Joe Douglas on Jets standing pat at trade deadline: 'It takes two to tango'

Despite rumors that the New York Jets could be sellers or buyers at Tuesday’s trade deadline, general manager Joe Douglas stood pat with his 4-3 roster.

“We made a lot of calls on a lot of different positions,” Douglas said, via the team’s official website. “But it takes two to tango. We made a lot of calls, but we didn’t get a lot of deals done.”

In the end, the only deal the Jets ended up making was an Oct. 18 trade of little-used Mecole Hardman back to Kansas City in exchange for a 2025 late-round pick swap.

New York had a need along the offensive line, but with so few of those players available, it was a long shot that an upgrade was obtainable for the right price.

In the days leading up to the deadline, two Gang Green players, running back Dalvin Cook and defensive end Carl Lawson, were the subject of trade rumors, given their limited roles. Cook expressed that a trade might be a good thing, and Lawson added he wanted to play football, not be a “cheerleader.”

In the end, both will remain in New York beyond the trade deadline.

“Those guys are great teammates and players,” Douglas said. “I have a feeling we’re going to need those guys a lot down the stretch. They’re assets to this team and we’re glad they’re here. Seven games in, we’re 4-3 and there’s a lot in front of us. At the end of the day, we did what we felt was best for our team and we’re excited about the guys we have.”

How much Cook and Lawson play will likely depend on the health of the players in front of them on the depth chart. Breece Hall has been wildly more effective than Cook out of the backfield. On defense, players like Bryce Huff and Jermaine Johnson have given Gang Green reason to increase their reps rather than curtail them for a player like Lawson. 

The Jets currently sit on the edge of a playoff spot (No. 8 in the AFC). Having depth could come in handy in a long season.