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Jets making all-out blitz for free-agent LB Dont'a Hightower


Gas2No99

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Jets making all-out blitz for free-agent LB Dont'a Hightower

 

The New York Jets remain in the hunt for coveted linebacker Dont'a Hightower, who has narrowed his choices to the Jets, Pittsburgh Steelersand New England Patriots, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported.

It would be a stunner if the Jets pry him away from the Patriots. Only five weeks ago, Hightower was celebrating his second Super Bowl title with New England. But we've seen this before. It happened two years ago with the Jets, Patriots and Darrelle Revis, who returned to the Jets after winning a ring in New England.

Hightower is thought to be seeking $12 million per year, which would make him the second highest-paid inside linebacker in the NFL, behind Luke Kuechly ($12.4 million).

The Jets have taken a low-key approach in free agency, but they really want Hightower and they're willing to give him a blockbuster contract. They'd probably have to offer considerably more than the Patriots, who negotiate with the arrogance of a organization that has won five Super Bowl titles. When they set a value on a player, they rarely budge. If the player is all about the money ... adios.

If Hightower is looking for the biggest financial score, the Jets will win the bidding war.

Hightower, who turned 27 on Sunday, is one of the better inside linebackers in the league. His arrival could prompt the Jets to release longtime middle linebacker David Harris, 33, who is due to count $6.5 million in the final year of his contract. Harris is a future Ring-of-Honor member, but the Jets are in the midst of a youth movement.

The Patriots raised eyebrows by letting Hightower hit the open market, declining to use the franchise or transition tag. The Jets see this as a unique opportunity to upgrade the roster, and they're going for it.

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6 minutes ago, Gas2No99 said:

 

Hightower is thought to be seeking $12 million per year, which would make him the second highest-paid inside linebacker in the NFL, behind Luke Kuechly ($12.4 million).

The Jets have taken a low-key approach in free agency, but they really want Hightower and they're willing to give him a blockbuster contract.

This team is absolutely ******* hopeless.

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If they cut Harrison and structure the contract so that he makes more year one then it would work out. We need a LB like him. We have cap room and eventually we have to pay someone to come here. If Lee can improve then we can have be set at the LB position for a while and then focus on the secondary.  Of course there is nothing more important than finding a QB. 

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14 minutes ago, dbatesman said:

This team is absolutely ******* hopeless.

What?  Is it the fact their big FA target plays the same position as their 1st round pick the year before?  Or is it the ridiculous contract to a slow ILB who I'm assuming is replacing another slow ILB with a ridiculous contract?  Or the brilliant approach of spending so many resources on acquiring ILB'ers?  Or the 3 meat platter?

 

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3 minutes ago, JiF said:

What?  Is it the fact their big FA target plays the same position as their 1st round pick the year before?  Or is it the ridiculous contract to a slow ILB who I'm assuming is replacing another slow ILB with a ridiculous contract?  Or the brilliant approach of spending so many resources on acquiring ILB'ers?  Or the 3 meat platter?

 

It's second and eight against the Pats and Hightower is jogging off the field because he's absolutely useless in that scenario. James White humiliates Darron Lee for a gain of twelve, or the white lacrosse bro crosses up Buster Skrine for 18 $12 milly pays for that scenario.

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5 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

It's second and eight against the Pats and Hightower is jogging off the field because he's absolutely useless in that scenario. James White humiliates Darron Lee for a gain of twelve, or the white lacrosse bro crosses up Buster Skrine for 18 $12 milly pays for that scenario.

Rex Burkehead!

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9 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

It's second and eight against the Pats and Hightower is jogging off the field because he's absolutely useless in that scenario. James White humiliates Darron Lee for a gain of twelve, or the white lacrosse bro crosses up Buster Skrine for 18 $12 milly pays for that scenario.

The only thing you're not factoring in is the leadership he'll display on that sideline as that play develops. 

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1 minute ago, dbatesman said:

If you think Maccagnan is doing a good job, please defend the fact that he's using cupcakes in a desperate attempt to win the right to pay a 27-year-old inside linebacker $60 million.

AFTER drafting Darron Lee and giving David Harris an extension, while having one CB, no QB, and James Carpenter.

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8 minutes ago, dbatesman said:

If you think Maccagnan is doing a good job, please defend the fact that he's using cupcakes in a desperate attempt to win the right to pay a 27-year-old inside linebacker $60 million.

I've really tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, his boss is the biggest asshat in all of sports, but I agree, this is indefensible 

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this is probably not going to be popular but what's the appeal of this player again? 

the Jets drafted a first round ILB last year. How much money is needed at the ILB position? 

people say he's great in coverage but never had a career INT 

people say he's great blitzing but gets like 3 sacks a year 

Hightower is tough and that's great but basically a David Harris replacement.

He's a linebacker. People are getting amped up talking about pawns and knights.

Unless Dont'a Hightower can play  QB i can't get amped up about this move. 

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5 minutes ago, dbatesman said:

This team is absolutely ******* hopeless.

$12m for an ILB, one year after using a mid-1st round pick on...an ILB. Coming on the heels of carrying 3 recent 1st round 3-4 DEs for the past 2 seasons, I'm hardly surprised.

After the 2016 season everyone was (appropriately) screaming we needed to rebuild & invest heavily in the OL. To further this goal, and show the team takes building a powerhouse OL a top priority, the first 3 offers made were to bring back Winters, Clady, and Ijalana, before bringing in Beachum (who hasn't even been average since blowing out his knee in 2015, and is still arguably the best move/attempt of the four). I am guessing they'll draft a center after rightly cutting the $9m Mangold, but for all we know the plan is to let Johnson play out his RFA year and then, if he has a just-ok performance in 2017, offer him an $8m/year contract extension next spring.

