The New York Jets have a tall task in front of them once next Sunday is done with. Here’s a plan that includes free agent Mike Glennon.
Here we are, yet again. Despite lofty expectations coming into the 2016 NFL campaign, the New York Jets are now down in the doldrums of the league’s basement.They’ve reached this point of no return, again, as many teams do every few seasons.
It’s time for an all-out rebuild.
The last time the Jets were in the all-out rebuild situation is tough to pinpoint. When John Idzik hit the bricks, Mike Maccagnan came in and instituted his “aggressive rebuild” that featured $50 million in cap space that signed numerous veteran players.
All it did was mask the problem at hand. It solved nothing.
The 10-6 mark a season ago was a mirage, a pretty little picture the drunken delusional soaked in. The cupcake schedule made it happen.
Now, after a 5-11 or 4-12 season (depending on what happens against Rex Ryan next Sunday), the aggressive style will give way to the real rebuild.
Here’s the New York Jets rebuilding plan moving forward:
Get the jump on FA QB Mike Glennon
March 7, beginning at Noon ET and ending at 3:59:59 p.m. ET on March 9, NFL teams are permitted to contact and begin negotiations with impending free agents.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon is among this crop.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is gone. We know that. Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg are still very raw and incredibly unreliable for next season.
There must be a veteran QB of the bunch.
Rumor has it that Maccagnan has the hots for UNC’s Mitch Trubisky, via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
Why, though? Unless the Jets are ready to move on from Petty completely, adding Trubisky would force a situation in which all three QBs on the roster are young and unproven. It’d be a tough situation all the way around.
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Glennon’s arrival would make much more sense.
Don’t be fooled about Glennon playing the backup role, either. Jameis Winston is one serious talent and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had no choice but to draft the guy when they were awarded the No. 1 overall pick two drafts ago. Glennon was simply a casualty of circumstance.
Take a look at his numbers:
In 18 career starts and 21 total games, he’s thrown for 4,100 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. And this was done with a very mediocre Bucs squad around him.
Russell Wilson was told he was no longer wanted at N.C. State because he was playing baseball and Glennon was waiting in the wings. He swears by Glennon, his former teammate.
The question will come down to the QB climate among 31 other franchises. Will the money become outrageous for Glennon, just as it did for Brock Osweiler an offseason ago?
If it doesn’t, the Jets need to pounce. This 27-year old is in perfect position to make a name for himself. He has a cannon for an arm, fits the prototypical pocket-passer size to a tee, and never makes a fuss when it comes to team situations.
Release Darrelle Revis and others
It’s true: everything Darrelle Revis does on the football field suggests that he’d be a phenomenal NFL safety.
He’s not just a cover corner. He’s not a Deion Sanders-type. He’s a tough football player who tackles, uses his brain, and flies to the ball. At 32-years of age, he’d make for an excellent safety — of the Charles Woodson mold, perhaps.
However, it’s too late for that. The Jets waited one year too long to make that move and Revis has ultimately worn out his welcome in the Big Apple. Besides, even if they could restructure that massive 5-year, $70.1 million deal of his, the Jets won’t want to pay a safety that bundle full of money.
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He’ll be cut prior to March 10, the day he’s scheduled to pick up a $2 million roster bonus. Additionally, Mikey Mac structured the Revis deal in a way to prevent dead money towards the end of the contract. Only $6 million of the $13 he’s scheduled to make in 2017 is guaranteed. They’d automatically save about $7 or $8 million by cutting the man once known as Revis Island.
Others who may be on the chopping block are Breno Giacomini, Nick Folk, Marcus Gilchrist, and, unfortunately, Nick Mangold.
Giacomini and Folk are all but guaranteed to be gone. Gilchrist would free up over $4 million and Mangold nearly $9 million. These moves will be necessary for New York to create cap space that’ll be essential in free agency.
David Harris is another name to keep an eye on. While it’s pretty obvious he should no longer be an every-down linebacker, he’s still owed a decent chunk of guaranteed money that’ll make it tough to go the veteran cut route.
Sign Glennon, Stephon Gilmore and stay smart in FA
After jumping on Mike Glennon early, the Jets should sign the three-year veteran once free agency officially opens. That is, of course, unless the money becomes completely outrageous. If that happens, another vet would need to show face.
One of the other positions of desperate need for the Jets is at cornerback. Without Revis, Buster Skrine (who’ll most likely be back), will need to shift back to his regular nickel spot. This means Maccagnan will need to fetch two starting CBs.
Buffalo Bills top guy Stephon Gilmore will be ripe for the taking.
Obviously, he’ll be expensive. Buffalo couldn’t lock him down prior to the season and he’s entering the free agency season as the top CB of the bunch. If the Jets cut the right vets and make the necessary trades, Gilmore could be had. At 26-years of age, he’s a No. 1 ready-made cornerback.
The offensive line will be another position of need. Tackle T.J. Lang, guard Luke Joeckel, guard Jonathan Cooper, guard Chance Warmack, and tackle Jake Long could all be options.
Defensively, the Jets could kick the tires on outside backer Jamie Collins and middle linebacker Dont’a Hightower (if he makes it to free agency). Chiefs stud safety Eric Berry is also a free agent, but it’s unlikely he’ll ever make to UFA and the Jets wouldn’t have the money necessary with so many positions of need.
