2017 NFL Season Preview- New York Jets

The 2016 Jets were a mess right from the get go. New York never got untracked due to a brutal early schedule, losing five of their first six games, the winning their next two, before losing six of their final eight.

After signing a $12 million, one-year deal, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was benched twice but regained his job both times due to injuries to Geno Smith and Bryce Petty. Running back Matt Forte played well for a 30 year old before getting injured late in the year. Bilal Powell was great down the stretch, but the team never figured out how to maximize him. The tight end position is a mess with Kellen Davis getting hurt and Austin Seferian-Jenkins has a history of off the field issues. Wide receiver Quincy Enunwa was the teams leading receiver which just goes to show how bad the rest of the corps was. Eric Decker played in just three games before getting hurt and Brandon Marshall was never at his best. Only one offensive lineman played the whole season and the other four landed on injured reserve.

The defensive line, which was supposed to be the team's strongest unit, ended up being a big disappointment. Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson failed to live up to his big payday and defensive end Sheldon Richardson has too many on and off field incidents. The talent on the linebacker front is strong but needs another year to solidify. Inside linebacker David Harris is the defense's reliable leader but was a liability in coverage. The secondary was a total embarrassment. Cornerback Darrelle Revis continues to decline rapidly, Buster Skrine was the human pass interference, and safety Calvin Pryor's hard hitting style never translated to the field.

Many of the team's problems stemmed from locker room leadership. Brandon Marshall and Sheldon Richardson squared of both in public and private. Richardson also continually undermined head coach Todd Bowles by showing up late to team meetings and posting a profane Snapchat video moments before a game against Miami.

Defensive lineman Leonard Williams was the teams only Pro Bowler. Williams continues to emerge as a star despite this rest of his defensive line self destructing.

The rookie class was a mix of good and awful. Inside linebacker Darron Lee looks to be the anchor of the defense for a decade despite being raw in coverage. After an awful preseason, quarterback Christian Hackenburg never played a snap in the regular season and looks like a massive bust.

Going 5-11 in his second season, head coach Todd Bowles has to get his record back in the win column if he expects to keep his job. After offensive coordinator Chan Gailey retired, he was replaced by New Orleans Saints wide receiver coach John Morton.

Notable Additions- QB Josh McCown, LB Demario Davis, CB Morris Claiborne, K Chandler Catanzaro

Notable Departures- QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB Geno Smith, WR Brandon Marshall, WR Eric Decker, C Nick Mangold, LB David Harris, CB Darrelle Revis, S Marcus Gilchrest, K Nick Folk

Holding the sixth overall pick in the draft, the Jets to add to key positions if the expect to get back to playoff form. Especially at quarterback, offensive linemen, and cornerback.

For 40 years, the Jets having been looking for the next Joe Namath. They won't get him in the draft or free agency, but they still need to get a quarterback.

Nick Mangold was released this offseason season and the rest of the offensive line isn't exactly the picture of youth. A rebuild is definitely needed.

Bringing back Darrelle Revis didn't pan out as the team had hoped. The defense needs a number one cornerback quarterbacks will be afraid to target.

On draft day, the Jets selected LSU safety Jamal Adams with the sixth overall pick. Adams was viewed as the top run support safety in the draft, but his frame is smaller than ideal for strong safeties.

The team also notably drafted Florida safety Marcus Maye in the second round, Alabama wide receiver Ardarius Stewart in the third, California wide receiver Chad Hansen in the fourth, and Clemson tight end Jordan Leggett in the fifth. Mayer has great safety for the position, but does have medical concerns with a broken arm that needs to heal properly.Stewart was praised for bringing competitiveness and aggression to the wide receiver position but was plagued by dropped passes at Alabama. Hansen was viewed as the top receiver prospect after the catch, but lacks the vision to set up blocks. Leggett has great athleticism for a tight end, but his play effort is often inconsistent.

The Jets have a lot of potential but I'm not sure how it will translate on the field.

Josh McCown looks to be the starter with Bryce Petty as the backup. Unless Christian Hackenburg makes big strides this offseason, he may never see the field. Its imperative that New York finds a way to utilize both Matt Forte and Bilal Powell in the offense equally. If Austin Seferian-Jenkins can get past his demons, he can be a serious threat in the middle. The main concerns are still at wide receiver and offensive line. The team didn't do enough to improve the offensive line and they now lack a true number one receiver.

Defensively under Bowles, they should be stable. If the team doesn't trade Sheldon Richardson at some point, I'll be shocked. Even though they released Brandon Marshall, Richardson still has too many red flags that paint a target on the team's back. The linebacker corps should be stronger with Darron Lee, Jordan Jenkins, and Lorenzo Mauldin entering their second season together. Adding Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye solidifies the safeties for now, but there are still concerns at cornerback.

In all, The Jets should improve from a 5-11 record, but I don't think they've done enough to get back into the postseason just yet.

Best record they can hope for: 7-9