FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Let's call it Operation Reset.

After two years of dominating the NFL offseason with headlines -- from the Aaron Rodgers blockbuster trade to a "Hard Knocks" appearance to the all-in moves for Tyron Smith, Mike Williams and Haason Reddick -- the New York Jets have downshifted to humdrum.

Sick of losing, tired of blowback from bold moves that invariably go bust, the Jets have adopted a measured approach under the new leadership of coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey.

Their free agent signings this offseason aren't household names. Ten of their 13 newcomers started fewer than five games last season, and that includes quarterback Justin Fields, a former first-round pick (Chicago Bears) who ostensibly will be asked to replace Rodgers.

Aside from Fields, no incoming player is generating much buzz. Maybe the Jets are buzzed out. Could you blame them?

While their recent offseasons made for compelling talk-show fodder and sold a few more season tickets, they did nothing to change their position in the AFC East standings. They have eight straight losing seasons and 14 consecutive years out of the playoffs, by far the league's longest active drought.

So now the pendulum is swinging the other way. Instead of throwing money at past-their-prime vets to fill top-of-the-roster needs, Glenn and Mougey are working on the bottom third of the roster, doling out modest contracts for depth purposes. In a watered-down year for free agency, it's not an ill-conceived strategy.

Only three additions currently project as starters: Fields, cornerback Brandon Stephens (three years, $36 million) and safety Andre Cisco (one year, $8.5 million). Their other big move was to re-sign middle linebacker Jamien Sherwood (three years, $45 million).

Glenn prioritized his "quarterback" positions, which explains why Fields and Sherwood -- the signal-caller on defense -- were the first two moves. Ironically, the cost was $60 million in combined guarantees, more than the Jets' entire 2024 free agent class.

Owner Woody Johnson can't be accused of not spending money; it's how they're distributing the money that is noteworthy. The significant money went to three players: Sherwood, Fields and Stephens ($23 million guaranteed). The rest of the contracts are one-year deals for modest salaries.

They're low-profile moves for a team trying hard to stay low profile. Unlike most teams, who promote their new signings with introductory news conferences, the Jets have kept theirs under wraps. Presumably, the hope is to turn down the noise and keep the focus on football -- a historically difficult challenge for the franchise, which goes through attention-craving phases.

But this is a new day.

And so they said farewell to Rodgers, wide receiver Davante Adams, cornerback D.J. Reed, defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and linebacker C.J. Mosley, all of whom arrived as out-of-town imports. The Jets still have a young core -- nine former first- and second-round picks in the starting lineup, ages 27 and under.

"On paper, the talent isn't bad," an opposing personnel executive said. "Their problem is culture. We'll see if Glenn can do something about that. If he brings that intangible, like [Bill] Parcells did, they have enough talent to win" - a reference to the Hall of Fame coach and Glenn's mentor.

The early message from Glenn and Mougey is clear: Free agency is secondary to the draft when it comes to building the roster. The previous regime thought it had assembled a championship-caliber roster, and now the new regime is tearing it down after 5-12 and 7-10 seasons.

"We're looking for smart, tough, aggressive, and resilient players," Glenn said. "We're going to do everything we can to find those guys. Listen, you can find them in all different spots -- small schools, big-time schools, trades. Wherever we can find them, we're going to try to bring them on this team."

Three takeaways from the first phase of free agency:

1. Inexpensive bets: Last year, they placed short-term, moderately priced bets on older players. It's still short term this year, except the bets are inexpensive ones.

2. The rebound effect: Most of the new additions are coming off down years, most notably Stephens, Cisco and right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor. The Jets are counting on them to bounce back.

Stephens ranked last out of 25 cornerbacks in EPA/Target (minimum: 500 coverage snaps), per Next Gen Stats. Cisco was pulled from the Jacksonville Jaguars' starting lineup for two games because of blown coverages. Okorafor was benched by the New England Patriots 12 snaps into the first game, prompting him to leave the team.

So why sign them? The Jets see them as size-speed-trait prototypes for their respective positions -- players that haven't maxed out their potential. Basically, they're putting the onus on the coaching staff to get them right. Glenn noted the importance of intangibles when evaluating potential acquisitions.

"I look for guys that are highly competitive, and I look for guys that endear themselves to their teammates," Glenn said. "Those are some of the things that you won't just be able to scout, but you really have to dig in and find out who the player is. When you have those qualities, man, it overcomes a lot of things."

3. Counting on the draft: Mougey's free agency approach is a clear indicator that he intends to use the draft as the No. 1 vehicle for rebuilding the team, which is fine as long as he ... you know, crushes the draft.

They still have open starting jobs at wide receiver, tight end, right tackle, defensive tackle and perhaps safety. They currently have eight draft picks, starting at No. 7 with two in the fifth and sixth rounds.

To fill that many needs, the Jets will need to duplicate their 2022 draft, which yielded four starters -- cornerback Sauce Gardner, wide receiver Garrett Wilson, defensive end Jermaine Johnson and running back Breece Hall. But having three picks in the first round helped make that possible.

Right now, their needs outnumber their draft picks on Days 1 and 2, so Mougey will have to get creative, perhaps exploring the trade market.