The bottom line in free agency this time around will revolve around smart signings, not splashy ones.
Trade Sheldon Richardson, Brandon Marshall and Calvin Pryor
Get rid of the age and the troublemakers. This will be the theme for the green and white in a few months.
First on the docket? Sheldon Richardson.
Much like missing the window to move Darrelle Revis to safety, Mike Maccagnan also missed the window to trade Sheldon. He had a shot this past trade deadline, but remained stubborn and wouldn’t accept anything less than a first round pick for the former first round selection.
Now that the window has been missed and Richardson has fully showcased his true knucklehead persona, he’d be lucky to get a third rounder.
But that’s the price the Jets will have to pay for handing over 10 bags full of money to Muhammad Wilkerson and creating this surplus at the interior defensive line spot.
Now, Maccagnan needs to accept whatever he can get for Richardson and clear around $8 million in cap space.
Others on the chopping block include 32-year old Brandon Marshall and safety Calvin Pryor. B-Marsh, while he wouldn’t net much in return (at best, a mid-round pick), would clear at least $6 million in space, if traded.
Pryor’s potential exit is a bit trickier. He’s on the books for another two years and is still on his rookie deal, so his departure wouldn’t save much. His possible departure would bring a headline of ridding the Jets of a poor covering safety, rather than money.
The Jets trading this offseason will sting, but it’s the price to pay for such an aggressive 2015 offseason. It won’t net much in return. It’ll only free up necessary cap space for long-term growth.
Move down in draft, collect offensive linemen early and secure a cover CB
Finally, we come to the most important part of the offseason: the NFL Draft.
The Jets will, undoubtedly, receive a top 10 selection — possibly a top five. Talk of Leonard Fournette, Jabrill Peppers, DeShone Kizer, DeShaun Watson, Cam Robinson, and the aforementioned Mitch Trubisky have been dancing in the heads of Jets fans.
What Mikey Mac should do, however, is select none of them. Robinson is the only one that’ll feel sound — much like the D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold draft a decade ago — but trading down is the meal ticket for this organization.
We already discussed why a QB shouldn’t be in the future. A veteran coupled with Hackenberg and Petty makes sense, rather than going with three youngsters. Additionally, the offensive line needs to be built first.
Trading down, collecting safe offensive line talent and acquiring a cover corner and an edge rusher is what the New York Jets need to make sure happens in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Build from the trenches out. It’s the way football organizations are developed the quickest. Notre Dame tackle Mike McGlinchey would be a perfect fit near the ned of the first round.
Final thoughts
While reports of head coach Todd Bowles remaining safe to return as head coach in 2017 have surfaced, honestly, nobody knows if he’ll be back.
The man did win 10 games during his rookie season. At the same time, he’s also lost the locker room completely. However, some of these knuckleheads are John Idzik’s players. Perhaps Bowles and Mikey Mac working together for a third season under a real rebuilding plan will produce a few solid outcomes.
Honestly, whether Bowles returns or not, shouldn’t alter the plan around rebuilding. Maccagnan will be back, and the third-year GM must reverse course and throw out the aggressive rebuild for the real, developmental rebuild.
The 2017 offseason for the New York Jets will center around creating the next core of future success, rather than competing right away.
While, of course, they should look to compete right away, it shouldn’t be priority number one.
Collect assets and develop. That’ll be the name of the game.
I really enjoyed reading this, it's a sound plan. Nobody is going to completely agree with everything, but for the most part this makes sense. The Jets will be battling with 31 other teams when it comes to Free Agency. I like the idea of trying to acquire Glennon & Gilmour as it fills imediatte needs with young FA's. The Jets will also want to keep OLG B. Winters, finishing the season on IR just may help that cause? NFL scouting is every bit as important as NCAA. This team is not a player or two away so attracting talented players and not losing any will be a difficult task.
The team will have to rid itself of the aging vets who are overpaid. Mac didn't structure contracts in a way which marries the Jets to any of these problems. I'm thinking CP will return at SS, and agree with the other departures. The Patriots have been able to do all of the above hence the long term success.
The Jets train wreck of a season that started off with promise will end with the team drafting early. Like yourself I hope to see the Jets trade back a few spaces and repeat. This is easier said than done. This draft has plenty of talented DB's but the OT position has but a few players who currently look to be mid to late 1st rounders. One you failed to mention is the OT from Wisconsin. A lot will change between now and then but a priority lies with building an O-Line. Where is B. Callahan when you need him?
After watching T. Bowles and his coaching staff in year #2, I became convinced the Jets have one of the worst coaching staffs in the NFL. When you lose control of your locker room there is no hope. While T. Bowles is a nice guy that's not what this team needs. It's time to find an Offensive mind at HC, this is crucial when your rebuilding an O-Line and developing a QB. There are many qualified candidates available, we all would benefit by Woody getting the ambassador to the U.K. post. It would allow someone else to take over the day to day operations of our beloved team. A GM should be able to select his own HC. To borrow an analogy from The Big Tuna, otherwise your groceries will spoil or fail to be properly cooked.