Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

Top items on Jets' shopping list (next to quarterback, of course)

This is the bye-week version of the New York Jets mailbag. As a change up, we'll examine something other than the quarterback situation.

@RichCimini: Thanks for the question, Brian. Sometimes we get so quarterback-crazy that we forget about the rest of the team.

Let's start with the defense. I believe the Jets are two players away from having an outstanding defense -- a shutdown cornerback and an outside linebacker/edge rusher. A speed guy on the outside would force opponents to slide their protection to him, creating better opportunities for Leonard Williams and the interior rushers. A top corner would accentuate their man-to-man scheme.

Unfortunately for the Jets, these are the hardest positions to find, which is why they go so high in the draft. The good ones rarely hit free agency, and the ones who do are very expensive. Malcolm Butler and Trumaine Johnson will be the biggest names on the cornerback market.

On offense ... wow, they need a lot. I think you're going to see a serious makeover on offense. Aside from quarterback, they need a running back, a center, a tight end (if they can't re-sign Austin Seferian-Jenkins), a stud left tackle and a wide receiver.

Yes, wide receiver. They should have a solid nucleus next year with Jermaine Kearse, Robby Anderson and Quincy Enunwa, but they don't have a true No. 1. Each one is good at certain things, but they lack an all-purpose, every-down, all-over-the-field threat. A quick glance at the free-agent list doesn't excite unless Jarvis Landry floats your boat.

Running back is a must. Matt Forte will be gone, Bilal Powell will be 29 and Elijah McGuire has the look of a solid complementary back. The Jets need a game-breaker, a Leonard Fournette or Kareem Hunt. A player like that would make such a difference for the offense. Le'Veon Bell would be ideal in their West Coast offense because he's a dual threat, and he'll be only 26, but I don't see general manager Mike Maccagnan paying a top-of-the-market contract for a running back.

As you can see, Brian, the Jets need a lot. Rome wasn't built in a day and it'll take more than two years to complete this rebuild.

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