Let’s move on to our third and final installment of potential Jets free-agent targets. We’ve already covered a wide range of names at different price points, so we’ll continue that trend by highlighting another player who could realistically join the Jets and provide positive value this free-agency cycle.
Leo Chenal
Chenal is a particularly intriguing option due to his somewhat unconventional profile. On the plus side, he’s just 25 years old, has graded consistently well since entering the league, and has flashed
as a strong run defender thanks to his instincts and athleticism. The downside is usage: he’s never logged more than 600 snaps in a season and has typically played only around 50% of his team’s defensive snaps.
Physically, Chenal stands out. At 6’3”, 250 pounds, he’s an elite athlete with a unique body type for the position. That athletic profile has followed him since college, where he was known as a powerful tackler with rare explosiveness. His testing numbers were exceptional: he benched 420 pounds, clocked a top GPS speed of 20.95 MPH, and he posted elite Combine results, including a 4.53-second 40-yard dash, a 40.5-inch vertical, and a 10’8” broad jump. Even back then, there was intrigue about his potential as a situational pass rusher due to his build.
That’s largely how he’s been used in the NFL. Over the past four seasons, Chenal has lined up almost exclusively in the box or outside the tackle as a pass rusher. He’s rarely been asked to play in coverage, doing so on only about 30% of his snaps. And to his credit, he’s been productive in that role. In each of the last three seasons, he’s posted a PFF grade north of 75.0, which is comfortably above average. His missed-tackle rate sits at 7.8% over that span (roughly in the 75th percentile for linebackers) and he’s consistently posted strong stop rates given his alignments and responsibilities.
The central question with Chenal is whether he can hold up in coverage. If he’s going to be deployed as a true off-ball linebacker, that’s the unknown. His limited usage suggests his previous team had concerns in that area. As a run defender, he’s already proven himself, and while he’s not a dominant pass rusher, he’s shown he can generate pressure when lined up on the edge. Coverage remains the swing skill. That said, he’s posted coverage grades above 70 in each of the last two seasons, which could indicate growth, even if his role has been carefully managed.
At 25 years old, Chenal remains a former high-upside prospect who has consistently been a positive contributor in limited action. He’s ranked among the top 20 linebackers by PFF grade in each of the past three seasons. In the right situation, with an expanded role and as he enters his physical prime, he could end up being one of the better value signings of the offseason. That upside comes with real risk, but the payoff could be substantial.
Contract projections reflect that uncertainty. PFF estimates a two-year deal worth around $12 million, while Spotrac pegs his value closer to $5 million annually. Those numbers are reasonable, though there are rumors he could push into the $8–10 million per year range based on his upside. For a rebuilding Jets team, this is the type of calculated gamble that makes sense. It may not hit, but financially it’s manageable and if Chenal does take a step forward in a larger role, the contract could look like a major steal. Next up and arguably our most controversial name listed thus far:
Kyler Murray
Hear me out… hear me out.
I’m not here to sell Kyler Murray as a franchise guy. In fact, there’s a very real chance that version of him, if it ever truly existed, is gone. He’s still only 28 but given his physical limitations (he’s listed at 5’10”), his game has always depended heavily on elite athleticism. If that explosiveness is fading, it’s fair to question how much upside remains. That said…. the Jets aren’t exactly operating from a position of strength here.
So what does Murray actually have going for him? Cost.
With the Arizona Cardinals cutting Murray, he’s owed $36.8 million guaranteed in 2026 with offset language. That’s great news for any interested team, because it means he’ll play for the veteran minimum. Whoever signs him gets Murray on a one-year deal worth roughly $1.3 million. In a league where quarterbacks regularly consume massive chunks of the cap, getting a QB whose cap hit doesn’t even crack the top 60 at the position is an outright bargain.
And while Murray is no longer a star, he’s also not nearly as bad as his reputation suggests. He’s still, quite clearly, a top-32 quarterback. There’s little statistical or film-based evidence that says he isn’t at least a viable, below-average starter even with declining athleticism. His QBR rankings over the last four seasons paint a pretty consistent picture:
- 2025: 47.2 (23rd)
- 2024: 63.4 (9th)
- 2023: 48.0 (22nd)
- 2022: 53.6 (19th)
Taken together, he’s hovered between mediocre and average. Advanced metrics tell a similar story. Since 2022, among quarterbacks with at least 800 dropbacks, Murray ranks 23rd out of 38 in a combined CPOE + EPA/play metric. Even if you’re pessimistic and expect further regression, there’s still meaningful runway before he drops into “unplayable backup” territory.
