The Jets are not exactly putting the band back together, though several of the moves made by GM Darren Mougey and HC Aaron Glenn so far in free agency reach back to Columbus and The Ohio State University.
Two former Buckeyes -- WR Garrett Wilson and TE Jeremy Ruckert-- were already ensconced at 1 Jets Drive when the team moved quickly to enroll QB Justin Fields and then C Josh Myers.
In addition to turning the Green & White shades of OSU scarlet and gray, there's also a prominent Big Ten contingent throughout the roster that includes RB Braelon Allen and C Joe Tippmann (Wisconsin), OL Olu Fashanu (Penn State), edge Braiden McGregor (Michigan), WR Brandon Smith (Iowa) and S Tony Adams (Illinois); plus newly signed DL Byron Cowart (Maryland) and WR Tyler Johnson (Minnesota).
That four Buckeyes -- Fields, Wilson, Ruckert and Myers -- either played together or overlapped from 2017-20. An although there's a feeling of a college reunion to soon reconvene on the field at MetLife Stadium, the signing of Fields to a reported two-year, $40 million deal on the first day of the free agency period sends a message that the Jets are hitching their wagon to the former first-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears.
"This guy literally just turned 26 years old [on March 5], and he's been in the league, it seems like forever already," NFL analyst Leger Douzable told Eric Allen on a new edition of "Official Jets Podcast." "So, this is a young guy with a lot of upside."
Fields was the No. 11 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, appearing in 40 games (38 starts) for the Bears over three seasons. Fields completed 60.3% of his passes in Chicago for 6,674 yards with 40 TDs and 30 INTs. He also averaged 740 yards on the ground per season and registered 14 rush TDs. In 2022, Fields rushed for 1,143 yards, which is the second-highest total for a QB in league history. His 2,562 pass yards in 2023 were a career high.
With the Steelers in the 2024 season, Fields (6-3, 227) went 4-2 as a starter while totaling 10 TDs (5 pass/5 run) against just 2 turnovers. His 66% completion percentage and 93.9 passer rating were career highs.
"That was the biggest thing, him protecting the football, because that was the issue when he was a younger quarterback," Douzable said, referring to his time as a starter in Pittsburgh, before he was replaced by the veteran Russell Wilson.
"We know how dynamic he is with his legs in the open field," Douzable said. "And what people don't talk about enough is how physical he is when he becomes a runner. He's extremely hard to bring down. So you always hear the terminology 'plus one' in the run game. That's what Justin Fields gives you. This guy can throw the pill.
"Let's not forget, D.J. Moore's best career year [2023, 1,364 receiving yards, 8 TDs] was with Justin Fields. Not all the other quarterbacks he played with, it was with Justin Fields. So, he can definitely throw the ball down the field. I think, also with Darren Mougey and also, AG, they looked at us and said, he's got some synergy and some continuity with our No. 1 receiver, right? Because he played with Garrett Wilson in college. He played with Jeremy Rucker in college, and, oh, by the way, we signed his center in Josh Myers to bring him along as well.
"So, he's going to have some familiar faces on this team where he feels comfortable, knows he's going to be the starter from Day 1, and we're praying and hoping that we can continue to develop this guy, and maybe there's a potential for him to be the long-term franchise quarterback for the New York Jets. And I think that's what Justin Fields was looking at and why he decided to sign with the New York Jets, because he knows there's an opportunity, if he shows right, that he could potentially be the quarterback of the future."
It's hard to see the renewal of the Fields-to-Wilson connection not working. But what's also appealing to the Jets is Fields' production as a threat to run. His 19 rush TDs and 2,509 rush yards are the third-most and fourth-most, respectively, by a QB since he entered the league. Over 50 career games, he's averaged 50.2 yards on the ground. That gives the Jets' offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand the incentive to build an offense that is flexible and highlights Fields' strength behind a young and improving offensive line.
"Can we see more RPO with Justin Fields? Because that's part of his game that separates him from a lot of other quarterbacks," Douzable said. "And also when you talk about the pieces on the outside in Garrett Wilson, but then also in the backfield with Breece [Hall] and you have to talk about this young offensive line. Let's not forget Tanner Engstrand. Where'd he come from? The Detroit Lions. What do they want to do there? Run the football. You don't think he's going to want to run the football with this young offensive line the Jets have?
"Besides [LG] John Simpson, everybody else are essentially starters on rookie deals. Now there is a need at right tackle, and that could potentially be happening in the draft, or there's still some free agents out there. When you talk about a young, hungry offensive line gelling, they're going to want to run the ball to take some pressure off Justin Fields. And let's not forget, Justin Fields is going to be part of the run game, and he's got to be plus one in the run game as well. So, I'm excited to see what Tanner Engstrand does with this offense, and when he puts his handprint on it, what will be the philosophy for this offense and what will its identity be? I can't wait to see that."
