Has this type of activity in Free Agency ever translated to success?

[Mike135]

I don't really look at all the spending the past couple weeks as splurging and trying to build the team through FA. It was more of a case of making up for Idzik's horrible job as GM.

Revis and Cro: Two guys that either shouldn't have been let go or should have been signed for cheaper last season. Both guys that are tenured Jets anyway.

Skrine: Typical FA signing. Especially considering the new coach runs a D heavily reliant on DBs.

Carpenter: Normal FA signing.

Harris: Re-signing a team leader.

Marshall: Making up for Idzik wasting a ton of picks in a draft loaded with WRs. A draft where we knew we needed WRs, yet still came up empty.

Fitz: Trying to sure up our QB depth. Hardly a big splash pick up.

Powell: Re-signing good young RB.

So outside of corrections after having a really bad GM the past couple seasons, this FA has really been pretty pedestrian. It's not like we went out and brought in a bunch of big name guys who've never played here before.

*Edit: Forgot to include Gilchrist. Solid signing, but again hardly a big splash guy.

[Sperm Edwards]

Early-BB Patriots? Some worked out better than others, but they brought in a LOT of other teams' veterans & has-beens.

 

Antowain Smith

Marc Edwards

Mike Compton

Charles Johnson

Bert Emanuel

Torrence Small

 

 

Bobby Hamilton

Anthony Pleasant

Rick Lyle

Roman Phifer

Mike Vrabel

Otis Smith

Terrell Buckley

Bryan Cox

[JustInFudge]

Early-BB Patriots? Some worked out better than others, but they brought in a LOT of other teams' veterans & has-beens.

Antowain Smith

Marc Edwards

Mike Compton

Charles Johnson

Bert Emanuel

Torrence Small

Bobby Hamilton

Anthony Pleasant

Rick Lyle

Roman Phifer

Mike Vrabel

Otis Smith

Terrell Buckley

Bryan Cox

Good example. They're always known for letting go their stars, etc. but they've had their fair share of big FA signings over the years and they really did reshape the roster when BB arrived.

[Sperm Edwards]

Good example. They're always known for letting go their stars, etc. but they've had their fair share of big FA signings over the years and they really did reshape the roster when BB arrived.

I'd say all we have to do now is draft a HOF QB in round 6, except we don't have a 6th round pick.

[LionelRichie]

Doesn't mean you have to depend it the way they are in FA. You could spend internally too or more money to 1 player, etc.

So you think the Jets are a playoff contender from this frenzy?

 

When Parcells took over the Jets it took him 2 seasons to fully turn over the roster but most of the moves were going into 1998 when he brought in: Vinny

Curtis Martin

Mawae

Keith Byars

Bryan Cox

Anthony Pleasant

 

I think he brought in a couple more of "his guys" as well but can't remember all the names.  

 

When you are 4-12 you don't have a lot of choices.   Maccagnan didn't get the OG he wanted but other than that they've been pretty strong moves that rebuilt the secondary and made the team a lot better.  

[JustInFudge]

I'd say all we have to do now is draft a HOF QB in round 6, except we don't have a 6th round pick.

Thanks Idzik.

[JustInFudge]

When Parcells took over the Jets it took him 2 seasons to fully turn over the roster but most of the moves were going into 1998 when he brought in: Vinny

Curtis Martin

Mawae

Keith Byars

Bryan Cox

Anthony Pleasant

I think he brought in a couple more of "his guys" as well but can't remember all the names.

When you are 4-12 you don't have a lot of choices. Maccagnan didn't get the OG he wanted but other than that they've been pretty strong moves that rebuilt the secondary and made the team a lot better.

Certainly a lot more excited going into this season than the last 2. Like I said, it's nice knowing you don't have the worst roster in the league for a 3rd straight season.

Not sure if Bowles, has "his guys" but surprised we haven't seen more names he's familiar with or coached in the past.

[Boynton Beach Jets]

Normally free agency does not work, but in the Jets case it is a different free agent haul then most teams that bring in strange players into a strange city.   The Jets 2 major additions Revis and Cromartie are really Jets they are familiar with the city and fan base, cro has not even sold his NJ house and Revis loves NYC.  The other major addition Brandon Marshall is a low risk gamble who is a perianal pro bowler.  I think the Jets front office had a solid plan this off season and did not bring in new players who are not familiar with Florham Park.

[bitonti]

the last team to sign Revis to a free agent deal won a Super Bowl that same year.

 

Boom. 

[southparkcpa]

When Parcells took over the Jets it took him 2 seasons to fully turn over the roster but most of the moves were going into 1998 when he brought in: Vinny

Curtis Martin

Mawae

Keith Byars

Bryan Cox

Anthony Pleasant

 

I think he brought in a couple more of "his guys" as well but can't remember all the names.  

 

When you are 4-12 you don't have a lot of choices.   Maccagnan didn't get the OG he wanted but other than that they've been pretty strong moves that rebuilt the secondary and made the team a lot better.  

then he walked.... fukk him.

[Villain The Foe]

I've been trying to think of an example when a team has been this active in Free Agency and it actually paid off for the team and it translated to wins.  

 

There are plenty of examples of where the winners in FA have failed:

The Redskins

The Eagles (dream team)

The Broncos last year got worse

The Dolphags a few years ago

 

Any examples of where it's actually paid off?

