Will NY Jets GM Joe Douglas keep trade-deadline streak alive? – New York Jets Blog

DENVER — A look at what’s going on around the New York Jets:

1. Trader Joe’s: The trade deadline is in nine days, which means general manager Joe Douglas is working the phones.

In three years on the job, Douglas hasn’t let a trade deadline pass without a deal being made. The circumstances are different this year because, with a 4-2 record, the Jets are well positioned to be flexible.

Of course, the spotlight will be on disaffected wide receiver Elijah Moore, who has demanded a trade. The Jets say trading him is not an option. Even if they were to acquire him, it would be difficult to get equal value because his production has yet to match his potential. The best course of action is to try to settle their differences with Moore, a 2021 second-round pick who is supposed to be one of their core players.

The Jets are willing to listen to offers for wide receiver Denzel Mims and cornerback Bryce Hall, both former 2020 draft picks who have been unable to get on the field. Mims was a healthy scratch through the first six games, but he will be active Sunday against the Denver Broncos. He will replace Moore, who left New Jersey to clear his head. Hall did play in one game, but had just five defensive tackles. He has starting experience, so he may attract some interest.

Both players are signed through 2023, so there’s no rush to send them packing for what would be a small return — we’re talking a late-round draft pick, maybe even in 2024. At the end of the preseason, the Jets were seeking a fourth-round pick for Mims after he requested a trade, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation. They won’t get that much, not even close.

On Thursday, Mims told ESPN his trade request is “still on the table,” but a trade seems more unlikely than ever because of the uncertainty surrounding Moore. Mims can be valuable insurance.

Can jets trade? ABOUT a player? There are no glaring holes in the roster, but Douglas – unlike in previous years – is more inclined to be aggressive because of the team’s position in the standings. They could use some depth at safety and linebacker.

Douglas likes to deal on deadline. In search of draft capital, he traded Leonard Williams in 2019, followed by Steve McLendon, Avery Williamson and Jordan Willis in 2020. In 2021, he imported Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff, who ended up starting.

2. Moore and less: Moore has been targeted on 13% of his routes this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information. That ranks 78th out of 81 qualified wide receivers. With Zach Wilson at quarterback, he’s been targeted even less (11%). Moore’s frustration is understandable, but he has to understand that it’s a team game — and the team is winning for a change. In other words, his time stinks.

3. Repairing the relationship: Moore’s trade request doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a long-term future with the Jets. Things change quickly in the NFL. Coach Robert Saleh saw this happen with his previous team, the San Francisco 49ers, who escaped a sticky situation with wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

Instead of honoring Samuel’s offseason trade request, the 49ers remained patient and repaired the relationship. Saleh hopes to do the same with Moore. One change: The 49ers pacified Samuel with a three-year, $72 million contract extension. Moore isn’t eligible for a new deal until 2024, so Saleh will have to do it the old-fashioned way: small talk, with a pampered ego.

4. Team boy: Moore and Michael Carter find themselves in similar situations — second-year players who have lost opportunities due to the emergence of a rookie. In Carter’s case, it’s Breece Hall, who started for the first time last week. For Moore, it’s Garrett Wilson. Moore chose to vent his apparent frustration on social media — a precursor to his trade request. Carter has remained silent, refusing to make waves.

“I think it would be unsafe for me to feel about it,” said Carter, the team’s leading rusher in 2021. “The main thing is, I know I can [play] — I’m not stupid — but I’m glad he’s getting his opportunities, just because he deserves it and works hard. I like to see the ball of my teammates”.

That’s why Carter is one of the most respected leaders on the team — the “heartbeat” of the offense, as offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur calls it.

5. Sauce Lover: Saleh was sitting on the team bus outside Lambeau Field last Sunday when he got a text from one of his former players, cornerback Richard Sherman. He sent a video clip of Sauce Gardner dishing a pass to Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs, who tried to shake the rookie with a double move on a comeback route — and failed. The 6-foot-3 Gardner showed tremendous versatility, changing direction as a five-inch shorter cornerback.

“I was like, ‘Damn, that was a really, really impressive game,'” Saleh said.

Sherman gave Gardner a shout out on Twitter, recognizing another pass breakup from the game. Gardner appreciates the love from the former star.

“It feels really good because he’s a guy that a lot of people compared me to,” Gardner said. “I always watched him when he was with the Legion of Boom and when he was with the 49ers. It’s great to hear stuff like that from him.”

Gardner is off to a sensational start. He is one of only two players since 2000 to have a pass breakup in each of his first six career games. (The other is Desmond Trufant, 2013).

6. You have cheese, you will travel: In case you’re wondering about the foam head that Gardner made famous in Green Bay, well, he made the trip back to New Jersey. It was a carry-on for him on the team flight and is sitting at his house. He said he is planning to show it.

7. Beginner’s growing pains: Not every member of the project’s vaunted class is thriving.

Tight end Jeremy Ruckert (third round) has been a healthy scratch in two of six games. He was replaced last week as the TE3 by Kenny Yeboah, who was promoted from the practice squad. It was a peculiar team-based decision, as the Jets don’t typically feature three tight ends in the offensive game plan. Ruckert missed the offseason with a foot injury, but he’s had plenty of time to catch up.

As it turned out, Yeboah played a whopping 26 snaps on special teams. It was his hustle that helped set up Micheal Clemons’ blocked punt.

8. Go fourth: Continuing a trend from the preseason, when they reeled off three come-from-behind wins, the Jets are pressing in the fourth quarter. Their point differential is plus-48, the second-best fourth-quarter differential of any team through six games in the past decade, behind only the 2016 Broncos (plus-57).

The fourth quarter says a lot about a team, from a talent, coaching and intangible perspective. It’s a far cry from last season, when they were minus-44 in the fourth (28).

“We just have more firepower, more than anything,” Carter said.

9. Carbon loading: To prepare for Denver’s altitude, the Jets’ sports performance department created a nutrition plan so the players could prepare for the change. He emphasized heavy hydration and lots of carbs. Defensive end John Franklin-Myers, who said the Broncos have “the only real home field advantage in the NFL,” said he ate a lot of pretzels and drank a lot of electrolytes.

10. The last word: “It’s crazy how this happens, man. Everybody was talking crazy about us, saying, ‘Same old planes’ or whatever. Now they’re saying we gotta stay humble, which is gonna make.” — wide receiver Corey Davis on how the team’s perception has changed with the win