New York Jets Sign Ten Players to Futures Contracts in First Offseason Move

While the New York Jets’ search for a new general manager and head coach will dominate headlines for the next few weeks, the organization is still working to build talent for next season.

To that end, the Jets announced their first transactions of the offseason as they signed 10 players to reserve/futures contracts.

These reserves/futures deals are given to players who are not on the 53-man roster and prevents those players from negotiating and signing with another team. In other words, the Jets see them as potentially talented enough to challenge for something next season.

Several of them spent time on the Jets’ practice squad this season.

The players include offensive lineman Zack Bailey, running back Zach Evans, offensive tackle Obinna Eze, tight end Zack Kuntz, offensive guard Kohl Levao, quarterback Adrian Martinez, linebacker Jackson Sirmon, wide receiver Brandon Smith, defensive back Tre Swilling and wide receiver Easop Winston.

Bailey has been in the pros since 2019 and was elevated to the Jets 53-man roster for the season finale. Evans played 10 games for the Rams last season and joined the Jets’ practice squad in December. Eze signed a reserve/future contract with the Jets in January and has been on the practice squad all season. Kuntz was the Jets’ seventh-round pick and, aside from one game with the Jets last season, has been on their practice squad. Levao spent all season on the Jets’ practice squad.

Martinez joined the Jets after an MVP season in the UFL and was on the practice squad all season. Sirmon was on the Jets’ practice squad for most of the season. Smith was the Jets’ leading receiver in preseason. Swilling was on the Jets’ practice squad all season, while Winston signed with the Jets in November.

New York is preparing for another round of interviews for both its general manager job and head-coaching job. Interviews this week will take place in Florida, where owner Woody Johnson is camped out this week.

New York has already requested interviews with head-coaching candidates, most prominently Lions defensive coordinator and former Jets cornerback Aaron Glenn. He and Detroit are on a bye week before starting the playoffs.

So far, the Jets have interviewed four candidates for the general manager job and two candidates for the head-coaching job.

The last interview was with former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel, who will likely be up for every open job on the market.