It seems the Jets wanted to throw money around at the start of the NFL offseason, as so many other organizations did, but New York couldn’t attract the players that required said finances.
Well, at least that’s what one unnamed NFL executive told The Athletic’s Mike Sando, and for those who have heard anything about the Jets over the last decade, it probably shouldn’t serve as much of a surprise.
“What I heard on the Jets is, they were in on a ton of guys and got nobody,” the exec told Sando in an extensive story on the NFL offseason.
The front office member also acknowledged why to would be the case.
“They don’t have a selling point to players right now,” he told Sando. “People don’t know what to think of Zach Wilson, players don’t necessarily covet playing in that market, and guys who have choices tend to wind up elsewhere. They are in this weird purgatory.”
Tyreek Hill was perhaps the biggest, and most well-known example. Hill reportedly narrowed his decision down to the Dolphins and Jets and opted to be traded from Kansas City to Miami. Miami’s trade offer was significant, but the Jets and Chiefs reportedly had talked about terms as well, indicating the final decision came down to the player.
The Jets reportedly tried to trade the Seahawks for D.K. Metcalf, too, but that more so has to do with Seattle turning down the franchise rather than the star wideout.
The Jets did make some decent offseason moves with the addition of safety Jordan Whitehead (two years, $15.4 million), re-signing receiver Braxton Berrios (two years, $12 million) and signing tight end C.J. Uzomah (three years, $24 million), but most of their additions came on the margins.
It apparently wasn’t for lack of trying, though.
