{"id":159953,"date":"2026-03-11T02:11:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T02:11:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/159953\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T02:11:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T02:11:11","slug":"was-joseph-ossai-an-overpay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/159953\/","title":{"rendered":"Was Joseph Ossai an overpay?"},"content":{"rendered":"

With over $70 million in salary cap space entering 2026, the New York Jets knew they would have to get aggressive if they wanted to address the many needs along their roster. <\/p>\n

After a three-win season in 2025, that is precisely what the Jets did on the first day of free agency. Strong trade value and a collection of defensive additions have transformed New York\u2019s group seemingly overnight.<\/p>\n

But just how good were the New York Jets\u2019 free agent moves<\/a> on the first day?<\/p>\n

Today, we grade each individual addition on its own metric based on past production, contract value, and expected role for the 2026 season.<\/p>\n

Jets\u2019 acquisition grades<\/p>\n

Six additions were made on Monday, each with a very specific goal in mind: to get New York\u2019s defense to a passable grade following a disastrous 2025 season. Did each move fit what the Jets want?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a look. <\/p>\n

Minkah Fitzpatrick: A<\/p>\n

The trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick<\/a> and the subsequent three-year extension were the first and best moves of the day for the Jets. Fitzpatrick is a former All-Pro with ball-hawking capabilities and a strong leadership track record. To only give up a seventh-round pick for him is a steal for New York.<\/p>\n

This is a leadership-defining move for the franchise.<\/p>\n

Demario Davis: B<\/p>\n

Speaking of leadership, the Jets brought back one of their best leaders of the last decade for the third time. By signing Demario Davis to a two-year contract, the Jets are pushing for greater accountability on defense while also adding players to help end their struggles in run defense.<\/p>\n

Davis is 37 years old and won\u2019t be compared to the league\u2019s great linebackers. But as a run defender and leader, he might just be exactly what New York has needed.<\/p>\n

David Onyemata: B+<\/p>\n

The Jets were among the worst defenses in the league at stopping the run last season. David Onyemata is an immediate plug-and-play interior defensive lineman to end those troubles.<\/p>\n

With a cap charge of just around $2.1 million, the Jets should be thrilled they added a quality veteran with plenty still in the tank for next season. Onyemata should fit well with Jowon Briggs, T\u2019Vondre Sweat, and Harrison Phillips.<\/p>\n

Joseph Ossai: B-<\/p>\n

Joseph Ossai received a deal that perhaps outweighs past production. He has recorded just 10 combined sacks in the last two years, but he\u2019s a competent edge rusher who simply needs more reps in a scheme that pushes him as a stand-up defender.<\/p>\n

His contract could be improved as the year progresses, as he gets more accustomed to the Jets\u2019 defensive scheme under Aaron Glenn. It\u2019s a better move than the next signing simply because he\u2019s shown he can be a quality edge rusher in limited reps.<\/p>\n

Kingsley Enagbare: C+<\/p>\n

Kingsley Enagbare is a run-stopping edge defender, but he should be someone who is part of the natural rotation for the Jets. A $10 million contract could be seen as an overpay, but the full details of how much it counts against actual cap space have yet to be released. <\/p>\n

He\u2019s probably the most questionable addition at this point, but if his run grades continue to perform well, the fit remains for New York.<\/p>\n

Dane Belton: B<\/p>\n

As third safeties go, Dane Belton is an excellent value at just $4 million. There will be a competition between him and Moore, but one must assume the Jets will want to see the former fourth-round rookie get a chance to start once training camp begins.<\/p>\n

Belton is a sure-fire tackler who should be a box safety this year. It\u2019s a logical fit for the Jets. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With over $70 million in salary cap space entering 2026, the New York Jets knew they would have…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":159954,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[65472,57949,7013,34115,65915,65230,9,11,430,10,22,38486,38010,7016,16329,7018],"class_list":{"0":"post-159953","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-dane-belton","9":"tag-demario-davis","10":"tag-free-content","11":"tag-joseph-ossai","12":"tag-kingsley-enagbare","13":"tag-minkah-fitzpatrick","14":"tag-new-york","15":"tag-new-york-headlines","16":"tag-new-york-jets","17":"tag-new-york-news","18":"tag-nfl","19":"tag-ny-jets-column","20":"tag-ny-jets-free-agency","21":"tag-ny-jets-players","22":"tag-ny-jets-trades","23":"tag-standard"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159953","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159953"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159953\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/159954"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=159953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=159953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}