The New York Jets are still making sneaky moves in the lead-up to free agency.
Former San Francisco 49ers cornerback Isaiah Oliver is joining Gang Green on a one-year contract, according to a social media post by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
According to Rich Cimini of ESPN, he will take Bryce Hall’s spot as the Jets’ free agent starting right away “as the CB4/5.”
It is Hall’s first time as an unrestricted free agent in his NFL career. Hall is 26 years old. It is improbable that he will rejoin the squad in 2024.
Jets Get Social Media Appreciation for Oliver Signing
Oliver, 27, has six seasons of NFL experience. In the second round of the 2018 NFL draft, he was selected with the 58th overall pick to join the league.
Oliver has amassed almost 270 total tackles in that time, along with three interceptions, 36 pass deflections, three forced fumbles, and more.
He has made 44 starts and 79 appearances overall. He played for the Atlanta Falcons for the first five years of his career before joining the 49ers for the most recent campaign.
Oliver is associated with the 49ers staff, who are connected to the Jets. He also worked with Jeff Ulbrich, the defensive coordinator of the Jets, while they were teammates on the Falcons from 2018 to 2020.
The Jets’ cornerback room “is so clearly the best in the NFL,” according to The Jet Press on X earlier this week on Twitter.
Isaiah Oliver, Brandin Echols, Michael Carter II, DJ Reed, and Sauce Gardner. Next season, all five [are] bound by contracts. Outstanding depth and an elite top-3,” TJP went on.
Yeboah, 25, will remain a member of the Jets through 2024 after having played for them for the first three years of his career.
During that time, he has only made 24 appearances, including one start. Yeboah’s skill with special teams has been praised.
With four players set to hit free agency, that leaves the Jets’ tight end room at four. They have Zack Kuntz, Yeboah, Jeremy Ruckert, and Tyler Conklin.
Week 1 would be league average if the Jets had this team, which is something you could more than make it through.
There are a lot of needs in New York, so it would take some time to get to the tight end position. The temptation, though, is to select Brock Bowers out of Georgia in the opening round of the April selection.
Should the green and white manage to address all of their primary requirements prior to the draft, Bowers might be a worthy candidate to be selected with the tenth overall choice. But Bowers is probably just a pipe dream if the team can’t find someone to cover the gaps at wide out or on the offensive line.
Oliver “already knows the system,” according to Cimini, and he adds some adaptability to the defense’s back end.
“The 27-year-old has extensive starting experience on the outside, but he played primarily in the slot for the 49ers,” Cimini said.
Before free agency, the Jets Hold onto an Underappreciated Piece
Late on Sunday, March 10, the green and white managed to secure one of their own.
On social media, tight end Kenny Yeboah “has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Jets,” according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. This summer, he was supposed to be a restricted free agent.
