NFL Guides & Explainers
New to the game or just brushing up? These plain-English guides explain the NFL concepts that come up most often when you’re following the New York Jets — from how a depth chart is built to the salary-cap mechanics behind every roster move. Each one is kept evergreen and updated as the rules change.
Team & Roster
How players arrive, how they are ranked, and how they leave. These cover the roster mechanics behind every transaction the Jets make.
- What Is an NFL Depth Chart? — How teams stack players by position and what the ordering really tells you.
- What Is the NFL Practice Squad? — Practice-squad rules, roster limits, elevations and how call-ups work.
↳ Jets Explained: Why the Jets carry three quarterbacks - What Is NFL Injured Reserve? — IR designations, the four-game minimum and the 21-day return window.
- What Is the NFL Franchise Tag? — How a team keeps a key free agent, and the cap hit that comes with it.
↳ Jets Explained: Could the Jets use the franchise tag? - How NFL Free Agency Works — Unrestricted, restricted and exclusive-rights free agents, tenders and timing.
↳ Jets Explained: How free agency shapes the Jets roster - How the NFL Draft Works — Rounds, trades, the rookie wage scale and how a class comes together.
↳ Jets Explained: How the Jets build the roster - How NFL Draft Order Is Determined — Record, strength of schedule and the tiebreakers that set the board.
- How NFL Waivers Work — Waiver priority, the claiming window and who is subject to waivers.
- What Is a Compensatory Pick? — The formula that rewards teams for losing free agents, and how to game it.
Rules & Strategy
What is actually happening on the field. Coverages, personnel packages and the concepts announcers name without explaining.
- What Is Cover 2? — The two-deep, five-under shell, Tampa 2, and how offenses attack it.
- What Is a Nickel Defense? — Five defensive backs, the slot corner’s job, big nickel and dime.
- What Is the West Coast Offense? — Bill Walsh’s timing-based short passing game and its modern descendants.
↳ Jets Explained: Why the Jets use the formations they do - What Is Play Action? — Why the run fake works, bootlegs, and the myth about needing a running game.
- What Is an RPO? — Run-pass options, how they differ from play action, and the one-yard rule.
Salary Cap & Contracts
The money. Every roster decision in the NFL is a cap decision first, and these guides cover the rules that make it so.
- What Is the NFL Salary Cap? — The 2026 $301.2M limit, cap hit versus cash, and how teams create space.
↳ Jets Explained: How the salary cap works for the Jets - How NFL Contracts Work — Base salary, bonuses, void years, rookie deals and the fifth-year option.
- Guaranteed Money Explained — Skill, injury and cap guarantees, offset language and vesting dates.
- Signing Bonuses Explained — Five-year proration, restructures, and what happens when a player is cut.
- What Is Dead Cap? — Where dead money comes from, a worked example, and how to read the number.
How this section is organized
Each guide explains a league-wide rule or concept in plain English — the same for all 32 teams. Where a concept has a specific New York application, a companion Jets Explained piece picks it up and applies it to this roster. Opinion and tactical breakdowns live in Insiders’ Analysis, and current events live in Jets News.
Latest Jets Explained
New Jets Explained pieces — league rules applied to this roster — as they publish.
Jets Explained: Could the Jets Use the Franchise Tag This Offseason?
Could the Jets use the franchise tag? What it costs, why it suits contenders, the tag-and-trade case, and the compensatory pick trade-off.
Jets Explained: How the Jets Build the Roster
How the Jets build their roster: the five acquisition channels, surplus value, what the 2025-26 teardown bought, and the 2026 draft class.
Jets Explained: How Free Agency Shapes the New York Jets Roster
How NFL free agency shapes the Jets: why it is the most expensive channel, what a rebuild should buy, compensatory picks, and how to…
Frequently asked questions
What are the JetsInsider Guides?
JetsInsider Guides are evergreen resources that explain every aspect of the New York Jets, from roster construction and player positions to NFL rules, schedules, injuries, salary cap topics, and game-day information.
What topics do the New York Jets guides cover?
Our guides cover team history, current roster, depth charts, schedules, game-day preparation, NFL Draft, injuries, salary cap concepts, football rules, and strategy explanations.
Are the guides updated during the NFL season?
Yes. Many guides are updated throughout the season to reflect roster moves, injuries, schedule changes, coaching decisions, and other developments affecting the New York Jets.
Are these guides written for new Jets fans?
Absolutely. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just starting to follow the New York Jets, these guides explain football concepts in clear, easy-to-understand language.
Where can I find New York Jets roster and player information?
Our roster and player guides include position breakdowns, depth charts, player profiles, and analysis to help fans understand the team’s current roster.
Do the guides explain NFL rules?
Yes. We publish easy-to-follow explainers covering NFL rules, penalties, roster rules, salary cap basics, waivers, injured reserve, the draft, and more.
How are the guides different from news articles?
News articles focus on current events, while our guides are evergreen reference resources that explain how things work and provide lasting information for Jets fans.
Are JetsInsider guides free?
Yes. All JetsInsider guides are available free and are designed to help fans better understand the New York Jets and the NFL.