The New York Jets were one of the worst teams in the NFL last season, winning just five games. As hard as it is to imagine, they took a step backward this offseason and look like theyre bound to be even worse in 2017.
Brandon Marshall, Nick Mangold, Ryan Clady, Darrelle Revis and Marcus Gilchrist are all gone, leaving holes all over the roster. The Jets draft was even more questionable, failing to address big needs at left tackle and cornerback.
Despite New Yorks shaky offseason, defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson is confident the Jets will win more than five games which isnt saying much, to be honest.
"The team will definitely be positive and do more things better than we did last year, I can guarantee that," Wilkerson said, via ESPN. "We'll have more wins than we did last year, and that's a fact."
This isnt Joe Namath guaranteeing a win in Super Bowl III which he delivered on but saying thats a fact about anything is always dicey. If your guarantee doesnt come to fruition, you look like a fool. If it does, few people remember unless youre Namath.
Coincidentally, Namath was in the room when Wilkerson made his not-so-bold prediction. He didnt seem to have a problem with what Wilkerson said, but he wasn't as confident in the Jets' abilities.
"You have to earn respect and that's by going out and winning some games, showing something, and getting some teams wary of you," he said. "Right now, I don't think there are many teams wary of the Jets. … Until they start playing well, who's going to respect them?"
Namath has a point. The secondary is a complete mess, the wide receiver unit is weak after the departure of Marshall and Devin Smiths torn ACL, and the offensive line is depleted following a shaky offseason of moves.
AP
Oh, and then there are the quarterbacks you know, the most important position in sports. The Jets have three potential starters in Christian Hackenberg, Josh McCown and Bryce Petty, but none of them is aparticularly strong option.
Hackenberg has yet to throw an NFL pass, McCown is a veteran journeyman whos past his prime, and Petty struggled mightily last season in spot duty. So, yeah, its hard to imagine the Jets taking a big step forward in 2017.
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