The New York Jets and the Dallas Cowboys.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder has named former Jets first-round pick Mekhi Becton as a top replacement option for Tyron Smith in Big D.
“The Cowboys were up against the cap to start free agency which is a big reason why long-time starting left tackle Tyron Smith didn’t return and signed a deal with the Jets, and why Jerry Jones has been quiet during free agency,” Holder explained in a column posted on Sunday, April 7.
“At the moment, Tyler Smith is expected to make the switch from left guard to left tackle but signing Becton could keep the All-Pro at his best position. Even if Dallas wants to leave Smith on the edge, the former Jet has experience playing right tackle after making a couple of starts there last season and dating back to his college days at Louisville.”
Mekhi Becton Will Likely Have to Sign a Prove-It Deal
The Jets made Becton the No. 11 overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. He became the first official pick of the Joe Douglas era as the general manager of Gang Green.
For a variety of reasons, Becton and the Jets didn’t work out. Namely, Becton’s inability to stay on the football field was a point of contention.
He never completed a fully healthy season in the NFL through his first four years in the league. In two of the last three years, his campaign ended early due to a season-ending injury.
This past season Becton was able to appear in 16 of the 17 games which put the arrow in the right direction. So far this offseason NFL teams haven’t been willing to bet that this is a sign of things to come but rather an outlier.
Being nearly fully healthy one time in four years in what was a contract year isn’t enough. Becton will likely have to bet on himself one more time to get the bag next offseason.
The former Louisville product will have to sign a deal similar to Smith’s that is heavily incentive-laden. If Becton can stay healthy in back-to-back years, the 24-year-old has a chance to cash in next offseason on a big multi-year deal.
Jets Are Changing Young for Old on the Offensive Line
If the Becton pick worked out, the Jets would have never had to dip their toe in the free agency waters to lure Smith to New York.
Now the green and white is going for broke in the 2024 season. Smith, like Becton, has injury questions of his own that he’s dealing with.
The good news is Smith is coming off of a second-team All-Pro season and he was able to stay on the field for 13 games. That is the most amount of games he has appeared in since the 2019 campaign.
Head coach Robert Saleh told Jets team reporter Eric Allen that they have reached out to the Cowboys regarding their successful strategy working with Smith in 2023.
“That’s what we are working on. Trying to figure out what’s best for him. We’re gathering information from Dallas. Whatever we come up with we are going to be excited about it. Obviously constant communication with him & speaking to him, the man wants to practice, the man wants to be on the field. It sounds like one of those guys that we’re going to have to protect from him,” Saleh explained.
