Jets sign Garrett Wilson to 4 year/$130 mil extension ($90 mil gtd)

He's been incredibly productive despite one of the worst situations for receivers in the NFL the past 3 years. It's clear he's special when you watch him play. I'm glad they stuck to their word and got a deal done when they say they would rather than drag him along, make him feel disrespected and want out.

He doesn't give me Mo Wilks vibes at all. He's earned it and I think he cares about winning

 

Ok…I see that rationale, but I just don’t agree with the logic behind it.

I’ll try to respond to the points as I think I’m hearing them:

1. Not sure about production - ok so he’s balled out for three years, which seems to not be enough for you. So how many years of great play do you require? 4? 5? 6? To me, I think he’s shown he can ball out playing with shit OCs and crap at QB, multiple QBs, etc. So to me, what else would convince you that he’s a damn good WR?

2. Let the situation play out - so if you want to extend him next year, you know it’ll be even MORE expensive, right? If you can’t stomach the amount now, you’ll hate the amount later even more

3. Injury - sure ok…maybe he gets hurt. But that possibility exists today, tomorrow, next year, and every year after that. If you’re afraid of injury then by that logic you shouldn’t pay anybody ever…they can always get hurt.

4. Wait and see about a rebuilt offense - man oh man we’ve been rebuilding forever on this team…in fact JD did the full tear down to the studs rebuild … so whatever we think of JD’s results (clearly they sucked), he did bring in some talent…of which GW is a key talent. So I just go back to my belief that in order to rebuild, you have to actually start keeping the building blocks that are part of that rebuild. I think if your position is that GW isn’t a foundational part of that, then that’s fine but probably a minority view. While most will agree that QB is the top priority, and OL is also very high, I think that WR is right there after that. We don’t have the QB yet, but we’ve now got a young OL with a few guys that we are relying on to deliver. The QB is hard to find, and may have to come in next year’s draft if Fields doesn’t do any better than he’s done to date, but if you want to hold off on everything until we have that QB then we are just delaying yet again. Better to have a young QB come into a team with a solid option at WR1.

So you are for sure entitled to your opinion, and it makes for some fun debate, but I am super happy this deal got done now, not only for the money reasons, but also for the intangible team morale reasons that show everyone that if you come in and deliver, you’ll be taken care of. I don’t see GW as the kind of guy to coast once he got paid like other guys have (cough*Wilkerson*cough), but that’s just an assumption on my part.

But I do feel like we have some good young talent, let’s make sure we keep them. So for me, I’m glad we got both GW and Sauce locked up…we paid top of market for both, but that’s reality in the NFL…if you keep harping on salary, then you’ll never sign anyone and will just keep on having to fill holes…and after the next round or two of signings in the next offseason or two, we’ll be fine with the amount.

 

I could have sworn you were channeling your inner Pat Kirwan on that last paragraph. The endless whining of fans, dialing into the NFL on Sirius, about "over paying" just grates on everyone. Kirwan is constantly reminding people that if one NFL team won't pay, others will. And, usually those teams are the ones who aren't very good. It's simply the nature of doing business in the NFL.

 

Yeah…salaries are what they are…and they go up every year…you’re only the highest paid at your position for a very short time…just the nature of the beast

So while I get as a fan talking about salary cap mgmt and not overspending on the wrong positions, in the end, it’s not like its our money…the market is what it is and if you want to keep good players, you have to pay them. This logic of not wanting to “overpay” and using that as an excuse to not sign guys is crazy to me…great…you can save money on payroll and just hope you get a bunch of young guys on rookie salaries and undrafted guys and mid tier free agents all play above their pay grade…yeah, good luck with that. At some point, you have to pay to keep great players…and especially if you drafted them? Have to sign them. Lord knows we’ve drafted precious few players worth re-signing over the years…

One of the points made was that what if he gets paid and then kind of mails it in? I mean, really? You have to know your players … and honestly, I think the act of NOT paying him would be more demotivating if we are not winning…I mean a guy like GW would have multiple teams waiting to pay him bank if we don’t…I’d be more concerned with him demanding a trade if we don’t pay him and lose than I am about him coasting with his paycheck.

 

Competent move

 

I like boats

 

I'm just glad he's staying.

 

exactly…the price only ever goes UP each year

And the player doesn’t have to be THE best to beat the then current pricing…he only has to be in that circle…you just have to be in that conversation.

It is what it is…the nature of the beast

That’s why waiting is NEVER the best long term move. As soon as you know about a player and decide that you want to keep him on your team, you should extend him then. Waiting only lets the price go up and also depending on the guy, can make them feel “disrespected”, for whatever that’s worth.

