Brian Costello of the New York Post reports that the Jets are “engaged heavily in negotiations” with free agents RT Austin Howard and TE Jeff Cumberland.
- Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported earlier in the day that the Jets were in “serious negotiations” with Cumberland.
Both players can begin meeting with teams tomorrow, so the Jets are working to try and prevent them from fielding offers in the coming days.
Cumberland, 26, could end up being a value option for team’s looking to add some depth at tight end. Last year, he caught 26 passes for 398 yards receiving and four touchdowns over the course of 15 games.
According to Pro Football Focus, Cumberland was an above average receiving tight end, although he struggled considerably in regards to blocking.
As for Howard, he should be one of the top right tackles available in this year’s free agent class. However, right tackles haven’t fared all that well on the open market, so we’ll have to see if the Jets’ offer is enough to persuade him against testing free agency.
Howard was rated as the No. 47 qualifying tackle in the league last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
We have Howard listed as the No. 57 player in our Top 100 Free Agents list.
Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!
