New York Jets: Brian Poole signing is terrific, but more needs to be done

The New York Jets have made another splash in free agency, this time with the signing of former Atlanta Falcons cornerback Brian Poole to a 1 year, $3.5 million deal.

Coming into the offseason the New York Jets needed to shore up the cornerback position, and they did just that by signing Brian Poole to a 1 year/$3.5 million contract Thursday night.

Poole enjoyed a nice 2018 season with the Atlanta Falcons, recording 74 tackles and three interceptions in 16 games (nine starting).

He was one of the best nickel cornerbacks on the market entering free agency, which was a major position of need for the team after the Jets let Morris Claiborne walk and saw Buster Skrine sign with the Chicago Bears.

I actually really like this move for the Jets.

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Poole will replace Skrine as the slot cornerback, in a clear upgrade. Skrine combined for one interception over the past two seasons.

In addition to that, he was called for nine pass interference penalties over the last three seasons, according to The Football Database.

Poole, on the other hand, was not called for the same penalty over the same timeframe. He’s also a bit younger than Skrine, who turns 30 in a couple of months while Poole is only 26.

I also like this deal because it’s only a one year deal and at a relatively cheap cost for a player of Poole’s caliber.

If Poole plays well and the Jets want to extend him, they will be able to do so. If he plays poorly and they want him gone, they can do that as well.

It also gives Poole the same the same flexibility. He can get a bigger deal if he performs, and he can look for a new start if he doesn’t do well in the green and white.

My hope for the Jets is that they don’t become complacent with just signing Poole. It’s a good signing and they should be happy they got a talented player, but there are other options out there they should be looking into as well.

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For example, it would behoove the Jets to take a look at free agents Bryce Callahan and Ronald Darby, two young corners that are even more talented than Poole and would help them tremendously.

The Jets definitely did well signing Poole, and the organization as well as their fans should be happy with it.

With that being said, they shouldn’t be content with just this in terms of fixing their secondary. It’s a great start, but more work needs to be done.

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