2 of 7

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Are the New York Jets tanking?

It's OK if they are, but it's a complicated question with no real answer. Because technically, when teams rebuild they often tank as well.

The Cleveland Browns, for example, let four high-quality free agents walk last offseason without any clear-cut replacements waiting in the wings. And the Browns went on to lose 15 games, "earning" the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft.

The 2017 Jets appear to be doing their best impression. And again, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. (Spoiler: Cleveland fares well in these rankings.) But the tank itself has to work. If the Jets manage to luck their way into several wins and miss out on the top pick, or if they botch the 2018 draft, none of this will matter.

The Jets have spent the 2017 offseason purging almost every experienced veteran starter from their roster.

First it was 34-year-old quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, whose contract was voided in February. Then they cut 33-year-old seven-time Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold, 32-year-old seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis and 33-year-old six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall, all before the new league year arrived in March.

They hardly participated in free agency except to sign journeyman stopgap quarterback Josh McCown, cornerback/first-round bust Morris Claiborne and not-terrible-when-healthy offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum. And they oddly selected safeties with each of their first two picks in April's draft (indicating it's all about best player available, and that more moves were moving).

But then they got back to cutting with the release of 33-year-old starting linebacker David Harris and 30-year-old starting wideout Eric Decker, as well as a predictable trade that sent contract-year safety Calvin Pryor to the Browns.

It's a minor miracle former Pro Bowl defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson remains on the roster, but that doesn't mean the Jets want him there. Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the team was shopping the 2013 Defensive Rookie of the Year at the draft.

What does it all mean?

ESPN.com's Rich Cimini wrote:

"After their sixth straight season out of the playoffs, the Jets decided to tear it down and start a long, painful rebuild—a radical approach. They executed the plan with conviction, stripping the roster of big names and big salaries. They dumped 11 veterans, including future Ring of Honor members David Harris, Nick Mangold and Darrelle Revis. For the most part, they replaced the departed 11 with cheap free agents and unproven young players.

"Let's be clear: This is a tank job, and it's not hard to understand the motivation. If the Jets land the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, they'll have their pick of what figures to be a strong quarterback class. They also will have $80 million in cap room next year. In the meantime, they'll have one of the worst rosters in the league."

If all goes right, the Jets will climb this list next year. But that roster is a mess, and they don't even appear to have something that could be passed off as a potential heir apparent under center. They still have to prove they can tank, too, which won't be easy for a team that has the league's eighth-easiest schedule based on DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) at Football Outsiders.

Ideally, the Jets will fail to show up in 2017 and wind up with the top pick, draft a promising young quarterback and use all that salary-cap space on said quarterback's supporting cast. But until that happens, the Jets are the worst of the league's current rebuilders.