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Free Agency Roundup; Jets to add Four new Faces, Retain McCown


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Jets General Manager Mike Maccagnan told his fan base that Gang Green would be active when free agency opened on Wednesday and through the first day and a half of the league’s legal tampering period, it was starting to look like Maccangan was going to eat his words.

After being spurned by quarterback Kirk Cousins, who went to the Minnesota Vikings as expected, there wasn’t a lot of news out of Florham Park for several hours.  However, once the signings started, it was going to be a long while before they stopped.

It kicked off with a rumor that the Jets were hammering out a deal with veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who is now two years removed from a knee injury that threatened not only his career, but forced doctors to consider amputation at the time of his injury.  Following a short delay, the two sides came to terms on a one-year deal.

During that short delay in the Bridgewater deal, reports surfaced of another one-year deal for the Jets’ own free agent quarterback in Josh McCown.  The deal is for 1-year at $10 million and creates more questions than answers.  Having just seen the disastrous effects of putting two veteran quarterbacks in front of a rookie with Christian Hackenberg two seasons ago, the Jets seem to be set up to repeat that same mistake if they do in fact take a quarterback with their first-round pick in the upcoming draft.

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Josh McCown is returning to the Jets on a one-year $10 million deal..

After addressing the quarterback position, the Jets stuck with offense and handed a three-year deal to former Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell.  The signing created a bit of a stir on social media due to some poor decisions in Crowell’s past, but from a pure football standpoint, the move makes sense.  It gives the Jets a physical back and decreases the likelihood of the Jets using a draft pick on the position in April, allowing them to focus more on premium positions.

Once the Crowell deal became public knowledge, Maccagnan and the Jets caught their biggest fish of the day, adding former Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson.  It was a natural fit given his history with Jets current defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson as the two worked together with the Rams for several years.  Johnson gives the Jets a true number one cornerback who thrives in press coverage.

Finally, in a move that brings Demario Davis’ second go-around with the Jets to an abrupt ending, inside linebacker Avery Williamson agreed to terms agreed on a 3-year deal worth $22.5 million ($16 million guaranteed) with the Jets after spending his first four pro seasons with the Tennessee Titans.  Williamson is four-years younger than Davis and came in much lower than Davis’ reported asking price of $9-10 million per year.

Some confusion at the quarterback position that the Jets will have to navigate, but all in all, not a bad day for Maccagnan and the Jets.  As mentioned by long-time Jets play-by-play man Bob Wischusen in a quote from an official from another NFL club.

There’s still a lot of work to be done, but after taking what felt like an extra day and a half of down time, the Jets front office got to work and produced results.

 

 

 

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Well after a slow beginning it seems they made some moves. How they turn out remains to be seen. I like the moves on defense and I am ok with the moves on offense so far but I want that 1st rounder to be a QB. As far as the rest of FA goes I would love to see another CB signed along with a WR and at least one OL and I will be satisfied. We will see.

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26 minutes ago, JetFaninMI said:

Well after a slow beginning it seems they made some moves. How they turn out remains to be seen. I like the moves on defense and I am ok with the moves on offense so far but I want that 1st rounder to be a QB. As far as the rest of FA goes I would love to see another CB signed along with a WR and at least one OL and I will be satisfied. We will see.

Does Johnson's signing mean that Morris Claiborne is out? There are rumors that the Titans are interested in signing him. Imagine him and Johnson playing together in the secondary along with Adams and Maye

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Mostly a re-shuffling of the deck chairs. Their crippling needs going in were QB, CB1, C, EDGE, and DL. What they ended up doing was replacing McCown with McCown, Claiborne with Johnson, Demario with Avery Williamson, and Forte with Crowell. Kudos for getting Johnson to sign here, but the Jets realistically won’t compete for at least two years, when Trumaine Johnson will be 30-31, and a likely cut. The best move was replacing Demario with Avery, but it’s a wash in terms of improving the team on the field in the short term. Signing McCown and Bridgewater effectively takes them out of drafting a QB at six, so that’s going to be a net negative unless Bridgewater is able to pull it together, which would obviously make the move a masterstroke. 

