Before Joe Douglas can focus on external targets, he has a handful of impending in-house free agents to evaluate.
The Jets have 28 players set to hit the open market this offseason. Some won’t factor into New York’s plans for 2022, while others, it’s safe to assume, the Jets would like to keep around for a while. Either way, Douglas has a lot of work to do to put together a competitive roster for Robert Saleh’s second year at the helm.
Elijah Riley was a revelation for the Jets in 2021. The second-year safety essentially came out of nowhere to become one of New York’s best defensive backs in the second half of the season. His play helped solidify the secondary after a season-ending injury to Marcus Maye, which may have earned Riley a new contract with Gang Green.
Should the Jets hang onto Riley, who is an exclusive rights free agent? Let’s evaluate the situation in Jets Wire’s latest free agent profile.