The offseason is usually the most exciting time to be a Jets fan. We are always full of hope with a high draft pick, tonnes of cap space and the belief that this year will be the year that we end the playoff drought. Now last season's offseason was one of the best in recent memory, heck, the Jets became only the third team in history to win both Defensive and Offensive Rookie of the Year. But that does come with a price, a lower draft pick, less cap space and even more pressure to finally make the playoffs this year! With the Super Bowl over, the offseason is finally upon us and silly season of rumours, hype and hysteria can truly begin! Whilst we cannot prepare you for endless (and at times, tiring) debates over who the Jets should pick at number 13 overall or who the next QB of the franchise should be, we can make sure that you know exactly when the key moments in the offseason are and give you a brief explainer on what they all mean for the Jets.
Key Offseason Dates:
Feb 21-March 7: Franchise Tag Window
The franchise tag is a designation that allows NFL teams to select one player set to be an unrestricted free agent and guarantees another year under contract if certain conditions are met. Each team receives one franchise tag per year and the team must offer the selected player a one-year contract no less than either the average of the top-five salaries at that player’s position or 120% of the player’s previous year’s salary, whichever is greater.
A player to look out for here is star Defensive Tackle, Quinnen Williams who is due to become a free agent this Spring if he does not agree an extension. After his fantastic 2022 season, the Jets can't let him walk... surely...
Feb 28-March 6: NFL Combine
The easiest way to describe the NFL Combine is that it is a primary (elementary) school sports day for real athletes...! It is a week-long event occurring every off-season at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of coaches, general managers, and scouts. The Combine is an invitation only event so you will only get to see the prospects likely to be selected at the Draft.
If you fancy yourself as an armchair GM, this is the event for you. But be warned, many GMs have fallen into the trap of selecting players way too high because they perform incredibly well at the adult sports day. Spoiler alert: the player who runs the fastest 40-yard-dash will always be selected higher than they should...!
March 13-15: Legal Tampering Period of Free Agency Opens
The legal tampering period gives NFL teams the ability to contact pending unrestricted free agents on opposing teams who remain under contract until the official end of the league year. Teams are strictly prohibited from contacting soon-to-be free agents prior to the legal tampering period and the League do take this very seriously. In 2022, the Miami Dolphins were stripped of two draft picks — including a 2023 first-round selection — after being found guilty of tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton while they were under contract with other NFL teams.
Expect a free agency frenzy filled with reports of rumored interest and negotiations but whilst soon-to-be free agents can have preliminary negotiations with a new team during the legal tampering period, they cannot officially sign a new deal until the new league year opens.
The Jets are not expected to have a tonne of cap space this year so will not be as active in free agency as some may want but always keep an eye on contract restructurings and players being cut to make room for a few free agent signings.
March 15: New League Year Opens
This is very much as it says on the tin - the new league year begins! Crucially, teams are allowed to sign free agent players so this date is better recognised as being the start of free-agency than anything else!
April 17: OTA’s Can Begin
OTAs (Organised Team Activities) are ten days of scheduled preseason activities organised by NFL teams. This is the first glimpse of Jets football in the new season but, it is often more about player drama than anything else. Whilst participation is voluntary, questions usually arise in the media (especially in New York) when a player is not present. Perhaps the most famous example of this for the Jets was back in 2010 when star corner-back (and now first ballot Hall of Famer!!!!) Darrelle Revis skipped OTAs as he was in a contract dispute with the team. As is to be expected, the media fixated on this A LOT!
April 27-29: NFL Draft
The star of the show when it comes to the Offseason! Almost everything that happens in the next few months is in anticipation of the NFL Draft where 259 college athletes will join the NFL. This is the night that makes or breaks franchises. Select wisely and you set yourself up for decades to come, select poorly and you're in a never-ending cycle of mediocrity. Day 1 of the Draft will be taking place on Thursday, April 27th and will see the first 32 players selected in what is the first round of seven. Day 2 on Friday plays host to Rounds 2 and 3. Finally, Saturday, April 29th will see the final four rounds play out.
The Draft is where real armchair GMs come alive, draw up your big draft board and make your predictions for the weekend. You are not a real armchair GM if you have not done at least 100 mock drafts in the build up and profess to know the one true hidden gem of the year...
The Jets hold the following picks in the 2023 NFL Draft:
Round 1, Pick 13 overall
Round 2, Pick 43 overall
Round 3, Pick 74 overall
Round 4, Pick 112 overall
Round 5, Pick 145 overall
Round 6, Pick 185 overall
A big misconception is that the Draft finishes after Mr. Irrelevant is selected at pick 259 in the Seventh Round. This is not the case. Teams then rush to sign undrafted free agents, many of whom become stars in the NFL. The Jets had themselves a notable undrafted free agent this past season in Bam Knight who won a Rookie of the Week belt in Week 14.
Mid-May (likely 11th): NFL schedule release
The final date on our Offseason calendar. The first look at who the Jets will be playing in 2023 and when. This is your first chance to predict when the Jets' Ws and Ls will come - our advice, just let a coin do the predicting for you.
The biggest reason to mark this date is that once we know the dates of games in the season, we will begin planning our events for the 2023 Season! We plan to host a number of events across the UK and Ireland and will be able to announce them to you all shortly after the schedule release.
To make sure you are the first to hear about our events for the upcoming season, join our Fan Club now!
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