 

Most successful teams win with by building through the draft, obviously the Jets dont have that luxury and I'm excited to not enter the season for a 3rd straight year with the worst roster in the league but will this work?

 

They've basically signed a bunch of 30+ year old's.  So this window is going to be small to begin with but will it really help turn things around? Historically this type of behavior in Free Agency hasnt been kind to teams.  Will that change for the Jets?  

Good topic. 

I think the Jets are in a bit of a different situation though. The 30 year olds they signed all were prior Jet players that all played together and were successful doing what they were signed to do here. Buster Skrine and Marcus Gilchrist were signed at the prime years of their career. 

 

I will say that I was one that was willing to not sign Revis to this type of deal because I felt that we should have done it 2 years ago. But, he's still tops in the game, and thats with losing a step (He's not 2010 Revis Island anymore). With that said, even is Revis lost a 2nd step he would still be top 3 to top 5 in the league so I think we'll be somewhat safe with his contract. 8 million for Cro was alot. Some people thought we could sign him for 2 or 3 million which I couldn't see, I thought maybe 5 or 6 million at the top. 8 million was steep, but Cro is still a top #2 in this league, and the cool thing is that if he begins to decline we have Buster Skrine in his prime years (Just 25 years old). 

 

I think the Jets did well for themselves and will see a great leap in production this year, however I do believe that we will see fall off from Cro next year and Revis will also show that he's no longer the best, but top 5 in the next year or two. Hopefully we can get Milliner and McDougal going. And Gilchrist is 26 years old. 

We're okay. 

[UnitedWhofans]

By the way, for those who supported the "Suck for the Duck" or tanking for Jamies, how is that working out for the Philadelphia 76ers. They are tanking for the second year in a row and are completely irrelevant.

[jgb]

value proposition is different in a situation where you have to spend the money--then you employ it best you can. better to "overpay" (whatever the Hell that means) than not spend.

[JohnnyLV]

I think the Jets FA signings are brilliant and unlike anything I have seen befote. First, they were very targeted to fit specific roles, and we got mid tier players that are ideally suited to our defense. Second, the contracts are exceptional. They are pay as you go contracts, unheard of for FA. Usually you mortgage the future or sacrifice depth to sign FAs. We did neither of those. Third we built a super unit in the secondary with our signings that will be better than the sum of its parts, while allowing us to build our core through the draft. Fourth, we got the best corner in football that will raise the level of play of all the secondary guys. We are a much better team without affecting our long term plans.

[faba]

Most of the signings were in a position that was desperate for upgrades CB so not exactly the same as free spending crazy

[patman]

Cool. Thank you. That was what I was looking for.

Those three giants were signed in 2005,

 

The 49ers were a great team for a decade before they signed those guys in 94.

 

The jets are going to be better next year than what they were last year.  This year they gathered a couple of talented players, now Bowles has to build a team.  Collecting talent is the easier part

[JetBlue]

I'd say all we have to do now is draft a HOF QB in round 6, except we don't have a 6th round pick.

Maybe he will slip to round 7. 

[jetscrazey]

see the 2010 Jets.....

[UnknownJetFan]

It basically depends on how teams are run. NE loaded up on FA with Moss and how many others and almost went 19-0 with what was considered the best O of all time. NO Saints had loaded up on FAs and won a SB due to that. Even Jets back to back AFC title games with Rex/Tanny were also loaded up with FAs, i.e Jason Taylor, LT, etc. Some time back when the Raiders got to the SB with Gannon that team had been loaded with FAs of him, Jerry Rice, etc. Now on the flip side there are teams like Green Bay that right now generally sign their own and use the draft with both of those avenues as the primary way of running the team. Teams with great QBs like them, NE, Pitt, Ravens, etc. can do that and still be very good to great, but they also have no choice but to do that cause when you have QBs on your teams with 100M+ contracts you can't afford many other top end FAs i.e the Saints and Giants right now. Again, in another area of draft aspects, the Jags, Browns, Fins, Bills, Bucs, Skins, Titans, etc. get high draft picks every year and technically are using that to mainly build their teams, but yet still keep losing more than winning. Heck, does anyone remember when the last time was that any of those teams made the playoffs?. Fins did with our QB Chad P., but still couldn't win a playoff game, and outside of a few years with the BUCs including their SB win that team has struggled for most of its existence. So, in conclusion, there are cases of both drafting mainly or FA signing with some timely drafting that have made teams and will continue to make them successful, if they are run properly from the Owner, to GM, to HC, to coordinators. Hopefully, we have that covered at this point, but only time will tell. 

[BigRy56]

The Jets are now an NFL powerhouse and will find themselves with a perfect season. Bowles #1 Mac Daddy #1 Jets #1

[jack48]

Doesn't mean you have to depend it the way they are in FA. You could spend internally too or more money to 1 player, etc.

So you think the Jets are a playoff contender from this frenzy?

I think the jets do not feel that they have guys internally (except for Mo and I am not sure he re-signs_) that it would make sense to tie up now.  That is how dreary their talent pool was.  Who could they lose in the next year or two that they would not happily wave bye bye to?  FA is not a cure.  These next 2 or 3 drafts are crucial.  We will win more than 4 games this year.  If we get to 8-8 and have a really good draft that would be a nice jumping off point.  I suppose if the stars aligned it could be better.  But these FA things often look good one year and lousy the next.  It is still about the draft and I think they know that.