I never really thought spending a bunch of money on a mediocre QB and over priced free agents was the way to win a SB. Draft a QB, build through the draft, and being smart in free agency is the way to go...the quick fix wouldn't have worked anyway. I will get upset if we don't get one of the top 4 QBs in the draft then we will be screwed.
The Jets don't build through the draft man! They're one of the worst drafting teams in the league. That cliche sounds good/right if we had people in charge who picked players like the Steelers do I'd be all for it but the reality is the Jets are the anti-Steelers when it comes to picking players. They need to think outside the box here.
What's thinking outside the box? Signing or trading for older vets like Marshal, Decker, Forte? Signing a vet QB? That's pretty much the Jets history as much as drafting poorly except no team has won a SB that way.
It's a rebuilding team! It's not going to attract all the high profile free agents. That's a simple fact of reality. We will sign FAs, just not all the best ones. This same thing happens pretty much every year. The early bloomer FAs end up on good teams or get over payed.
Aren't the Bears a rebuilding team as well? They went 5-11 and have attracted TE Burton, and WR Allen Robinson. When asked what made Robinson choose the bears, he stated "it was the young offensive minded HC and what he brings to the offense" The reality is that It's not that hard to attract FA when the right people are put into place, Bowles and Mac will not attract any high profile FA even if the jets wanted to overpay. I'm hoping they can sign a couple of good FA and fill some holes.
The Bears had one critical thing the Jets don't. A potential franchise QB. That situation is miles better than the Jets who at the time only had Petty and Hack on the roster.
plus there are major tax incentives (or so I heard on First Draft) to playing in Minnesota relative to NY
Your correct and that's why the Bears went with a young offensive minded HC, they believe he would do a better job of developing Mitchel and adding weapons on offense would help with his development.
The NYJ’s are a hard ass sell imo. I know money talks and all, but nowadays it’s not the ONLY thing that talks.
That's actually Mac's strong point. There is still 2 more seasons before he has to reach the cap ( cash spending floor) and we we're not going to become a super bowl contender in this off season. Not with holes on every unit. RB, CB, QB have been addressed. With Bridgewater,McCown on the roster, Mac can add a rookie QB in the draft. I know you were on the Cousins train, I was on that train since 2016, but not for 3 years.Just as we're hopefully a serious contender, with multiple options and extensions due, we have to begin looking for a QB or releasing players to try to keep Cousins. Throwing $90 Million or more at Cousins would have accomplished nothing but keep us in the same pattern we have been repeating for years. Free agents are over paid as it is, throwing even more money on top of that is a guaranteed way to fail.
The Browns actually signed a couple of top FAs last year. Kevin Zeitler, JC Tretter, and even their own FA Joe Bitonio were top O lineman available and heavily targeted last year. Brown was still stockpiling picks and cash to turn the franchise around. But he was building the trenches.
Good post, agreed on Cousins I wanted no part of him on a 3 year deal. I did think they needed to spend the 89% this year, which it sounds like they do not. I do think overpaying is necessary sometimes though. Take the Trumaine Johnson contract, I think most agree that we are happy he signed but the Jets did overpay and probably needed to in order to get him.
I was disappointed with the Cousins to Minnesota news until the reports of him only wanting a 2-3 year deal came out. I posted a couple weeks ago that I thought he would be looking for a deal like that, and that was why Denver was in the mix. He out Revised even Revis. He will hit FA again at 33, if successful could get tagged or agree to extend 1 year in Minnesota. Then hit FA in 2022 after the new CBA and set the market with a deal never imagined for NFL players. Every FA is overpaid but too go even further beyond is crippling. This roster I'd still a year or two away and over paying now would just keep us from resigning our own when ready to complete. The 89% is for a 4 year cycle so we have 3 years to reach the floor.Its not the cap but cash spending so a couple of signing bonuses in 2020 would cover the minimum spending, even if it doesn't count immediately against the cap.
Remember, he has already been tagged twice, which means that his salary if they tag him again will be over $40 million (1.44 times $28 million), and then he's a free agent the next year anyway. The Vikings are counting on him either at least getting to the Super Bowl or stinking it up, so they know whether to try to sign him long-term or let him go. The worst possible scenario for them is if he plays well, they make the playoffs every year, but never win more than one playoff game in each of the next three seasons. Then what do they do?