Donta Hightower - Future Jet?

[ZachEY]

17 minutes ago, PCP63 said:

Eh, not impressed by them. You can be a computer geek and still put on pads.

I don't think educated folks are particularly concerned with impressing you.

[ZachEY]

12 minutes ago, phill1c said:

Ok, so which of the former Patriots we've signed are you comparing Hightower to? Without concrete examples to compare this possible signing to, the statement seems lacking in substance.

The strategy you claim to have seems based solely on saving money. Isn't that the Idzik strategy? Don't field a team because it costs a lot?!

I think we're way too far away to come to any agreement on this one. Godspeed.

It is Idzik's strategy.  Idzik's strategy was a good one, it was his impossibly poor execution of the draft that was the problem.

[RutgersJetFan]

I was not aware that statisticians wore lab coats.

[ZachEY]

5 minutes ago, Scott Dierking said:

GMing should not be judged by individual moves that are made or not made. It should be judged on a totality of an off season, and ultimately the record and impetus it has to the squad.

I realize the collective genius here is great, but the want to critique very minuscule action by itself is rather tedious. 

Yeah, so, I'm judging Macc by his entire body of work, which is that 2 years after he came on board, we're just as bad as when he started, and just as far from a QB as we'd ever been, unless every Hackenberg excuse turns out to be valid.  This is one specific instance that fits a pattern of poor roster management, and it's the one that's going on right now, so it's the one we're talking about.

[ZachEY]

Just now, RutgersJetFan said:

I was not aware that statisticians wore lab coats.

Protection from the splatter inherent in jerking off to all those lame numbers, amirite, Broseph Stalin? 

[jdeacon]

7 minutes ago, AFJF said:

This has to be right.  All the smoke blowing from the media on this one makes no sense.

Have him in to talk?  FIne.

Make him the highest paid ILB in the NFL on a team with FAR more glaring needs?  No thanks.

I think the interest was higher than just having a talk. Mac and Woody did their best to woo him into signing (i.e. cupcakes as ridiculous as it sounds) with the jets but as we have seen with the rest of this FA Mac has an evaluation of the players worth and will not waiver from it. I am perfectly fine with this approach because Hightower is not a generational talent and even further does not play a position that even if we was would not be worth breaking the bank for.

[Scott Dierking]

Just now, gEYno said:

Yeah, so, I'm judging Macc by his entire body of work, which is that 2 years after he came on board, we're just as bad as when he started, and just as far from a QB as we'd ever been, unless every Hackenberg excuse turns out to be valid.  This is one specific instance that fits a pattern of poor roster management, and it's the one that's going on right now, so it's the one we're talking about.

That is better.

I am judging a little bit differently than you, and looking at this as starting "anew", which is not a product that he inherited. He was building off, and adding to what someone else contrived. A little bit of a different building process, in my estimation.

Given that, I am giving a little different leeway in terms of judging. For me, he has started that process well (purging), but obviously a lot left to do. Let's see what things look like after the draft, and grad the team from a roster build at that time. 

Again, just the way I am looking at it

[ZachEY]

Just now, Scott Dierking said:

That is better.

I am judging a little bit differently than you, and looking at this as starting "anew", which is not a product that he inherited. He was building off, and adding to what someone else contrived. A little bit of a different building process, in my estimation.

Given that, I am giving a little different leeway in terms of judging. For me, he has started that process well (purging), but obviously a lot left to do. Let's see what things look like after the draft, and grad the team from a roster build at that time. 

Again, just the way I am looking at it

We're actually looking at it similarly.  He's retained, so I'm on board with "starting anew," however, the Hightower move would have been a departure from the positive steps he's taken in this fresh start, and closer to some of the bad things he's done.

[PCP63]

15 minutes ago, gEYno said:

I don't think educated folks are particularly concerned with impressing you.

Not sure why you're implying I'm less educated than them, when I possess just about the same education level as most of them (Masters of Science in Computer Science).

[LAD_Brooklyn]

43 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

RELAX 

 

Moving on... Minter I assume?

[nicg4360]

Mac dodged a bullet. The amount he would have paid would have been ridiculous for the performance he would have given. Does not follow the steps he was taking with smart spending. I don't even see anyone all that disappointed this did not happen.

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[varjet]

There may have been a business side aspect to the Hightower effort.

Unless they are getting paid ridiculous money, FAs want to play for a team that will be competitive, fun to play for, and with potential upside, particularly if they have been on losing teams.

The 2017 Jets were not going to attract the top FAs.  

Macc and Bowles need to build a competitive team through the draft and developing their own players.  When they put forth competitive efforts in games and start to look like they are on the way up, other players will sign to play with them.

