Top 50 Free Agents

We should make a run a Byrd. Adding him to our secondary, plus either resigning Cro on the cheap or picking up a serviceable CB, would make our defense instantly one of the best in the league on paper. It may be costly, but we can go 100% offense in the draft to compensate. We have the cap room.

 

Byrd should be the priority of FA's, bringing in him and Orakpo would be a dream. Then we could go all inn on O in the draft!

 

I totally disagree. He wants waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy too much money and would eat up too much cap space. While we could have a large amount of cap space to play with, depending upon what Idzik does with Sanchez, Holmes, Cro and Harris, we have to extend Mo and Kerley, have quite a few FAs of our own, and there are other cheaper FAs the team could add at several positions, that would help improve the team much more than Byrd alone could do. Putting all one's eggs in one basket is risky. What if the Jets did sign Byrd to a huge deal and weren't able to re-sign some of their own FAs they wanted to keep and weren't able to sign any other FAs, then Byrd goes down in preseason with a season-ending injury? It could happen. The Jets aren't one S away from being a SB contender. Signing Byrd would be akin to giving away a bunch of picks to trade up for Sammy Watkins.

 

Not only no, but HELL no. Why should we? The guy is worse than mediocre. Do you think that we're that bad that we have to scrape the bottom of the barrel not only for other teams' castoffs, but our own as well?

 

I disagree about Orton being better than Hill, but even if he is, he is only marginally better and that isn't worth giving away draft picks for. That is the last thing the team needs. Orton is not the answer at QB for the Jets long term. I'm truly surprised to see you suggest that. Based on your other posts, I think you're one of the smarter, more rational posters here and I haven't see you go in for such ideas before. I've also seen your posts on another board, and you've always been very rational and reasonable there.

 

I know he threw two interceptions in the final game of the season. But he had not played all season, had not practiced with the first team more than part of the week before, and yet came in and threw for over 350 yards on 46 attempts against the Eagles, who according to nfl.com had the top rated pass D in the NFL in the 2013 regular season:

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categoryst...rence=ALL&role=OPP&season=2013&seasonType=REG

I watched the game. I am sure Cowboys fans were frustrated by the result, but he looked NFL starter quality level to me.

I thought so before, too. I don't know on what basis you would say he's not the way for the Jets to go. He's a much better Qb than Smith. He's nearly four years younger than McCown and has not been injured recently. He could conceivably deliver four or more quality years as a starter, which is plenty of time to build a team around him. And despite the fact that he would have to be traded for, a reasonable deal I think is possible, and at a minumum I think should be explored.

Of course the Cowboys could be determined to keep him, and Romo's health could be a factor there. On the other hand I can see the boys going Qb in the draft, and they might be willing to deal Orton.

 

There's no reason for Dallas to trade Orton for anything less than a sweetheart deal. Why would they give up a starter quality back up QB on a cap friendly deal unless they were getting swept off of their feet?

I also don't think Idzik is going to throw in the towel on Geno - which is essentially what this would be.

Keep our picks and sign one of the FA's to compete with Geno.

 

The Ravens may cut Suggs due to his salary. He seems like the prideful type who wouldnt agree to take a paycut. If that happens, Rex and the Jets seems like a logical fit, even though he's not remotely the player he used to be.

Byrd will probably get franchised by Buffalo again.

 

I'm really hoping idzik doesn't go heavy in FA. I wouldn't mind bringing in guys like Worilds and Maclin on the cheap, but going after big time free agents will only set this franchise back. We need to draft well and be able to extend our home grown talent. What happens when we want to extend Coples, Richardson, Davis, and Snacks? All our money will be tied up in free agents that are on the declining stages of their careers. We need to be able to sign our guys first. Letting your home grown talent test the free agent market is a recipe for disaster. I'll be very disappointed in Idzik if we go after guys like Byrd and Orakpo unless he can somehow get them in VERY cap friendly contracts, which is highly unlikely.