 

They’re signing Spencer Long today to play center and that’s an alright move. 27-28years old, coming off an injury, but center was a black hole position for them and now it’s not. They should still prioritize C in the second round, preferably a guy who can play guard in the interim. 

 

They're also signing Jerrick McKinnon, which is basically the end of Eli McGuire. Kind of a weird move, but whatever. 

 

All in all, they get credit for Trumaine Johnson, but it’s a more symbolic move made to placate the head coach, and getting Avery Williamson is cool but it doesn’t necessarily improve them considering how well Davis played last year. If you’re like me, and you see the goals,of this offseason as 1. Getting rid of Macc and Bowles and 2. Getting a QB of the future, you’re probably going to get the former but not the latter. All in all, you’ll take it.

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The Jets offered the most money to the top QB, WR, G and CB in FA and only one accepted a .250 BA - not great but huge credit to Mac and the FO team for swinging for the fences

In retrospect, I would not have been happy with Cousins on a 3 year deal - 5 years was needed 

For plan B, I understand bringing back McCown - don't understand the money at all but I really like the Bridgewater signing, I think he has something to prove and will surprise many, so maybe it works out as long as they draft a QB high in the draft

Johnson is the star addition and Williamson adds to a solid young core on Defense

Crowell is a good fit, offense still needs work 

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B+ / solid day for Macc. we were never getting Kirk.

add Rosen/Darnold/Mayfield/Allen/Jackson/Rudolph to the QB room and we're in good shape

Crowell a very capable runner (re: the social media stuff, he deleted it and donated a game check, realized he made a mistake and atoned, you want to stop being a Jets fan because we signed some guy who posted dumb sh** online, don't let the door hit you bye) 

Trumaine #1 non-QB free agent on the board, 6'2 lanky guy, tremendous fit for Bowles D

Avery Williamson good run stopper had a great year, another good fit in the 3-4 

Spencer Long and DaQuon Jones rumors swirling

looks like we lose out on Jerick McKinnon (good, take one in the draft instead, loaded position)

sick of all the whining. keep up the youth movement and the good work Macc. 

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1 hour ago, T0mShane said:

Mostly a re-shuffling of the deck chairs. Their crippling needs going in were QB, CB1, C, EDGE, and DL. What they ended up doing was replacing McCown with McCown, Claiborne with Johnson, Demario with Avery Williamson, and Forte with Crowell. Kudos for getting Johnson to sign here, but the Jets realistically won’t compete for at least two years, when Trumaine Johnson will be 30-31, and a likely cut. The best move was replacing Demario with Avery, but it’s a wash in terms of improving the team on the field in the short term. Signing McCown and Bridgewater effectively takes them out of drafting a QB at six, so that’s going to be a net negative unless Bridgewater is able to pull it together, which would obviously make the move a masterstroke. 

 

They’re signing Spencer Long today to play center and that’s an alright move. 27-28years old, coming off an injury, but center was a black hole position for them and now it’s not. They should still prioritize C in the second round, preferably a guy who can play guard in the interim. 

 

They're also signing Jerrick McKinnon, which is basically the end of Eli McGuire. Kind of a weird move, but whatever. 

 

All in all, they get credit for Trumaine Johnson, but it’s a more symbolic move made to placate the head coach, and getting Avery Williamson is cool but it doesn’t necessarily improve them considering how well Davis played last year. If you’re like me, and you see the goals,of this offseason as 1. Getting rid of Macc and Bowles and 2. Getting a QB of the future, you’re probably going to get the former but not the latter. All in all, you’ll take it.

