10 Things Jets Must Do

This is a big offseason for the New York Jets, coming off a pair of 5-11 seasons and looking to take their program to the next level. Here are some ideas from the editorial board at Jets Confidential on how they can take the next step.

1. Re-sign McCown

Josh McCown is coming off an impressive season, and certainly has earned another contract. He played in 13 games, threw 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions, and completed a career-high 67.3 percent of his passes with a 94.5 QB rating. He missed the last three games of the season, and we certainly saw his value there. What is that old expression? “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

Not only did McCown bring stability to the Jets’ QB spot, but also to their locker room. The fact that he won the Curtis Martin Team MVP Award and the Kyle Clifton Good Guy Award shows you his impact on and off the field. He also won the Gerald Eskenazi Award given by the team’s beat writers to the player who is the most helpful to the media.

As a player, leader and spokesman for the Jets, this guy gets high marks across the board.

He can still throw the rock, and has young legs, as we saw with his 124 yards rushing, so don’t get too caught up in his age (38).

Also, he has developed great chemistry with starting wide receivers Robby Anderson and Jermaine Kearse. Why make those guys start over with somebody else in 2018?

It would be a mistake to not bring him back for another year — while also selecting a QB early in the draft with an eye toward the future.

2. Get a shutdown corner

The Jets are in dire need of a bona fide No. 1 cornerback, a shutdown cornerback, if you will. They haven’t had a guy like this since Darrelle Revis in his first stint from 2007-12.

Since Revis’ departure, the Jets have been trying to get by without a true No. 1 lockdown cornerback, and it has really hurt their defense.

When a team has an elite cornerback taking away one side of the field or following the other team’s best receiver around, it changes how a defensive coordinator can call a defense.