 

I just don't think he's good enough to be the Jets long term starter, even for 4 years. If Geno isn't the guy (and I'm not convinced that he isn't), then I think they need to draft and groom another young QB. I'm hoping they'll draft a QB with the 2nd pick in the 3rd round or the 4th round and sign a vet like McCown or Hill, who can be a solid backup for a year or two, and maybe give a few starts next season if need be. I seriously doubt if Idzik will look to give up on Geno already, and if he had to trade a high pick or multiple picks to get a QB, that QB would have to be the starter.

The Jets have enough holes that imo they shouldn't be looking to give away any of their draft picks. As it is, they're not going to be able to fill all their holes this year, even with a lot of cap space and something like 12 draft picks. The worst thing they could do is trade away some of those picks. They can draft a QB and add a FA vet and begin building the team around the QB position. If Geno, or they young QB they draft don't prove to be the answer, at least they'll have the team built around the QB position and then can keep trying to find the QB.

 

Jets, Jets

I think the Jets should make a run at Kenny Britt. He is from Bayonne and may welcome a Jersey return. He has some off the field baggage and a deal with some stipulations may work. He is only 25 and should be motivated to rebuild his career.

 

Oh hell no. He is awful. He is a head case and has more baggage than a jumbo jet. He's the last thing the Jets need to add. What's up with you guys? This team isn't that bad that we have to start bringing in scumbags, head cases, and locker room cancers and career underachievers. Britt is the poster boy for players who don't care about being the best they can be or helping their team win. They're only in it for the $s and the fame/lifestyle. Eff him.

 

Jets, Jets

That's a bit strong. You can revive it when they bring him in.

 

Agreed. But "okay" doesn't get you to the promised land, it gets you to 8-8. There's no reason to ignore the backfield if you want to get beyond "okay."

 

Except we're not just "okay" at RB. The Jets had the 6th most rushing yards in the league this year.

 

For real? Then what did we do wrong? It always makes me wonder when these things happen: did we cut him too quickly? Did we not have the people to develop him? Or is he just benefitting from his surroundings and supporting cast? I'm guessing the last one, but I don't follow the bears so that is just a guess.

As an aside this is the sort of reason why I want Hill and Ducasse brought back for camp next year. It is painful developing players for OTHER franchises...

 

But the question is why? Was it because we were good at running or because we were reliant on the running game? Was it because we were trying to slow the game down and keep our Def off the field? Or because we were gonna score more running than passing? See my points? Those stats can be very fickle...

 

I don't know how I feel about Byrd.

You cannot deny production and he has been productive in Buffalo, especially in creating turnovers.

He doesn't wow me though. He isn't the game changing safety like a Polamalu or a Earl Thomas in Seattle. That's fine - as not everyone can be that player and he's still a fine safety in this league... but in order to get him, you are going to have to pay him like a Polamalu/Thomas... and I'm not so sure that this team, as it's constructed, should allocate those resources to him. Not to mention - if this team is to put big money into the safety position, I'd want it to be on a guy who has been successful shutting down Gronkowski.. and Byrd hasn't. That's not his game.

I also worry about guys like him who haven't had their big paycheck yet. Will he be a different player AFTER getting his big paycheck? It's definitely possible..

 

It never seems to amaze me how wrong you are about your own team, time and time again. Byrd isn't getting franchised this year.

Not only would he be extremely pissed and holdout again, but it doesn't make sense for the Bills organization to do that. It would cost them over $8 Million next year to franchise him for the second season in a row as they would need to at least tender him at 120percent of last years' 6.9Mill. That's ridiculous especially since he will definitely WALK after the season and 2 years of franchise tags.. and would likely miss all of training camp again.

He's either getting a long term deal with Buffalo or he's played his last game in Buffalo. I don't understand why they are being so cheap? They let Levitre walk and that hurt them, now they are going to let Byrd walk. It's not like they are pressed against the cap. They are just being cheap. Buffalo has been terrible for 15 years because they haven't had good players and they finally get one in Byrd and they won't pay the man.