Even before the Jets' plane back from Buffalo was wheels down in New Jersey late Sunday night/early Monday morning, the wheels were already turning inside the nimble brain of GM Darren Mougey.
"It really starts the next day," Mougey told team reporter Eric Allen. "We finished [the 2025 season] Sunday night. We got back. And the next day, I met with players at 7 a.m. and I love that opportunity, that time to meet with the players, really reflect when it's pretty fresh. And it's a chance for me to get some insight on some things I may not have heard, and just kind of hear what the players might need."
With his first season at the helm in the books, the future starts now for Mougey and the Green & White. The GM's excitement as the offseason begins is married to the Jets owning the No. 2 and No. 16 (via Indianapolis) overall picks in the draft, a total of four selections across the first two rounds (Nos. 33 and 44), and currently 12 picks overall in the seven rounds.
"It starts today," he said on Monday. "And this is when I really enjoy this time of year. I get to jump in the draft room with the pro scouts, and we go through our entire roster, every single player, and every scout will get to talk about the player. We'll talk about the vision for the future . ... So it's a fun time of year for me. And then that kind of kicks us off into the offseason, as we have the vision for our team and roster, and then some early planning and free agency."
He added: "We know we're picking at two now, which is exciting, so you're kind of locked in there, and you're starting to build this early preliminary draft board and where the draft might be strong in certain positions, where we might have some strengths or holes in free agency. And it's just, it's an exciting time of year. It's a fun time of year. And yeah, I'm ready to kick it off."
In addition to the team's envious draft capital, the Jets, at present, have more than $66 million in cap space, according to Overthecap.com, which offers Mougey and the Jets incredible flexibility and possibility ahead of the free agency period, which officially opens in mid-March.
"I feel really good about both our cap space going into free agency in the offseason, and then obviously our draft capital going into the draft," he said. "So, I feel like we're in a good position. And [it] doesn't change necessarily that you have all this cap space and available cash, we still want to be responsible. It's not necessarily go out and just going high price. You're aggressive in the market, you still want to be very strategic and calculate and make sure you're doing the appropriate spending, again, with a vision on free agency and the draft and where you can kind of manipulate that."
The Jets have some intriguing offensive players in place headlined by star WR Garrett Wilson, young offensive linemen LT Olu Fashanu, RT Armand Membou and the versatile Joe Tippmann, TE Mason Taylor and a stable of talented runners. Newcomers Adonai Mitchell and John Metchie III showed some promise after arriving prior to the NFL Trade Deadline from Indianapolis and Philadelphia, respectively.
"We're excited about that offense, starting with the offensive line," Mougey said. "With the group, very rare to have the entire group play the whole year, and I think I know that with the continuity on the offensive line, them playing together, they'll continue to grow and continue to get better. And glad we have that foundation up front, because it really does all start up front."
Both Wilson and Mason Taylor ended the season on injured reserve but are expected to fully recover. RB Breece Hall can become a free agent, though Mougey said "we'll exhaust all options there and see how that unfolds."
The major looming question surrounds the quarterback position. Justin Fields and Brady Cook are under contract while Tyrod Taylor can become a free agent. With the No. 2 pick and oodles of cap space, Mougey has a lot of room to maneuver.
"I know it gets kind of cliché and lame to say, but we'll evaluate the quarterback position," he said. "We'll exhaust all options across the league, obviously, with an eye on the draft as well, but we'll exhaust all options at the quarterback position like we do all positions. But obviously that'll be a big talking point, and one we'll have to really dive into."
