We first caught wind on Thursday that the Jets were talking to tackle Tyron Smith. At the time, the talks entailed an incentive-laden deal.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Jets didn’t believe they’d land him. They thought it was part of a leverage play to find something better.
If it was, he didn’t find anything better — and he opted to take the deal.
And so the Jets unexpectedly land a blocker who, if healthy, upgrades the offensive line, significantly. It also means that the Jets most likely won’t be following the Aaron Rodgers friends-and-former-teammates plan by pursuing former Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari.
Then again, maybe they’ll get lucky again, landing him for a bargain-basement deal if he can’t find anything better elsewhere.
That’s pretty much what happened with Smith. We’ll wait for the true details on the deal. For now, the Jets are surprised that Smith agreed to terms. They might end up being pleasantly surprised with what they get out of the 33-year-old who will be embarking on his 14th NFL season, and his first with a team other than the Cowboys.