Jets still reaching out to safeties. Have Marcus Gilchrist talks stalled?
The Jets had wined and dined free agent safety Marcus Gilchrist of the Chargers on Wednesday night, but it's since been radio silence as to whether the two sides were able to come to an agreement on a contract.
And now comes word the Jets are still contacting other safeties, which could be a sign the Gilchrist negotiations have soured.
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to NJ Advance Media that the Jets had reached out to former Bears safety Chris Conte, who wound up coming to terms with the Bucs on Thursday morning. That person spoke on condition of anonymity.
Word of the Jets' interest in Conte was first reported by Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, who also said the Jets had a visit with Conte lined up if Conte couldn't strike a deal with the Bucs—a pretty good indication the Jets may already have their sights set elsewhere.
And another person familiar with the goings-on told NJ Advance Media the Jets had made an inquiry as late as Thursday morning about another free agent safety.
Three ways to look at this:
1. The Jets have given up on signing Gilchrist and are trying to bring in someone else before the market dries up.
2. The Jets-Gilchrist negotiations are still active, but the Jets are preparing a contingency in the event they break down.
3. The Jets are trying to gain leverage in the Gilchrist talks by contacting other safeties.
A negotiation is a delicate, time-consuming process. Everything's fluid, and every detail must be accounted for. But the Jets are clearly readying for the moment Marcus Gilchrist leaves North Jersey without a contract.
http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/03/jets_still_reaching_out_to_safeties_have_marcus_gi.html