Trumaine Johnson - because of his age and position - is the type that would go anywhere so long as it’s the highest bidder. He knows - or surely his agent’s told him - that odds are that he won’t be the same lockdown type at age 30, so at that money he only survives the guaranteed years no matter which team he’s going to. It’s a calculated move, and a wise one. If he was going to be 26-27 this upcoming season I think he chooses somewhere else, even if it’s for a little less, like the others with a longer future did.

Avery Williamson is a more impressive add, since this wasn’t just throwing borderline-starter QB money at a non-QB in his one multi-year cash-in opportunity. This is the same contract they awarded to 31 year-old David Harris 3 full seasons ago (which, along with his retirement, should further highlight the stupidity of that contract no matter how much of a soft spot any fans had for him). Relative to the cap limit, it’s a much lower contract than the one for Harris.

Your Davis-to-Williamson analysis is spot-on. We’re not going to see a glorious improvement at the position over DD’s 2017 solid season, but in the long term it will surely prove the smarter choice between the two. I’m always leery of a meh player suddenly playing non-meh when his career at starter money is in danger before becoming a UFA.  It means he was capable of better than he did before, and is therefore a prime candidate for a steep decline soon (if not immediately) thereafter.

Also dead on about the 2 biggest goals for the season: getting a FQB and getting Macc+Bowles fired. Unfortunately, as I think you’re alluding, we can probably only get one of those things to come true this year, which is why the latter should’ve been done in January. 

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3 minutes ago, Sperm Edwards said:

Trumaine Johnson - because of his age and position - is the type that would go anywhere so long as it’s the highest bidder. He knows - or surely his agent’s told him - that odds are that he won’t be the same lockdown type at age 30, so at that money he only survives the guaranteed years no matter which team he’s going to. It’s a calculated move, and a wise one. If he was going to be 26-27 this upcoming season I think he chooses somewhere else, even if it’s for a little less, like the others with a longer future did.

Avery Williamson is a more impressive add, since this wasn’t just throwing borderline-starter QB money at a non-QB in his one multi-year cash-in opportunity. This is literally a lower contract than they awarded to 31 year-old David Harris 3 full seasons ago (which, along with his retirement, should further highlight the stupidity of that contract no matter how much of a soft spot any fans had for him). 

Your Davis-to-Williamson analysis is spot-on. We’re not going to see a glorious improvement at the position over DD’s 2017 solid season, but in the long term it will surely prove the smarter choice between the two. I’m always wary of a meh player suddenly playing non-meh when his career at starter money is close to being over.  It means he was capable of better than he did before, and is therefore a prime candidate for a steep decline soon (if not immediately) thereafter.

Also dead on about the 2 biggest goals for the season: getting a FQB and getting Macc+Bowles fired. Unfortunately, as I think you’re alluding, we can probably only get one of those things to come true this year, which is why the latter should’ve been done in January. 

 

Williamson is my favorite add by far, for the reasons you state, but I also like it because it gives the Jets flexibility to walk away from Lee when his rookie deal is up. 

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Just now, T0mShane said:

 

Williamson is my favorite add by far, for the reasons you state, but I also like it because it gives the Jets flexibility to walk away from Lee when his rookie deal is up. 

One of my biggest problems with the Lee pick is that barring his becoming Luke Kuechly level, he’s not even going to be worth the money for the 5th year team option. Only way that gets exercised is if the GM doesn’t want to admit failure and pays it to convince others he’s better than he is (like the Rams doing the same for Tavon Austin. The 5th year option is for transition tag money, and for LBers it makes no difference if he’s an edge rushing OLB or...whatever it is Lee allegedly does well. It’s not going to be some $7m option.

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6 minutes ago, Sperm Edwards said:

One of my biggest problems with the Lee pick is that barring his becoming Luke Kuechly level, he’s not even going to be worth the money for the 5th year team option. Only way that gets exercised is if the GM doesn’t want to admit failure and pays it to convince others he’s better than he is (like the Rams doing the same for Tavon Austin. The 5th year option is for transition tag money, and for LBers it makes no difference if he’s an edge rushing OLB or...whatever it is Lee allegedly does well. It’s not going to be some $7m option.

