The Redskins would be doing the right thing if they let Cousins hit the free agent market. They haven't won a Super Bowl with him and they are unlikely to win a Super Bowl now encumbered by what will be a monster contract. Even if they decided to re-sign him in free agency they'd wind up paying what the market will bear. Right now they are bidding against themselves to keep him out of free agency. Is there a 6 year $150 million deal out there for Cousins? It's possible but offering him that deal in the blind is just a sucker's bet, both competitively and financially. Ask yourself this basic question: If all QB's were free agents this year how would the market settle in terms of compensating them? Would Cousins be a top 5 QB in terms of compensation? Would he be top 10? Top 15? Making him the #1 QB in terms of compensation isn't going to help the Redskins any more than making Drew Brees, Joe Flacco and Andrew Luck #1 helped their teams and two of those teams had already won a Super Bowl.
yeah but the finding a QB on a rookie contract isn't working here either. They draft a QB every year and they all suck. It would be nice to go into a Jets game for once and not feel like we have the major disadvantage at the most important position on the field in what feels like FOREVER. Cousins to Decker & Enunwa would be a hell of a combo, those 2 might actually get passes to them in stride for once. Then you focus on the offensive line in the draft and maybe the defense turns it around not having to be on the field after a million 3 and outs and turnovers. Contrary to what many will say, this team does have some talent on it. You put Cousins on this roster and I believe were a playoff team in 2017, but I also am happy because the move is not just a move for 2017, it is a long term move at QB. I would thank the football gods every night before bed
First, all the qbs are not hitting the market at the same time so its irrelevant. this is how nfl free agency works. Paying a qb can work as long as you draft well and scheme right. right now we have nobody else worth top money and nobody else will hit f.a. worth the coin they will want. if there was ever a time to spend on a qb I'd say right now we are in a good position to do it
Right, but that's how it *should* work. The salary cap is a competitive constraint. Paying a good QB like he's a great QB is taking a big competitive hit in the process because the overage on his salary is likely to be 2 or 3 good players that you cannot field alongside him. This is true even for teams that have already put together the formula for a Super Bowl win. They decline thereafter in part because they have to pay the QB and that reduces the value they can field alongside him. If Cousins was going to become available at $15M a year (Brees first contract with the Saints was $10M a year for 6 years) then maybe it makes sense to sign him and have the position locked up for 5 or 6 years at an affordable number. However the odds are pretty good that top of the market for him will be $24M+ a year and that will cost the Jets 2 other starters a year for the length of the contract. From where the Jets are standing right now there's no way that paying a QB as if he's won a Super Bowl for us is a good deal. Teams that have won a Super Bowl go into immediate decline when they overcompensate their QB that way. Teams that haven't won a Super Bowl and don't have the talent already in place for that Qb to work with shouldn't even think about making that kind of move.
he's not getting $24 mill (plus) per year. Cousins will sign somewhere for around $20 mil annually. Something like 5 years, $100 mil, 50 guaranteed. That's what he's trying to get from Washington but they are low balling..
there are 2 ways to look at it anyway. Yeah, he would cost a sizable chunk of the cap but at the same token you wouldn't have to worry about the most important position on the field anymore. I find it odd bradway that you suggest the path is to get a QB on a rookie contract but fail to acknowledge that its possible to fill in other positions on a rookie contract, once you have your QB. If our Jets had knowledgable QB people on staff, hey maybe its a better idea to try to groom a homegrown guy, but we obviously don't. Multiple GMs, multiple staffs, numerous young QBs, we have swung and missed every single damn time. Cousins is a guy already groomed by a guy who knows about how to groom a QB, in his prime. The dirty work is over. And if you can get him in FA, its even better since you don't have to give up any other assets for him. That option IMO is way better than doing something like the Rams and Eagles have done, giving away a lot of future assets (multiple other rookie contract players) so you can get a young, unproven QB in pipe dream that you may have that coveted great QB on rookie contract
I'm not at all worried about the media. They are gonna bash the Jets & eat them alive regardless of the circumstances until they deliver a super bowl. I'm also no longer worried about swinging & missing on a drafted QB. It's no longer a 3-5 year suicide w. the new rookie contracts. There is no shame on taking a chance on solving a 40+ year riddle at the game's most important position. I rinse & repeat as many times as necessary...the position has just become too much of a prerequisite for success..and it's too hard to blindly build a cohesive team without one.Let the media spread panic & make it like moving on from a prior 2nd & 4th round pick is armaggedon. Guess what?If the kid works out & becomes the franchise nobody is gonna care how many picks it took to find him or the names they burned through...what matters is finding the answer. I get the whole body of work argument currently working against Trubisky. But I'm more worried about his skill set & decision making than I am his college achievements. There are too many variables w. surrounding cast/level of competition/executed scheme that end up over complicating the evaluation process. The body of work aspect for me is more about identifying potential bad habits in his decision making & perhaps throws he can't make. Maybe 13 games isn't enough for that...maybe that just means I spend alittle more time w. him in front of the chalkboard & dissecting film during his pre draft visits. If he can make all the throws, is smart w. the football & his personality fits the market as a potential face...he's a legit consideration for me..primarily in a trade down scenario.
