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          NFL Nation

          Jets can't think Super Bowl until they resolve QB issue, fix offense

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          Namath on Jets: We need a quarterback (0:54)

          Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Jets QB Joe Namath joins First Take and explains why New York needs to find a new quarterback. (0:54)

          • Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 8, 2018, 07:00 AM ET
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              Rich Cimini is a staff writer who covers the New York Jets and the NFL at ESPN. Rich has covered the Jets for over 30 years, joining ESPN in 2010. Rich also hosts the Flight Deck podcast. He previously was a beat writer for the New York Daily News and is a graduate of Syracuse University. You can follow him via Twitter @RichCimini.
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          Here's a look at the Super Bowl prospects of the New York Jets, who finished the season 5-11. The tiers consist of: Realistic Super Bowl expectations; Should contend, but there are question marks; Middle of the pack; Lots of work to do; and Nowhere close.

          Westgate odds to win Super Bowl LIII: 100-to-1

          Lots of work to do: Based on Vegas, they're "nowhere close" because no team has longer odds than the Jets (two others are at 100-to-1), but we'll give them a slight bump because they built a partial foundation last season. They integrated a few young players, led by safety Jamal Adams, but there's still a dearth of talent on both sides of the ball. Team insiders see only five or six players who can be considered true building blocks.

          Fortunately for the Jets, they have resources to improve -- three draft picks in the top 49 (including No. 6 overall) and more than $70 million in projected cap room. Between the draft and free agency, they should be able to find five or six new starters. If they're smart, they'll focus most of their attention on the offense.

          Get this: Their offensive depth chart includes only three players they drafted in the first three rounds -- guard Brian Winters, plus two backups, wide receiver ArDarius Stewart and quarterback Christian Hackenberg.

          You name it, they need it: Quarterback, center, tight end, running back and wide receiver.

          They're expected to make a run at prospective free agent Kirk Cousins, who would fill the quarterback vacancy at an exorbitant cost. Desperate because of past mistakes at quarterback, they appear willing to overpay for a good, but not elite player. If they can't land Cousins, they will sign a second-tier veteran (perhaps re-sign Josh McCown), then draft a quarterback. We've seen that movie before.

          The issues go beyond quarterback. The Jets need a dynamic skill player who can frighten a defense, preferably a running back. Coach Todd Bowles, who changed offensive coordinators for the second year in a row, is looking to emphasize the ground game, but his cast of characters lacks a true No. 1 back.

          We could go on and on, but you get the point: This team, which stripped down the roster last offseason, remains in the early stages of a major rebuilding project. The Jets will need a monster offseason to knock down those odds.