[JoJoTownsell1]

3 minutes ago, nicg4360 said:

Mac dodged a bullet. The amount he would have paid would have been ridiculous for the performance he would have given. Does not follow the steps he was taking with smart spending. I don't even see anyone all that disappointed this did not happen.

Sent from my Moto Z using JetNation.com mobile app
 

I wanted Hightower at the right price. He is a very good young player and this team needs more very good young players but I am not going to lose any sleep over him signing back with the Pats. 

[Jetster]

6 minutes ago, nicg4360 said:

Mac dodged a bullet. The amount he would have paid would have been ridiculous for the performance he would have given. Does not follow the steps he was taking with smart spending. I don't even see anyone all that disappointed this did not happen.

Sent from my Moto Z using JetNation.com mobile app
 

Many like myself said, if it happens, ok, he's only 27, if not, oh well sign Minter or Brown. I don't think there are many Jet fans gonna lose sleep over not signing Dante Hightower. We're not going to be paying top dollar for a QB until we find one so the money wasn't much of a big deal to me.

[RoadFan]

Good.  Hightower made zero sense here at this time.  He was using the Jets to get a few extra consolation bucks from the Cheats.

I won't bother explaining why it would have been a poor signing to any dunce that doesn't understand by now.

[Mike135]

Would've been a nice pickup to fill the defensive leadership role for 5+ years, but yeah it also would've been expensive.  Glad the Jets took a look and potentially increased the cost a bit for NE.

At least Harris gets to stick around for another season or two.  May be older, but still a beast and a great leader.

Looks like we're gonna have a ton of cap space come 2018.

[KRL]

Just now, Mike135 said:

Would've been a nice pickup to fill the defensive leadership role for 5+ years, but yeah it also would've been expensive.  Glad the Jets took a look and potentially increased the cost a bit for NE.

At least Harris gets to stick around for another season or two.  May be older, but still a beast and a great leader.

Looks like we're gonna have a ton of cap space come 2018.

Don't bet on Harris being here, Kevin Minter is still on the market.  It wouldn't surprise me if he's the next option after Hightower

[August]

As usual free agents use us as leverage. 

[RoadFan]

1 hour ago, phill1c said:

Yeah, and I think the argument misses the big picture, seriously NO DISRESPECT INTENDED.

The notion is not just that Hightower is "an improvement". It's about changing the culture. Here would be A PROVEN WINNER on that defense, a player here to prove himself, a player with inside knowledge of your most important opponent. A player that simultaneously weakens your opponent and improves  your team.

The Jets are in a favorable cap situation and this signing wouldn't significantly hurt that position in the short term--and we know that everything in the NFL is short term.

As far as these "much smarter ways" you mention for investing resources, none of the naysayers has offered a single one. So, call me skeptical of their strategic thinking. IMO, these are just people that would only agree to a move to sign Mike Glennon, an unproven backup (actually, he's a proven backup), for more money than a guy who provides all the benefits above because they feel he'd be "overpaid'. Well OF COURSE the Jets are going to have to overpay. Nobody worth a sh!t is going to come here for a rebuild without some cash incentive above and beyond market value.

You just don't get it.  There is no "short term" for this team right now.

The correct philosophy for this off-season is don't spend money anywhere!

Put a young, energetic, enthusiastic to stick in the league team of nobodies out there....   all the while the Jets are "accidentally on-purpose" fielding a team that will go 2-14.

WTF is so hard to understand?!?!?

If the Jets want to overpay for a player or two in fraud agency, you do it in year 2 or 3 of the rebuild.  Not year one.

[KINGDIRK]

1 minute ago, RoadFan said:

You just don't get it.

The correct philosophy for this off-season is don't spend money anywhere!

Put a young, energetic, enthusiastic to stick in the league team of nobodies out there....   all the while the Jets are "accidentally on-purpose" fielding a team that will go 2-14.

WTF is so hard to understand?!?!?

If the Jets want to overpay for a player or two in fraud agency, you do it in year 2 or 3 of the rebuild.  Not year one.

The Jets are in full rebuild. Smart teams in full rebuild do not spend money on inside linebackers. Two years for now, if you want to sign the "next Hightower" free agent, I am all for it.

[Mike135]

4 minutes ago, KRL said:

Don't bet on Harris being here, Kevin Minter is still on the market.  It wouldn't surprise me if he's the next option after Hightower

Don't know much about him other than he's younger, coming off his rookie deal.  So that's good.

But what's his expected market like? 8 or 9mil?  And is he really that much better than Harris who always seems to lead the team in tackles regardless of age?

[rillo]

Lock this up. 

[Integrity28]

1 hour ago, gEYno said:

The problem, at this point, isn't whether or not he picks the Jets.  It's that (if the reporting has been accurate thus far) Macc thinks it's a good idea.  Because, Hightower is just the current incantation of this mistake.  There will be others.

