Adding Robinson would complete the WR core..... I would sign up for: Cousins Robinson CB Edge However I really don't see : a) Mac doling out all of the money - he'll keep some in reserve and b) All of these FAs wanting to play for the Jets There are many directions the Jets can go...no point even doing a mock draft until FA is complete.....for instance if Jets do not sign a FA QB then you know the #6 pick will be a QB........
Although we have a ton to spend, Macc needs to be incredibly disciplined with how he spends it and who he spends it on. Priority has been QB and that doesn't change this offseason. I have a hard time seeing the Redskins franchising Cousins for 34 million, so they're going to have to pay him, or let him go. Jets, after cuts, will have 100 million in cap space, and if we were to only walk away with 1 signing in FA (aside from re-signing our own players) it would be Cousins. Although it limits our financial ability, our draft board opens up mightily and in terms of contending, it's hard to imagine a draft pick QB being able to develop quick enough to get us into the playoffs. I too would like to draft someone but quite frankly neither Macc or Bowles have done anything to instill confidence of their drafting/development abilities. Get me Kirk Cousins and then sure up the EDGE and o-line. I do not want to get into a bidding war for Demario Davis, nor do I want to get into a bidding war for ASJ. Both nice players, but Demario may very well ask for 10+ annually and ask yourself is he better than Hightower? I would say no. ASJ is a nice player and although he got robbed 2-3 times from the refs, he too cannot be overpaid for. I would set a max of 7.5 - 8 annually for a 2-3 year deal. I really like Robinson as a free agent pick up but if we go that route, then we'll have to say goodbye to Enunwa. Another outside the box theory would be to cut Kearse and allocate the assets to securing both Robinson and Enunwa. Imagine an offense with Enunwa, Robinson and Robby Anderson. Toss in ASJ and we may be practically uncoverable. But again, it all comes down to the QB. You can have all sorts of weapons but no one to get the ball to them.
Yeah landing cousins gives us an ass ton of freedom. If we do i'd take a stud pass rusher at 6 if available or barkely if he somehow falls. if not trade back a few spots and get a 3rd 2nd round pic and grab the top lineman. then use the 3 2nd round picks on o-line, WR (st brown), and maybe a CB.
The Bell situation is going to be very interesting to watch unfold. Didn’t think there was a chance he makes it to FA but starting to think he just may. Jets would have to strongly consider being major players if he does.
People saying trade for Bell are ridiculous. First he will be a free agent so Pit can't trade him unlesss he's tagged and signs it. If he is tagged by Pit you want to trade picks or players for a RB with a one year contract for $14.5 million? Or at minimum a first round tender? I don't understand any team wanting to sign up to pay any RB $15 million a year. If there is any position that translates easily from college to pros it's RB. Forget Bell. Draft a RB and get 75% of the production for 5% of the cost. Also, I'm not saying Bell isn't talented, but his longest rush of 2017 was 27 yards. He's a good RB, a capable receiver, but is not a game breaker. Also seems to be a douche, not showing for the walk-through before the Jags game, etc.
Were the Dolphins guaranteed that Marino would be great? Montana? Brady? Hell no. You have to stop playing scared and go out and grab that young QB that will have a chance to make the team great for a long period of time. What I don't get is why people are so afraid of trading picks, most of which don't work out anyhow, for a chance to be great, when we haven't had that guy for decades. Playing it safe gets you a nice 8-8 to 9-7 record with an occasional 10-6. I want more than that.
Well Dark, after Jay Gruden gave his "ringing" endorsement of Kirk Cousins it only took a little over 4 weeks until the Redskins kicked Cousins to the curb. They even upgraded their quarterback position by trading for Alex Smith, and will pay less of an Average Annual Salary than it would have taken to bring back Kirk Cousins. "Can't wait" for the Jets to sign Cousins.
The approach to free agency will largely hinge on what Cousins decides to do. If we sign him it will likely be for 28-30 mil annually. That takes a nice portion of the cap space and it's important we maintain cap flexibility going forward for impending extensions for some of the core players. So if we have 100 mil in cap, I'd like to leave free agency with 40-50 left over to secure that flexibility. But aside from Cousins, we can walk away from FA with Cousins, Robinson or Landry, and Nate Solder or Jensen and I would be very happy. 3 pieces that are all in their prime, would instantly transform our offense. If we don't land cousins, the Jets could really try to nab Trumaine Johnson, Allen Robinson or Landry (or both, but this is less likely), Jensen and/or Nate Solder. The Browns are going to want to pay a bunch of players a shit ton of cash but the fact that they are the Browns will have some players look elsewhere, even if they're not being paid as much.
Signing Cousins, Solder and Trumaine Johnson, all at or very near 30, is abandoning the rebuild and going all in to make the playoffs. If Mac does that, in all likelihood, he isn't gonna stop there and keep that $40-$50 million cushion. He's gonna look to fix other holes and sign Ziggy Ansah (another older, expensive player), or maybe Andrew Norwell if he can, or other older, more expensive FA OL. He's gonna look to sign the best players he can, and not those who are younger, cheaper and still developing.
Ziggy Ansah scares me and I pray Macc does not attempt to sign him. He has a lot of injury concerns and padded stats. Conversely, Cousins at 30 for QB is still young in today's NFL. Solder at 29 will be approaching old but if you sign him to a 3-4 year deal with an out after 2 seasons that's not bad and allows some flexibility. Trumaine Johnson is only 28 so you can also sign him to a 3-4 year deal with an out after 2-3 seasons if age is a concern. Macc isn't going to blow the entire cap and sabotage himself. He envisions himself being GM for awhile so if he approaches FA like a drunken sailor it means the writing is on the wall and he knows he has 1 season to make an impact or he's out. If he takes a measures approach it'll mean he's still thinking of the future.
I didn't say that he would blow the entire cap. He wouldn't be sabotaging himself. He'd be doing it trying to save his job. If the Jets don't have a very good season next year, both Bowles and he could be gone. If the Jets sign Cousins, they have to commit to winning now. They aren't going to continue the full rebuild. Thinking otherwise just isn't reality. Cousins wants to win now. He's not gonna sign with the Jets unless Mac makes a real commitment to fixing the many holes the Jets have especially on the OL. Solder isn't gonna come cheap, and the Jets can't cut Beacham because of the cap hit. They're gonna need to sign at least one FA C who was a starter elsewhere. They need to replace Carpenter as he is better in a power blocking scheme, and the Jets have switched to the zone blocking scheme. He struggled in that scheme in Seattle, and it's why his play deteriorated with the Jets last season. They'll have to eat dead money on his contract, and have to sign another starting OG. That's gonna be a TON of cash tied up in the OL. If they're thinking playoffs, which would be natural and what they'd have to do signing Cousins, then they have to get an edge rusher. That means going all in to sign either Lawrence or Ansah. Lawrence could get tagged, so that leaves Ansah. They also would have to get another CB, and that's if they keep Claiborne. If not, then they'd need 2 CBs. If they cut Mo, which they probably will (and should), then they're going to need a DE as well.
The days of the 5 year rebuild are over. The NFL has two teams, the Patriots and parity and even the Patriots aren’t as scary as years past. The Jets with a solid offseason are up there with any team other than the Patriots.
Demarcus Lawrence would be my prime defensive target if he doesn't get tagged. I don't think he's going to, but we'll see.
Agreed, but I'd rather have a sustainable contender than a 1-2 year run before sliding back into mediocrity or worse. I want to be what the Steelers, Pats, Packers, and Seahawks have become.
