The market for free agents in the NFL will take off on March 16 and the New York Jets would like to settle a file before that date by making sure to retain the services of Laurent Duvernay-Tardif.
The Quebec guard will become free as the air in two weeks if he does not conclude an agreement with the team.
Present at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, the team’s general manager, Joe Douglas, was however clear during an on-site interview with the Journal. The Jets have no intention of letting Duvernay-Tardif slip away.
“We have had discussions with his representatives. In the case of LDT, we know what type of individual he is, not to mention the fact that he has a champion CV. He is still a high-level player in this league and obviously we have every interest in bringing him back with us,” said the man who has the final say on personnel decisions.
Conclusive transaction
On November 2, Duvernay-Tardif agreed to waive the no-trade clause in his contract with the Chiefs and moved to the Jets in return for tight end Dan Brown.
For the Jets, there is no doubt that the transaction was a winner. The Quebecer has taken part in eight of the team’s last nine games and established himself as a starter in his second game.
“Laurent was an excellent acquisition, a great addition to our team. He gave us a lot in terms of character. With the sacrifices he chose to make when the pandemic hit, it’s understandable what kind of person he is.
“I was not surprised at all by his speed of adaptation. I had the chance to get to know him and saw how brilliant and focused he is on his business. He can quickly master a new game system and he has demonstrated it well, ”said the DG.
An improved line
Douglas previously cut his teeth in the Philadelphia Eagles organization, where he helped build a 2017 Super Bowl champion team with strong players in the trenches.
Since joining the Jets in 2019, the offensive line has had its share of troubles, but he believes it’s headed in the right direction.
“Our line is on the right track. We can always improve, but now we have a group of guys who kicked their ass last season. We bet on good guys, real pros.
“Laurent has been a great asset to us and he’s had a big impact in helping us come together and play better football throughout the season,” he said.
Mutual interest
For his part, the guard who has just turned 31 has not spoken of his intentions since his end-of-season press conference, but his agent does not hide that the interest in returning to the Jets is mutual.
“Laurent really enjoyed his time in New York. He definitely wants to come back and we’ll see what the options are with the Jets. The priority is the Jets and we will see later if there are other business decisions to be made, ”said Sasha Ghavami.
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