Areas Mac has to attack in FA & draft
The Jets and general manager Mike Maccagnan entered free agency this week with the most cap space in the NFL at just under $90 million. And while he missed out on his top target in Kirk Cousins — as it turns out, Gang Green never really had a chance — Maccagnan still filled a number of needs on both sides of the ball with a flurry of deals over the past four days.
Most notably, Maccagnan targeted younger players this March — a different approach than his last freeagent spending spree in 2015, his first year with the team, when he gave a soon-to-be 30-year-old Darrelle Revis $39 million in guaranteed money. We all know how that worked out.
To recap this week, Maccagnan found a No. 1 cornerback in Trumaine Johnson, who signed a five-year, $72.5 million deal with $34 million guaranteed. He did lose out on another secondary target Friday, though, when Tyrann Mathieu inked a deal with the Texans. But Maccagnan re-signed Morris Claiborne (who also just turned 28) to play on the opposite side of Johnson, and that contract was very reasonable — one year and $7 million (6.85 million guaranteed). Maccagnan also replaced inside linebacker and defensive signal-caller Demario Davis, 29, with a younger player in former Titan Avery Williamson, who joins Gang Green on a three-year deal.
On offense, Maccagnan inked former Browns running back Isaiah Crowell, 25, to a discount deal at three years and $12 million, with $6 million guaranteed. Then he signed a starting center in Spencer Long, 27, formerly of Washington. The only concern here is Long’s history of knee tendinitis, which kept him out for more than half of last season. The Jets also took a flyer on 25-year-old quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who missed close to two full seasons after a training-camp knee injury.
All these signings plug holes on Maccagnan’s roster. But considering the gutting he executed last year, Maccagnan still has work to do — if not in free agency, then certainly in the draft. Here is a look at the biggest needs the Jets still have as we head into the weekend, other than quarterback, which Maccagnan is surely going to address with his first-round pick in April. rookie, totaling four sacks. But he saw limited action in 2016 and missed all of last season with a back injury. Jenkins, meanwhile, improved from Year 1 to Year 2, but he is more of a run-stopper than a pass rusher.
This is the Jets’ biggest need at the moment. And here’s why: Leonard Williams is a difference maker on the defensive line and has the talent to string together multiple double-digit sack seasons, but in 2017, teams could double team Williams on virtually every possession without risking much. Of course, this has a lot to do with Muhammad Wilkerson’s poor play. It also has to do with the Jets’ lack of an edge-rushing threat. Adding a pass-rushing outside linebacker would open up opportunities for Williams, who finished with just two sacks last season. The problem is, this wasn’t a great free-agent class for outside linebackers. Maccagnan will likely have to address this in the draft.