The only times where waiting is the better move is if you are not sure of a player for whatever reason…injury history, one year breakout wonder, whatever.

But if you know, then lock him up.

And if what you’ve seen out of GW so far doesn’t do it for you, then that’s a different issue and I couldn’t disagree more with that take. I think the dude has proven he is a top player at his spot and for us, one of, if not THE best, of our players

 

I'll happily pay the 1 year latter market salary difference here in the event i'm sitting there one year from now, with the additional data in hand, feeling more comfortable with the concept idea of GW actually being a $32m+ fit in this offense. The reality difference and it's relationship towards any salary cap concern we might have isn't going to be make or break by any stretch imo.

Again, I don't hate this contract in itself and at face value. But every player and team build situation is different. If GW was on the JJ or Chase tier, legit elite threats on every down who are good enough to make everybody around them better, this would be a no brainer resign at any early point. That is just not who GW is as an NFL player though. Which contrary to the 100% pass most fans here want to give him within this team's offensive struggles these last few years I'd also argue is a reality aspect that has played at least it's own small role in some of those same people's comically wrong expectations here on how good our offense was actually projecting out to be on paper.

From my perspective we already started this "new start" rebuild by going out and hiring fresh coat paint versions of Robert Saleh and Nathaniel Hackett. Who are now apparently in a no caution heeded rush to possibly cement in the same frustratingly bad-as-a-whole to watch copy aspect of trying to make a force feed GW it's the offensive centerpiece.

All of which is being met with wild cheers. *sigh*

 

Unfortunately, for your position, you aren't talking about a guy who was a one year wonder or has an injury history. There is Z-E-R-O indication that GW is going to do anything other than put 1,000+ yd. seasons year after year no matter who is under center. Three years is the average player "life" in the NFL and he's past that at this point. Like me and every one else on this board, you don't actually know the kid so adding on the assumption that he "might" mail it in because he got an extension is absurd. If you have that knowledge and are even 80% certain that would happen please provide me with tomorrow's lottery numbers because it's the same crapshoot.

Now, if you don't like the kid just come out, say you don't like him and stop trying to justify your stance that he's not worth the money. Who are you to dictate that he isn't? For that matter, who are we to dictate he is? Another thing, I happen to think he IS an ELITE receiver. It's not his fault he's had pure dogshit around him. I can GURANTEE you Jefferson isn't viewed as an "elite" receiver on the NY Jets, the last 3 years. How did you arrive at he's not elite?

You know, as a general football fan, I'd be a hell of a lot more worried about the money San Francisco just gave Brock Purdy than the Jets paying market value for the best player on their team. I put Wilson at 1a and Sauce at 1b. I bring this up because it draws a fine point on the discussion that Purdy got what he got because that's what starting QB's, who have been to the NFCCG 2 of the 3 years the kid has been playing, are getting. Oh, and a SB appearance as well. As of this post, that is fact. Period. No amount of wishing it was different is going to change that. Also, if you are operating under the premise that the money locked up in the kid prohibits the team from paying the other "stars," exactly who would those players be?

So, if it isn't actual production on the field, what IS your hesitancy to paying the absolute best player on the NY Jets after 3 years of well above average play? Oh, and I really do not want nor care about the TD discussion. That's not Wilson's fault. I'm sure one of the stat nuts, on this site, can tell us how many TD's the kid has dropped vs. caught. You can only be accountable for the # of chances any one player is given.

 

I can get onboard with just about everything you wrote here but to categorize Glenn and his staff as nothing more than "fresh paint" smacks of unwarranted pessimism. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding; let's give it a little time and see what develops on the field rather than on the internet. Let's face it - this is a strange year for Jets fans. Normally I spend the summer here battling irrational exuberance (from people we don't see around any longer) not grumblings about the first coaching change I've embraced since Parcells.

 

I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now. But you could of still done that here while not cementing this deal in place before next offseason.

Bottlomline I just can't blindly support the underlying concept at play here that this early resign is a great move to make now because things are guaranteed to be different latter. Especially when i believe the most likely current outcome on the table here, by far mind you, sees a repeat of the league worst 23/24 offense in 2025. With a Tanner Engstrand scapegoat firing to cap off year 1 of this regime change, and a fairly good chance we'll just be blowing it all up again to start 2027.

If the above proves to be the case, and we'll have a much better idea of that possibility once this year's data starts rolling in, then yeah....at that point I'd also probably rather have the fresh picks then the player next winter and going towards another attempt to hopefully move things forward in a different direction.

 

Okay - we basically agree on the signing timeline and disagree on what happens next. I'd rather "wait and see," you'd rather conjure up scenarios for failure.

 

middle of the pack offense this year with a stronger November and December.

 

A great move by the Jets, not something you get to say very often.