I absolutely agree with your justification for drafting a QB until you find your FQB. I disagree that it's Trubisky. We've already seen what taking guys with a small body of work does - he would be another project. If we're going to draft a QB it has to be a guy who can start Day 1. There are only two QBs right now that I see that can do that: Mahomes and Watson. Take either one - although I really think Mahomes is the next Namath/Elway/Favre - and then build up around him. Both these guys have proven they have the moxie to play in NY with the spotlight shining on them.
Good analysis. This is the way to put Cousins in perspective. You would have to pay him SB-winner money and he hasn't proven a thing. Tlak about a crap shoot! People here are complaining that taking Mahomes or Watson with the #6 pick and paying them a rookie contract is a big gamble - how does that compare to signing Cousins? It's penny ante! The only QB they should sign as a FA should be cheap and not be a roadblock to developing Petty/Hack/Rookie. Should serve as a backup and mentor to the younger guys.
1. the players disagree that it should be that way. 2. what 2 other starters will it cost? So we can't over pay for a cb in the f.a. market? ok, rather have the qb We may have to cut Brandon Marshall? ok rather have the qb. this roster right now is set perfectly for this move. and the rising cap will eat into the percentage he eats up allowing us some room 2-3 years down the road where we hopefully have some other talent worth paying. Stop playing the numbers brad and look at the real time situation
Unfortunately, you have to play the numbers. It's a stupid system. set up by the owners, for the owners, but that's what it is. Until it changes, you need to work within in it. If this were 2010 with the roster they had then, I would say, sure, take the gamble and pay a premium for a QB like Cousins who would have talent around him for a couple of years, but it isn't. it may take another 2 years to assemble the talent "worthy" of a QB like Cousins, and he'll be two years older and two years more of wear and tear on him that you're paying a premium for.
You don't get to decide when the qb becomes available, you are playing longer odds trying to time your qb being there when you have your roster assembled.
@NCJetsfan Well this also takes into account whether you think we will be competitive anytime soon. If we have an EDGE presence like Ingram would provide, perhaps it would actually help our defense be somewhat formidable. Macc and Bowles are likely on the hot seat whether we want to acknowledge that or not. Macc had a mediocre 2016, Bowles had an abysmal 2016. Both, under the right circumstances, can be fired in 2017 if the team goes no where or fails to show any semblance of improvement, direction, etc. I would be less inclined to fire Macc because I think he can draft talent, but talent means nothing when your coaching staff does nothing to build that up, coach them, put them in a system to win, etc. If Hackenberg or Petty amount to anything then I think the forecast of the team changes drastically. Spending in free agency should also not hinge on whether you think your team will be good, what it should hinge on is increasing the talent level on your roster, so that you can increase the likelihood that you will have a good season. It isn't an exact science as free agent champions usually don't do well, but I think Jets need to selectively invest in certain players. Reason why I like Ingram is because he's 27.... he can realistically play on this team for another 3+ years and still be effective. Look at what the Giants did in the off season, they bought an entire defense pretty much, but those players were young, entering their prime, and the Giants were rewarded by a turnaround season where their defense was actually a legitimate top flight defense. I'm not as against signing Cutler for one simple reason, he is 100x better than Fitzpatrick, which isn't saying much, but at this point I am beyond desperate for at least competence at the QB position. But ideally I would prefer Hack or Petty had a competition and we rolled with whichever did better. I'm tired of finding a quick fix just for the inevitable implosion to occur. But, I hope Macc at least finds two studs in the first 2 rounds because the Jets need talent. We quite simply are devoid of talent on the team, and at this point a smart mix of selective free agents, development of players on the team already, and good drafting in 2017 will allow for this team to actually be better than they were in 2016. But as I mentioned above, all of this hinges on the QB, I hope Hack can show this fanbase that he was worth it.