That’s fairly disgusting. Would you suggest the slick move is to try and trade him this offseason? Maybe swap him to Chicago for dropping the transition tag on Kyle Fuller or some such.

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2 hours ago, nyjunc said:

we had a great day, the only move I don't like is Crowell and that is for non football reasons.  let's keep adding some less expensive pieces and have a great draft. It's taken a while but we are building something here.

yeah, a 6-10 team.

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1 hour ago, T0mShane said:

That’s fairly disgusting. Would you suggest the slick move is to try and trade him this offseason? Maybe swap him to Chicago for dropping the transition tag on Kyle Fuller or some such.

I don’t think that’s likely to get anywhere. They presumably want Fuller long term; they just don’t want to outbid themselves. That’s the reason they’d transition tag a player rather than franchise tag. If it was for a player they don’t really want to keep beyond year-to-year contracts (or if his demands far exceed the tag amount), then they’d probably apply the franchise tag instead.

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2 hours ago, Ohio State NY Jets fan said:

The Jets offered the most money to the top QB, WR, G and CB in FA and only one accepted a .250 BA - not great but huge credit to Mac and the FO team for swinging for the fences

This is a terrible sign that something is broken. Even if it's just perception of outsiders looking in, if you can't sign FAs... a re-branding is needed and that means a change in management.

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8 minutes ago, Sperm Edwards said:

I don’t think that’s likely to get anywhere. They presumably want Fuller long term; they just don’t want to outbid themselves. That’s the reason they’d transition tag a player rather than franchise tag. If it was for a player they don’t really want to keep beyond year-to-year contracts (or if his demands far exceed the tag amount), then they’d probably apply the franchise tag instead.

How about just moving Lee in general? Or would you just ride it out with him one more year and let him walk?

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3 hours ago, T0mShane said:

Mostly a re-shuffling of the deck chairs. Their crippling needs going in were QB, CB1, C, EDGE, and DL. What they ended up doing was replacing McCown with McCown, Claiborne with Johnson, Demario with Avery Williamson, and Forte with Crowell. Kudos for getting Johnson to sign here, but the Jets realistically won’t compete for at least two years, when Trumaine Johnson will be 30-31, and a likely cut. The best move was replacing Demario with Avery, but it’s a wash in terms of improving the team on the field in the short term. Signing McCown and Bridgewater effectively takes them out of drafting a QB at six, so that’s going to be a net negative unless Bridgewater is able to pull it together, which would obviously make the move a masterstroke. 

 

They’re signing Spencer Long today to play center and that’s an alright move. 27-28years old, coming off an injury, but center was a black hole position for them and now it’s not. They should still prioritize C in the second round, preferably a guy who can play guard in the interim. 

 

They're also signing Jerrick McKinnon, which is basically the end of Eli McGuire. Kind of a weird move, but whatever. 

 

All in all, they get credit for Trumaine Johnson, but it’s a more symbolic move made to placate the head coach, and getting Avery Williamson is cool but it doesn’t necessarily improve them considering how well Davis played last year. If you’re like me, and you see the goals,of this offseason as 1. Getting rid of Macc and Bowles and 2. Getting a QB of the future, you’re probably going to get the former but not the latter. All in all, you’ll take it.

You are pretty spot on. But I think they may bring back Claiborne. I think they may cut Powell, not McGuire. McKinnon, Crowell, McGuire. McGuire may still get cut of they decide to draft a RB early- but most likely they will not. And I think they could still draft a QB at 6 and cut Hack- eventually. 2 QBs with one year deals- one is ancient, one is a big ? with history of injury, one young QB that has yet to live up to expectations and is close to being a bust...to me, that suggests they WILL consider a QB at 6. 

I think they will end up taking Mayfield at 6 if the Broncos don't take him at 5. If Mayfield is off the board- Nelson, Fitz, Edmunds, Chubb, Ward, even C.Sutton could be options.  