I will say this, Manish was on the Sports Hub this morning (Boston radio) talking about how reports have been false about the Jets having an offer as high as $12m. Then he lobbied for Revis to go back to the Patriots, because only Beli could help him find his motivation and make him great again.

******* disgusting.

[dbatesman]

14 minutes ago, Mike135 said:

At least Harris gets to stick around for another season or two.  May be older, but still a beast

lol

[Beerfish]

Out of our 1st 6 picks in the last two drafts we have chosen 3 linebackers.  Why the hell are we running willy nilly after LBS.

 

[Komba]

I'm not sure Harris would have been released even if we got Hightower.  Bowles and company LOVE Harris.  Hightower could play outside and inside and Bowles has always been a guy who will try to crowbar his system around his players, rather than have his players fit into his system.

Hopefully we raised the value of Hightower's contract a bit.

[Integrity28]

54 minutes ago, gEYno said:

It is Idzik's strategy.  Idzik's strategy was a good one, it was his impossibly poor execution of the draft that was the problem.

Which, if you think about it, can be attributed - in part - the the situation he inherited: Bradway and the scouting department that had been mailing it in for decades with the Jets, and a drafting culture featuring Rex that was still the "do no wrong" king of NY at the time making promises to guys like Coples, insisting on using late round picks on friends of Sanchez and his son and sh*t like that... 

[Integrity28]

16 minutes ago, August said:

As usual free agents use us as leverage. 

Steelers are the 2nd best team in the AFC, and the only team in the modern era that has won as consistently as the Pats.

The Jets are Beli's buggaboo.

It's not an accident that those are the 2 teams that the Pats were pitted against in this bidding war. This is nothing more than an agent doing his job.

[peekskill68]

54 minutes ago, jdeacon said:

I think the interest was higher than just having a talk. Mac and Woody did their best to woo him into signing (i.e. cupcakes as ridiculous as it sounds) with the jets but as we have seen with the rest of this FA Mac has an evaluation of the players worth and will not waiver from it. I am perfectly fine with this approach because Hightower is not a generational talent and even further does not play a position that even if we was would not be worth breaking the bank for.

I agree with you on Hightower but you have to admit that Mac blinked when it came to Fitz last year...

[Mike135]

5 minutes ago, dbatesman said:

lol

What, no love for Harris?

[dbatesman]

Just now, Mike135 said:

What, no love for Harris?

No. Harris is terrible.

[Integrity28]

Dont'a Hightower - LB - Patriots

Patriots re-signed ILB Dont'a Hightower to a four-year, $43.5 million contract with $19 million guaranteed.

The Jets' birthday cupcakes to Hightower earlier this week weren't enough to convince him to sign with their league-worst franchise, while the Steelers never seemed to be a serious contender. All roads led back to New England. Hightower's market didn't develop quite like he had hoped, and the Patriots were able to keep their 27-year-old inside thumper after trading away ILB Jamie Collins to the Browns last season. Hightower was Pro Football Focus' No. 5 inside linebacker out of 59 qualifiers in 2016, receiving plus marks across the board for his pass rush, coverage, and run defense. Everything seems to be working in the Patriots' favor this offseason. They probably have more up their sleeve.

 

 

 

Mar 15 - 1:35 PM

Dont'a Hightower - LB - Patriots

NFL Network's Mike Silver reports the Jets are "out" on free agent ILB Dont'a Hightower.

We'll see. But Silver says the Jets pulled out of the mix once Hightower left their facility. It's also what the Steelers have threatened with Hightower, who visited them on Tuesday. Expected to make a decision on Wednesday, the Patriots may be the only club left in the mix for Hightower. He's said to be seeking $12 million per year, but it doesn't sound like he's going to get it.

[Lray]

Thank god for that. I was getting worried.


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[Integrity28]

So, reading between the lines here - the Jets never offered $12m, so that report was false. It was $12m that he was seeking. It also sounds like the Jets made him an offer that expired as soon as he left, meaning sign or GTFO. Knowing Mac has had low valuations on FAs in past years, I believe we probably low-balled him. Then let the leaks determine how much the Patriots would overpay him.

Personally, I think this was well played. We didn't big high just to steal a player from him - which is how Tanny would have done it - and we didn't add a player we frankly don't need.

I have no criticisms of the FO for going through the motions on this.

[C Mart]

1 hour ago, gEYno said:

The problem, at this point, isn't whether or not he picks the Jets.  It's that (if the reporting has been accurate thus far) Macc thinks it's a good idea.  Because, Hightower is just the current incantation of this mistake.  There will be others.

Based on Silver's tweet it could mean the Jets weren't interested once he left Florham Park.