The Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets have combined to go 0-8 through five weeks of the NFL season, being outscored by a combined 199 points, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better anytime soon. In fact, it might get even worse for the AFC East cellar dwellers.
The Dolphins, you might have heard, look like the worst team in NFL history, as the tank is fully engaged down in South Florida. The Jets, meanwhile, entered the season with higher hopes before those were dashed by the immune system of quarterback Sam Darnold and an accompanying rash of injuries to start the season.
Miami’s sell-off began before the season even started, and it looks like the Jets might be headed down a similar road. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported Sunday the Jets are open to selling ahead of this month’s NFL trade deadline.
“New management is willing to move on from several high-priced players ahead of the trade deadline, league sources said,” La Canfora wrote Sunday.
It makes sense. Darnold’s bout with mononucleosis likely railroaded the entire season, as it turns out Luke Falk and his 7.7 QBR might not actually be the second coming of Tom Brady, after all. The Jets have been outscored by an average of 17 points in Falk’s three starts — obviously all losses — and the campaign that started with some optimism under first-year head coach Adam Gase now looks all but lost.
“With the future of former top pick Leonard Williams in doubt, and him carrying a whopping $14 million salary,” La Canfora writes, “the Jets would be willing to part with him via trade sources said, while former Pro Bowl offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele, whom the Jets just acquired from the Raiders in March, is also available.”
If the Jets really wanted to get nuts, perhaps they could dangle star running back Le’Veon Bell in a trade. Bell in March signed a four-year contract with the Jets worth up to $61 million with $35 million guaranteed. So far, New York hasn’t seen much value out of the deal, as Bell has rushed for a career-low 2.9 yards per carry and hasn’t scored a touchdown — rushing or receiving — since Week 1.
That’s not really Bell’s fault, though. It’s kind of hard for a running back to get going when he’s the focal point of any defensive game plan, and early deficits — the Jets are averaging just 2.2 first-half points per game — take away any run-heavy game plans.
For what it’s worth, La Canfora reported he hasn’t heard anything about New York exploring Bell’s potential trade market, but that certainly could change, especially given the bleak outlook of the Jets’ season. An 0-7 start is a legitimate possibility with the Cowboys, Patriots and Jaguars on tap for the Jets ahead of the Oct. 29 trade deadline.
Regardless, this all seems like good news for the Patriots, who will get another crack at the Jets in a couple of weeks when New York could look even worse than it does right now, if that’s even possible. And if the Jets really decide to blow things up, we could be looking at yet another reset in the franchise’s seemingly never-ending rebuilding efforts.
