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New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh reacting after an NFL game.
The New York Jets are doing some more homework on another big-name free agent.
According to ESPN reporter Tiffany Blackmon, Gang Green is set to host veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell on a free-agent visit this week.
The 36-year-old who will turn 37 before the start of the 2023 season has already visited with the Atlanta Falcons and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jets Have a Chance to Fill One of Its Biggest Needs With a Big Man
Campbell was released by the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, March 13. The former Miami product had one year left on his $12.5 million contract through the 2023 season.
The veteran defensive lineman announced during Super Bowl week that he planned on returning for his 16th NFL season in 2023.
Campbell is a hulking human being standing in at 6-foot-8 and weighing north of 307 pounds. He has the versatility to play inside and out which would be incredibly attractive to the Jets.
In his 15 seasons in the NFL, he has racked up 99 sacks, 16 forced fumbles, over 237 quarterback hits, and has secured 809 total tackles.
Campbell also owns six Pro Bowl nominations, a first-team All-Pro nod, and he won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award back in 2019.
The Jets will get their chance to convince Campbell to join the team during his visit. In addition to his trip to 1 Jets Drive, Blackmon also shared that he will be checking in with the Buffalo Bills.
This could be one of those classic division rivalries where one team will land the talented defender and the other squad could be left swinging in the wind.
Quinnen Williams and Calais Campbell Could Create a Dynamic Duo for Jets
The Jets’ interior defensive line leaves much to be desired.
Quinnen Williams is the centerpiece of the entire defense, but the rest of the room has been gutted in free agency.
Nathan Shepherd earned a nice three-year deal for $15 million bolting to New Orleans to join the Saints. Gang Green also lost former first-rounder Sheldon Rankins on a one-year $9.75 million contract to the Houston Texans.
When your in-house free agents leave, you have to find a way to replace them.
Campbell is much closer to the end of his career than the beginning but he can provide exactly what New York is looking for.
With the rumors hot and heavy for Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers everyone is in a ring-chasing mindset.
It’s a compelling pitch and when you consider head coach Robert Saleh’s reputation around the league for his defensive prowess that can only help during these free-agent conversations.
Another thing that’ll help is general manager Joe Douglas’ relationship with the Ravens organization. He spent the first 14 years of his career as a scout in Baltimore.
While he didn’t necessarily cross over with Campbell who was with the team for the last three years from 2020 through 2022, Douglas will have a good read on him.
You don’t stay with an organization for that long without building good relationships. Douglas can and probably already has reached out to his old buddies with the Ravens to get the scoop on the big man ahead of his scheduled visit.