We so have our priorities in order.

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7 minutes ago, bitonti said:

this is probably not going to be popular but what's the appeal of this player again? 

the Jets drafted a first round ILB last year. How much money is needed at the ILB position? 

people say he's great in coverage but never had a career INT 

people say he's great blitzing but gets like 3 sacks a year 

Hightower is tough and that's great but basically a David Harris replacement.

He's a linebacker. People are getting amped up talking about pawns and knights.

Unless Dont'a Hightower can play  QB i can't get amped up about this move. 

The priorities of this front office are mind boggling. They're d!cking around with sh!t-pile QBs like Josh Mccown and Brian Hoyer, all so they can blow their salary cap on a f*cking ILB? 

At one point do the fans just walk away from this goddamned team? 

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Welcome back to another edition of the Turn On The Jets 12 Pack:

 

1. Dont’a Hightower? – The news of the day is that the New York Jets are bidding against the New England Patriots for inside linebacker Dont’a Hightower. This is usually a situation to be wary of since Bill Belichick has sliced the league apart over the past two decades. However, remember that New England sets a price internally for every player and does not budge on it. The Jets may be able to beat that number and sway Hightower. This does mean Hightower is suddenly a bad player, just like Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins are not suddenly bad players. They just did not fit into what New England wants to do defensively at their requested price tag. The Jets are in a different situation than New England, obviously.

At 27 years old, Hightower is a logical fit for them. He can play all three downs and immediately step into a leadership role on the defense. It will also allow the jets to clear David Harris off the books. The Jets would be improving at inside linebacker and getting younger. It is going to be a big contract but this is part of what you cleared cap space for.

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Overpaying Hightower would be another fraud agency mistake.  He is NOT a difference maker. 

Even Ray Lewis in his prime wouldn't make much of a difference on this crap roster. The Jets are a 2 or 3 win team, regardless.

Roll with what you have, and draft well.  That's it.

 

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24 minutes ago, Gas2No99 said:

This does mean Hightower is suddenly a bad player, just like Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins are not suddenly bad players.

Hightower can play for 20 years and not provide half the value Jones or Collins provide in a single season.

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42 minutes ago, dbatesman said:

If you think Maccagnan is doing a good job, please defend the fact that he's using cupcakes in a desperate attempt to win the right to pay a 27-year-old inside linebacker $60 million.

 

39 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

AFTER drafting Darron Lee and giving David Harris an extension, while having one CB, no QB, and James Carpenter.

How well did it work out for your hero Idzik when he refused to sign anyone and sabotaged his HC? 

At the end of the day it's not gonna matter a whole hell of a lot if they have 35 Mil in cap space next year instead of 47. 

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1 hour ago, ASH1962 said:

LOL you guys are pissed but nothing has happened yet

Hopefully the end result is just that we drove up the price for him to stay in NE.

Other than that I'm not encouraged that my team is offering $12,000,000 - its big FA splash for 2017 - to ILB Hightower - who's definitely good but certainly not $12m good. This, just 1 year after I had to read about how smart it was to draft ILB Lee with the 20th overall pick. The purpose of drafting someone like this in round 1 last year (to the extent there is one at all) is you don't need to go all out on the ILB playing next to him.

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7 minutes ago, Pac said:

 

How well did it work out for your hero Idzik when he refused to sign anyone and sabotaged his HC? 

At the end of the day it's not gonna matter a whole hell of a lot if they have 35 Mil in cap space next year instead of 47. 

Been saying this for years. At the end of the day the secret to sustainable winning is overpaying and overdrafting inside linebackers.

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3 minutes ago, RutgersJetFan said:

Been saying this for years. At the end of the day the secret to sustainable winning is overpaying and overdrafting inside linebackers.

Oh yeah? Well when was the last time we outbid the Patriots for one of their overpriced or coveted FAs (or drafted their rumored-coveted draft prospects) and it didn't work out? Chew on that one for a while. 

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Just now, Sperm Edwards said:

Oh yeah? Well when was the last time we outbid the Patriots for one of their overpriced or coveted FAs (or drafted their rumored-coveted draft prospects) and it didn't work out? Chew on that one for a while. 

Listen here flat earther, don't cock up this thread with your salary cap bullsh*t. 3 dollars isn't good in 2018 if we don't spend half that on a decent kicker for 2017.

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4 minutes ago, RutgersJetFan said:

Listen here flat earther, don't cock up this thread with your salary cap bullsh*t. 3 dollars isn't good in 2018 if we don't spend half that on a decent kicker for 2017.

I had to read this twice for it to make sense. Then it occurred to me: is this what it's like for others to read my posts? Man, that's just awful.

Just like my posts minus the length, of course. But then you're often a lot like me, minus the length.

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26 minutes ago, RutgersJetFan said:

Been saying this for years. At the end of the day the secret to sustainable winning is overpaying and overdrafting inside linebackers.

That and hording cap space.  Maybe if we save enough we'll one day soon be able to buy 2 round draft picks like the rest of the leagues elite.

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35 minutes ago, Pac said:

 

How well did it work out for your hero Idzik when he refused to sign anyone and sabotaged his HC? 

At the end of the day it's not gonna matter a whole hell of a lot if they have 35 Mil in cap space next year instead of 47. 

Pac, thank's

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