Jets fans would understandably be skeptical. Murray’s public perception hasn’t helped him. Questions about maturity, preparation habits, and off-field focus have followed him for years. Critics will also point to the Jets’ recent attempt at a similar reclamation project with an athletic quarterback in Justin Fields, which failed spectacularly. Context is needed there: Murray would cost roughly $29 million less and has been a significantly better quarterback than Fields throughout their respective careers.
For a team with no clear answer at quarterback, Murray at least provides a functional one. It’s a short-term, low-risk financial gamble that costs virtually nothing, and his résumé is stronger than almost any quarterback expected to be available this offseason.
It’s not an ideal solution. But for a team like the New York Jets, with no strong alternatives, it would be a serious mistake not to at least explore the possibility. Our next guy:
Ar’Darius Washington
This is a bit of an under-the-radar name. Ar’Darius Washington has had an incredibly unfortunate run of luck since entering the league as an undrafted free agent. Since 2021, he’s missed a total of 39 games due to a wide range of injuries, a number that alone will understandably scare off many teams and likely keep his market quiet this free-agency period.
He barely saw the field this past season, appearing only sparingly over the final four weeks after suffering a freak Achilles tear in May. But when Washington has actually been healthy enough to play, the performance has been legitimately impressive.
His breakout came in 2024 with the Ravens, where he emerged as a key contributor on a strong defense. Over 830 snaps, Washington ranked 8th among all safeties in PFF grade, 5th in coverage grade, and 5th in PFF WAR. Despite being undersized at just 5’8”, he was deployed all over the field: lining up in the box, the slot, and as a deep safety throughout the season.
Washington was consistently around the football. His eight pass breakups ranked second among safeties, his forced incompletion rate was 11th league-wide, and he added two interceptions. The downside? He also led the league in dropped interceptions with four, something Jets fans are all too familiar with after last season’s historically poor ball production.
Between the injury history and his size, Washington is impossible to rely on as a sure thing. Still, at 26 years old and given the nature of his injuries, there’s enough upside to justify a calculated bet. He’s almost certainly going to be inexpensive, and there’s a real chance he can provide surplus value relative to his contract.
Expecting him to be a starter would be a mistake. But a one-year deal in the $3–4 million range to bring him in as a third safety and depth defensive back makes sense, especially given his background on special teams. If he flashes in camp and looks anything like the player he was in 2024, Washington could quietly become a major value signing for the New York Jets. Let’s go to our final player:
Montaric “Buster” Brown
This is another deep cut in the free-agent pool—exactly the type of under-the-radar name teams mine for value. Montaric Brown isn’t showing up on many top-50 free-agent lists, but he’s an intriguing gamble worth discussing.
A former fourth-round pick out of Arkansas in 2022, Brown began his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a rotational player, starting games only sporadically early on. By 2024, however, he stepped into a full-time role, logging more than 855 snaps. That season came on a rough Jaguars defense, and while his 62.9 PFF grade wasn’t eye-catching, it was relatively respectable given the circumstances.
The 2025 season didn’t start smoothly. Brown suffered a lower left leg/ankle injury in July that sidelined him for roughly two months. He returned in Week 4, gradually ramped up his snap count, and eventually emerged as one of the quieter success stories on an unexpectedly much improved Jaguars defense.
Once healthy, Brown’s coverage production was legitimately strong. Over nearly 800 snaps, he allowed a 54.4% completion rate, a 73.3 passer rating, and just 384 yards. He gave up three touchdowns but countered with two interceptions and eight pass breakups. Across key metrics, Brown ranked 24th in PFF coverage grade, 17th in forced incompletion rate, 32nd in snaps per reception, and 14th in passer rating allowed. Taken together, those numbers suggest he played like a low-end CB1 for much of the season.
Perhaps most encouraging was the trend line. As he moved further away from the injury, his play improved. From Week 6 onward (when he took on a full-time role) Brown ranked 11th in PFF coverage grade during that stretch.
Brown was an unheralded contributor to a Jaguars defense that took a meaningful step forward, though questions remain. He’s 26 years old and has only about a dozen games of truly strong starter-level tape. Still, he’s not expected to generate much buzz this offseason. PFF values him at roughly $4.5 million per year, while Spotrac is far more aggressive at $9.2 million. Realistically, he probably lands somewhere in between.
Even so, a two-year deal in the $14 million range could represent a solid opportunity for the New York Jets to upgrade their cornerback room. Like Washington, Brown shouldn’t be handed a starting role outright, but if AZ Thomas doesn’t take a step forward this offseason, Brown could very well profile as the stronger early-season option.