Actually, I'm not advocating waiting until the roster is assembled before getting a QB. In fact, I'm saying DRAFT the QB NOW and build around him. But Cousins is a luxury that makes no sense for the Jets at this point in time.
The problem you have with signing big money free agents - especially younger ones - is that they'll be susceptible to the current culture of the organization. Pay a guy big money only to have his play fall off and his attitude turn to "me first" over the course of a losing campaign. Unfortunately, Mac still has to take that risk. When a situation becomes toxic - as I believe the Jets locker room has - massive turnover needs to happen. They need to cut the cancer out regardless of the impact on next years win loss record. If it's true that their jobs aren't on the line, it's the perfect time to dump these people and have season long auditions in preparation for the following season. So... - Drop as many cancerous players and unfavorable contracts as possible - Sign average to good FA's to the best contracts I can at positions of greatest need - Trade down and accumulate picks if possible...if not then BPA - Try to make some impact hires in scouting and talent evaluation/development Basically, burn most of it to the ground and revitalize the soil so things can begin to grow in a healthy manner. That's what I'd do...
Then use that pick for another piece for cousins. be it fournette or cook or oj howard(this would be my pick). I like watson and would take him at 6 if cousins doesn't hit the market but i think we would be better with cousins if nothing else because he has proven he can play in this league. as much as i like watson he is still a gamble
I'm not worried about the media either, but you know that Woody is, and unfortunately, he's the only one that matters when it comes to making decisions about the Jets. I disagree with your bolded sentence. Mac would still take heat from fans and media alike for missing on Hack unless the new QB he drafted immediately made them a winning team and they won a SB within a few years. If he didn't succeed either, then Mac may not get another chance, but even if he did, how many chances would he get, and if/when he finally finds that QB, will the Jets have any quality players around him? Further, let's say Mac does take Trubisky. That means he has officially given up on Hack and Trubisky is annointed the QB of the future. What if Trubisky then proves to be a mediocre NFL QB, or worse flops, and Hack goes on to another team and becomes a star? The ONLY way Mac should take a QB in the 1st round this year is if he has officially given up on both Petty and Hack. The only way he should take a QB in the 2nd round is if Mahomes is there and is the BPA on the Jets' draft board. Like you, I'm worried about most everything with Trubisky. There is just too little body of work there, and imo he's too high a risk with too low a reward. I wouldn't touch him in the 1st or 2nd round with a 10 foot pole at this point. I might take him if he fell to the 3rd or 4th round, but that's it.
Cousins is a gamble too. Here's the thing: If Cousins had that "IT" factor, he would be a starter and winning lots of games, but he doesn't. Watson and Mahomes do IMO. Are they unproven? Yes, but intangibles are transferable to any level. In other words, you either have them or you don't. If Cousins had them, he wouldn't be talked about as being available - so too with any of the FAs/trade possibilities. Find your FQB in the draft, it's the only way to build a good team.
You make some good points, I do think that locker room and culture do play a role in how free agents turn out. I will say though that culture can be fixed through the methods you mentioned. If the GM makes necessary but hard decisions. We know who was at the source of the cancerous locker room during the 2016 season. I think Macc has spent loads of time self scouting himself, and his job in 2016. I'm pretty sure he realized that he did not have his best showing in 2016, Bowles as well. It's really put up or shut up in 2017, and I think necessary cuts in order to fix the cancerous environment are needed. IMO Bowles needs to adopt a much more cut throat approach towards players. One thing I have harped on about is accountability and making sure no player has a say in who you sign, re-sign, cut, etc. Marshall & Decker held the team hostage in the offseason. Decker notably did not attend minicamp because he wanted to send a "message to the team". These kind of actions are simply unacceptable. The only players who can have that kind of impact are Star players who play a much more important position than WR. If you're name isn't Tom Brady, or anyone similar, you should not be able to dictate what the teams front office/coaching staff does. But what do you expect when your head coach readily labels a free agent QB your starter before a contract is in place. Bowles preached accountability and instead was a pushover. If he cannot implement a better culture then I see no way he retains his job past next season.
IMO Macc would be crucified if he selected a QB and didn't have that QB start from day one, and not play well. He would be shown the door to be quite honest. It would signify that his judgment in regards to QB prospects is not at a NFL level.