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1 minute ago, PepPep said:

You are pretty spot on. But I think they may bring back Claiborne. I think they may cut Powell, not McGuire. McKinnon, Crowell, McGuire. McGuire may still get cut of they decide to draft a RB early- but most likely they will not. And I think they could still draft a QB at 6 and cut Hack- eventually. 2 QBs with one year deals- one is ancient, one is a big ? with history of injury, one young QB that has yet to live up to expectations and is close to being a bust...to me, that suggests they WILL consider a QB at 6. 

I think they will end up taking Mayfield at 6 if the Broncos don't take him at 5. If Mayfield is off the board- Nelson, Fitz, Edmunds, Chubb, Ward, even C.Sutton could be options.  

I’m not sure why everyone wants to run Powell out of the building? He seems like the ideal #2 back and spot starter for a team. I’d imagine they’ll try to bring back Claiborne, but will they give him the $7 mil deal that these other guys are getting? It really, really appears that they’re going to roll with Skrine and Johnson, and use #6 on either Minkah or Denzel Ward. It just has that feeling to me.

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23 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

I’m not sure why everyone wants to run Powell out of the building? He seems like the ideal #2 back and spot starter for a team. I’d imagine they’ll try to bring back Claiborne, but will they give him the $7 mil deal that these other guys are getting? It really, really appears that they’re going to roll with Skrine and Johnson, and use #6 on either Minkah or Denzel Ward. It just has that feeling to me.

Maybe you are right. I would't do that. I want a QB at 6. But there's a lot I would have done differently. I think Claiborne is worth 7mil if its a short term deal or a deal with an 'out' in the last couple of years of the contract. Claiborne is injury prone and cannot expect very much in guarantees. If D.Shead is still out there, I'd want him. 

I don't want Powell out. I like him and I think McKinnon, Powell, Crowell would make a nasty trio (I don;t think McKinnon is signed yet- btw). BUT that's too much money tied up in 3 RBs, IMO. And it would force them to cut McGuire, who showed promise.  

 

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1 hour ago, T0mShane said:

How about just moving Lee in general? Or would you just ride it out with him one more year and let him walk?

I was thinking of that. Depends what we’d get I guess. He’s more valuable than a 7th rounder, and he isn’t so horrible and such a pain in the coach’s ass, with so limited possibility of upside on top of that, where we’re just looking to dump his salary (like with Pryor).

A 2nd rounder? I’d grab it. 5th rounder? I’d keep him. Somewhere in the 3rd-4th round range it’d depend not just on the pick #, but it’d almost have to be during the draft so I know who I’m getting (where I’m making the trade for a specific prospect, not for a mid-round draft slot where I don’t know who I”m getting). 

Or we could take just a mid-round pick if the GM had the discipline to keep trading that pick for a round higher the following year, and if such offers are there in back-to-back seasons or more (so a mid-3rd turns into a 2nd rounder a year later, etc. to eventually creep back into the top 20-40). Remember in terms of “on paper” trade value, the pick we got for Sheldon wasn’t truly a 2nd. He was traded for what was expected to be a late 2nd in the following season’s draft, and typically that carries the trade value of a round later (i.e. a late 3rd rounder). The reason, of course, is because for 1 season we neither get the benefit of the player we traded nor the player we’ll draft, and unless we were desperate to clear his cap space for that season it could be argued that the trade contributed to winning fewer games in 2017 (tank goals notwithstanding). Really there’s no effective difference between trading him for a late 3rd before the draft, then trading that pick for a 2nd rounder the following year. Off topic, a bit, but I like to ramble. It’s what I do.

