The NY Jets may have some new sheriffs in town in head coach Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey, but this tandem is not going to win a ton of games unless they fix some of the biggest issues that Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh found themselves to be incapable of patching up.
Getting Quinnen Williams a run-stuffing running mate at defensive tackle could be the top priority for the Jets this offseason, be it through the NFL Draft or free agency. The Jets may end up bringing back an old friend after his most recent employer decided to make him a cap casualty.
Former Jets defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, who recently signed a multi-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, was released in a move that will save around $9 million in cap space. Rankins only played seven games with Cincinnati due to injuries, which could limit his suitors in the offseason.
Rankins still has plenty of juice left in the tank, and he has proven to be a very productive player when healthy. One of the first signings of the Glenn era could be a Saleh-like addition of an aggressive player with experience and versatility on the line.
NY Jets may need to bring back Sheldon Rankins after Bengals release
Rankins doesn’t necessarily need to be the first option, as there are higher-upside options like Mason Graham in the NFL Draft and DJ Jones in the free agent pool. However, if New York wants to allocate their cap space elsewhere, they could bring back Rankins on a cheaper contract.
Rankins wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire in Cincinnati, and that was before injuries limited him to just seven games in 2024. The year prior, however, Rankins was a key component of a Houston Texans defense that helped DeMeco Ryans reach the playoffs in his first season.
Rankins has proven to be a competent starting defensive tackle, more so than a player like Javon Kinlaw due to the latter’s poor run-stuffing ability. The Jets may need to make another defensive tackle addition along with Rankins, but starting the Louisville product with Leonard Taylor and another new name as depth pieces seems workable.
Rankins is the type of player Glenn has had success with in Detroit, and his second act in New York could get started off on the right foot if he ends up providing competent defensive tackle play next to Williams.
