The Jets added a wide receiver on Thursday, just not the one people spent most of the day talking about.
A source confirmed the Jets agreed to a one-year, $5.5 million contract with Keelan Cole. That came after an NFL Network report said the Jets were having conversations with free agent JuJu Smith-Schuster. It is unclear if the Cole deal ends any chance of Smith-Schuster coming to the Jets, but there is a good chance that is the case.
Cole spent four seasons with the Jaguars and had his best season last year, when he caught 55 passes for 642 yards and five touchdowns. The 27-year-old can also return kicks and punts. He had a 91-yard punt return for a touchdown last year.
Cole can play both outside and in the slot. The Jets currently have Corey Davis, who signed his contract on Thursday, Jamison Crowder and Denzel Mims atop their depth chart. Crowder is the one to watch. He has an $11.4 million salary cap number with no guaranteed money on his deal. The Jets would save $10.4 million in cap space if they were to release him.
Keelan Cole has agreed to sign with the Jets. APThe Jets can afford to keep both Cole and Crowder on the roster, but it is a situation to monitor.
Smith-Schuster does not seem to have as strong a market as he anticipated. The Jets may just be checking to see if there is a bargain there. With Cole locked up, the Jets may be done adding receivers.
The interior of the Jets’ offensive line also got some added depth. A source said the Jets agreed to a one-year contract with Dan Feeney, who can play both guard and center. The deal is for $3.5 million, but can reach $4.25 million.
Feeney, a 2017 third-round pick by the Chargers, started 57 games for them the past four years. He played guard for the first three seasons and then moved to center in 2020.
The Jets are looking to upgrade at guard, where starters Greg Van Roten and Alex Lewis were a disappointment last year. Feeney could take one of their spots.
The Jets would save $5.2 million in cap space by releasing Lewis. Van Roten’s release could save them $3.4 million. Lewis has no guaranteed money left on his deal. Van Roten has $250,000 that becomes guaranteed if he is on the roster on Monday.
The Jets added depth at safety, agreeing to a one-year, $4.5 million deal with Lamarcus Joyner, according to a source.
The 30-year-old spent the past two seasons with the Raiders, starting 16 games, after spending the first five years of his career with the Rams. The Jets needed to add at safety, where they have Marcus Maye and Ashtyn Davis with not much else behind them.
The Jets signed former Saint Justin Hardee to a three-year, $6.75 million contract for his special teams acumen.
Asked on a Zoom call Thursday what makes him so good at special teams, Hardee stood up and pointed to his chest before giving an emotional answer.
“That’s why I’m good at it, because I’ve got heart. I won’t back down,” Hardee said. “I’m a maniac on the field. I just play with grit, man. I play like I’m trying to feed my son. I play like I told my mother that I was going to play hard. She’s up in the sky watching me. I cannot disappoint her. That’s why I believe I’m good at special teams because I will not be denied.”
WR Breshad Perriman, who spent 2020 with the Jets, agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with the Lions, according to reports. … LB Tarell Basham agreed to a deal with the Cowboys, his agents tweeted. The deal, a source said, is for two years and up to $6.5 million. Basham played three seasons for the Jets and had a career-high 3.5 sacks last year.
