The Jets informed Eric Decker yesterday that he'll be traded or released (so, released) by the end of the week. Twitter, that home to reasoned thought and analysis, reacted with shock about New York tanking the season. Where have those people been? It's been obvious for months that this was the Jets plan.

New York has cut a host of veteran starters since the end of the season, both capable (Brandon Marshall) and probably near or at the end of the line (Nick Mangold). While some of the moves can certainly be defended for football reasons -- players who were overpriced or underperformers -- few would contend the Jets are making any effort to be better in 2017.

Of the team's 22 offensive and defensive starters (plus kicker), New York will have a new (and cheaper) starter at 11 of those spots. At six of them, they'll almost certainly be worse. Two of them it's hard to say; they'll be starting rookies. Two more look like lateral moves at best. In only one spot -- left tackle -- will they likely be better, and even that move saved them some money.

JETS DEPTH CHART, 2016 VERSUS 2017
Pos20162017$$$Better/Worse
QBRyan FitzpatrickJosh McCownLessPush
RBMatt ForteMatt ForteSamePush
WRBrandon MarshallRobby AndersonLessWorse
WREric DeckerCharone PeakeLessWorse
WRQuincy EnunwaQuincy EnunwaSamePush
TEAustin Seferian-JenkinsAustin Seferian-JenkinsSamePush
LTRyan CladyKelvin BeachumLessBetter
LGJames CarpenterJames CarpenterSamePush
CNick MangoldWesley JohnsonLessWorse
RGBrian WintersBrian WintersSamePush
RTBreno GiacominiBen IjalanaLessWorse
DEMuhammad WilkersonMuhammad WilkersonSamePush
DTSteve McLendonSteve McLendonSamePush
DTLeonard WilliamsLeonard WilliamsSamePush
DESheldon RichardsonSheldon RichardsonSamePush
MLBDavid HarrisDemario DavisLessWorse
SLBDarron LeeDarron LeeSamePush
WLBJordan JenkinsJordan JenkinsSamePush
CBDarrelle RevisMorris ClaiborneLessWorse
FSMarcus GilchristMarcus MayeLess?
SSCalvin PryorJamal AdamsLess?
CBBuster SkrineBuster SkrineSamePush
PKNick FolkChandler CatanzaroLessPush

--Andy Richardson