THE HEAT’S ON MIKE
No step back for Jets, GM
INDIANAPOLIS — The pressure is squarely on Mike Maccagnan, whose magic touch a year ago turned him into a lovable soul to all the beaten-down, frustrated souls subjected to decades of pain. The Jets’ 10-win season has created this expectation for the new regime: The Jets must win now.
Maccagnan might have inherited a pot of gold created by his frugal predecessor, but his pool of cash has significantly shrunk the second time around. One year after Maccagnan had more than $50 million at his disposal, the Jets are operating with a markedly tighter budget (roughly $21 million to date) with plenty of areas of need entering free agency.
The bar has been set: The Jets can’t go in reverse after reaching the doorstep of the playoffs in Todd Bowles’ first season.
Maccagnan hit all the right chords in free agency and the trade market as a rookie general manager. What could he possibly do for an encore to keep the organization moving in the right direction? Is it even feasible to replicate his offseason results from a year ago?
“This free agency is going to be a more fluid free agency,” Maccagnan said at the NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday. “So we’ll see how our free agents play out in terms of who we can sign and can’t sign. Then, at the end of the day, (we’re) going to have a lot of contingency plans if things don’t work out and the market goes above what we feel comfortable with certain players.”
Maccagnan toiled in obscurity for the better part of two decades, an anonymous grinder who methodically rose up the ranks the right way, but he’s never faced such a challenging scenario as the one before him this offseason. The team’s 2015 results were spearheaded by a veteran nucleus. Maccagnan inherited a roster devoid of quality depth, so it’s fair to wonder how stable the foundation actually is right now.
He won’t be able to plug obvious holes this time by throwing money at the problem (see: cornerbacks last year). The Jets have to make difficult decisions that will undoubtedly result in the defection of quality players in free agency. Maccagnan’s ability to decipher and properly prioritize which pieces to retain will reveal plenty about his ability to thrive in a cut-throat business.
How much will he ultimately pay 33-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick to be the 2016 starting quarterback? How will he handle Mo Wilkerson’s contract impasse? Will he let Damon Harrison and/or Chris Ivory walk? Whom will he bring in to replace the defectors?
For all the promise of the 2015 season, the Jets aren’t exactly a rising team with a young nucleus.
“I think we need help everywhere,” Todd Bowles said Wednesday. “We had a lot of positions that played well, but we need to upgrade at the same time. We know we’re an older team. We want to get younger at almost every position and we’ll try to do that.”
Maccagnan had the Midas touch last year, but it’s not practical to think that he’ll be able to do it again given the financial limitations this year. Building a perennial contender takes time, but patience is a myth in the NFL. There are no five-year plans.
Well-run organizations win now, while building a firm foundation for the future. It’s a delicate balance that escapes most franchises.
“When you start trying to force things and start doing things that are more short term — short-sighted — you run the risk of making mistakes,” Maccagnan said. “My approach has always been to be very balanced and keep an eye on what we really want to achieve long term.”
Patience is a four-letter word in the NFL, as it should be. The expectation for the Jets in 2016 should be becoming a viable playoff contender regardless of the age of key players, available cap space or the more daunting schedule on paper.
Maccagnan has plenty to prove in the coming weeks and months.