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6 hours ago, T0mShane said:

Mostly a re-shuffling of the deck chairs. Their crippling needs going in were QB, CB1, C, EDGE, and DL. What they ended up doing was replacing McCown with McCown, Claiborne with Johnson, Demario with Avery Williamson, and Forte with Crowell. Kudos for getting Johnson to sign here, but the Jets realistically won’t compete for at least two years, when Trumaine Johnson will be 30-31, and a likely cut. The best move was replacing Demario with Avery, but it’s a wash in terms of improving the team on the field in the short term. Signing McCown and Bridgewater effectively takes them out of drafting a QB at six, so that’s going to be a net negative unless Bridgewater is able to pull it together, which would obviously make the move a masterstroke. 

 

They’re signing Spencer Long today to play center and that’s an alright move. 27-28years old, coming off an injury, but center was a black hole position for them and now it’s not. They should still prioritize C in the second round, preferably a guy who can play guard in the interim. 

 

They're also signing Jerrick McKinnon, which is basically the end of Eli McGuire. Kind of a weird move, but whatever. 

 

All in all, they get credit for Trumaine Johnson, but it’s a more symbolic move made to placate the head coach, and getting Avery Williamson is cool but it doesn’t necessarily improve them considering how well Davis played last year. If you’re like me, and you see the goals,of this offseason as 1. Getting rid of Macc and Bowles and 2. Getting a QB of the future, you’re probably going to get the former but not the latter. All in all, you’ll take it.

Translation: 2018 record  5-11

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9 hours ago, JetNation said:

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Jets General Manager Mike Maccagnan told his fan base that Gang Green would be active when free agency opened on Wednesday and through the first day and a half of the league’s legal tampering period, it was starting to look like Maccangan was going to eat his words.

After being spurned by quarterback Kirk Cousins, who went to the Minnesota Vikings as expected, there wasn’t a lot of news out of Florham Park for several hours.  However, once the signings started, it was going to be a long while before they stopped.

It kicked off with a rumor that the Jets were hammering out a deal with veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who is now two years removed from a knee injury that threatened not only his career, but forced doctors to consider amputation at the time of his injury.  Following a short delay, the two sides came to terms on a one-year deal.

During that short delay in the Bridgewater deal, reports surfaced of another one-year deal for the Jets’ own free agent quarterback in Josh McCown.  The deal is for 1-year at $10 million and creates more questions than answers.  Having just seen the disastrous effects of putting two veteran quarterbacks in front of a rookie with Christian Hackenberg two seasons ago, the Jets seem to be set up to repeat that same mistake if they do in fact take a quarterback with their first-round pick in the upcoming draft.

IMG_6122-300x254.jpg

Josh McCown is returning to the Jets on a one-year $10 million deal..

After addressing the quarterback position, the Jets stuck with offense and handed a three-year deal to former Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell.  The signing created a bit of a stir on social media due to some poor decisions in Crowell’s past, but from a pure football standpoint, the move makes sense.  It gives the Jets a physical back and decreases the likelihood of the Jets using a draft pick on the position in April, allowing them to focus more on premium positions.

Once the Crowell deal became public knowledge, Maccagnan and the Jets caught their biggest fish of the day, adding former Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson.  It was a natural fit given his history with Jets current defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson as the two worked together with the Rams for several years.  Johnson gives the Jets a true number one cornerback who thrives in press coverage.

Finally, in a move that brings Demario Davis’ second go-around with the Jets to an abrupt ending, inside linebacker Avery Williamson agreed to terms agreed on a 3-year deal worth $22.5 million ($16 million guaranteed) with the Jets after spending his first four pro seasons with the Tennessee Titans.  Williamson is four-years younger than Davis and came in much lower than Davis’ reported asking price of $9-10 million per year.

Some confusion at the quarterback position that the Jets will have to navigate, but all in all, not a bad day for Maccagnan and the Jets.  As mentioned by long-time Jets play-by-play man Bob Wischusen in a quote from an official from another NFL club.

There’s still a lot of work to be done, but after taking what felt like an extra day and a half of down time, the Jets front office got to work and produced results.

 

 

 

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Narrative buster 

A lot of people sh*t their pants yesterday, it was embarrassing 

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