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New York Jets running back Breece Hall trying to make a play during an NFL game against the Tennessee Titans.
The New York Jets must decide whether to use the franchise tag or not on running back Breece Hall this offseason.
According to longtime former NFL scout and current NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah, the decision should be simple.
“Man, there are a lot of holes that we have to plug here. So the first order of business is with this cap space, I’m franchise tagging Breece Hall. I’m not letting him walk out of the building. I know you have done these running backs. I don’t love that group. You’re not finding anyone better than Breece Hall in this draft. I can tell you that right now,” Jeremiah explained on the “Move The Sticks” podcast. “So, to me, I’m franchise tagging him starting right there. That is one hole that we have plugged in the boat.”
Daniel Jeremiah said if he was the #Jets he is franchise tagging Breece Hall this offseason:
‘I’m not letting him walk out of the building … You are not finding anyone better than Breece Hall in this draft, I can tell you that right now … That is one hole that we’ve plugged
According to Over The Cap, the projected franchise tag for a running back is $14.53 million. The Jets have the fourth most cap space in the NFL, with over $73 million this offseason, per OTC.
An Unhappy Camper on Their Hands
Former player and longtime scout Bucky Brooks explained the other side of the coin if the Jets decide to tag Hall.
“If I’m Breece Hall, I don’t know how excited I am about doing that and having to play on the tag,” Brooks explained on the podcast.
Jeremiah interjected, saying, “Oh, I wouldn’t think he’d be excited at all, but I don’t know if he is going to have a choice.”
“If I’m him, my question to them would be like, ‘Yeah, that’s great that you want to keep me and all that, but how are you going to use me? You have mismanaged my role [for] multiple years. I’m a guy who should be an upper echelon back, and I haven’t had the opportunities.’ Can they guarantee that he is going to get the opportunities to be the bell cow and the workhorse for an offense that really needs the running back to kind of be the driving force,” Brooks added.
The Jets have had a long, documented history of not maximizing Hall to his full potential.
Former Jets OC Nathaniel Hackett brought up an example from Week 8 in 2023 when he first realized how Hall could contribute as a receiver.
Between Week 6 and Week 17 last season, Hall never had more than four targets in a game. That covered a span of over two and a half months. Offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand was stripped of play-calling duties this offseason and was ultimately fired.
The Jets Need to Build a Foundation of Keeping Their Own
ESPN ranked Hall as the seventh-best overall free agent this offseason and the top-ranked RB scheduled to be available.
The Jets don’t have a clear replacement plan on the roster if Hall were to leave that makes you feel good.
Which means if the Jets let Hall go, they would be opening up another roster hole that they would have to fill. Coming off a 3-14 season, there is no shortage of roster needs for the Jets to fill. Why would they want to add another?
The Jets have the cap space available to afford the franchise tag. Why not take advantage of it?
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
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