent contract that Mike Wallace landed with the Dolphins. That could allow the Jets to sign a receiver at a sensible price and still address the position through the draft.

âIt might be a situation where you get a guy like Jeremy Maclin, whoâs coming off an injury, on the cheap,â Jeremiah said in a telephone interview. âAnd then if you still want a receiver in the second or third round, you can get a really good player there.â

The Jets seem very likely to improve at safety, and perhaps at cornerback, and add reinforcements at guard and outside linebacker. But their most intriguing and important decision involves Smith and their level of confidence in him. However encouraged they are by Smithâs resilience, improved decision-making and comfort in the system, the Jets are unlikely to pass on any quarterbacks they view as long-term improvements.

Jeremiah said he agreed with Ryanâs assessment that the Jets are an ascending team, but only to a point.

âItâs absolutely true on the defensive side of the ball because that will make them competitive every year,â Jeremiah said. âBut if youâre preparing a scouting report for them, what jumps out is the inconsistent quarterback and the receiver position. They have nobody that scares you. They have to get players on offense that scare you.â
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assistant: Surrounding Geno Smith or a starting quarterback to be determined with more offensive talent, particularly at receiver, is imperative to the teamâs success in 2014.