They didn't get WR Tyreek Hill. Or DE Chandler Jones. Or WR Amari Cooper. Or S Marcus Williams. The Jets' biggest free-agent splash was a guard, and we all know a guard isn't going to excite the masses or tilt the Vegas odds in their favor.
Their patient and methodical approach can be frustrating for fans, especially with so many AFC teams making blockbuster moves. The folks on the inside -- the decision-makers at One Jets Drive -- aren't in panic mode, but the events of the last two weeks have reminded them of an undeniable truth.
More than ever, everything hinges on Zach Wilson.
If the quarterback follows the career trajectory of Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen, who improved dramatically in Years 2 and 3, the Jets believe they will be among the AFC elite. If he sputters again or peaks at average, they're doomed to mediocrity and another rebuild in a couple of years.
General manager Joe Douglas and coach Robert Saleh knew their future was tied to Wilson as soon as they drafted him second overall last year, and now that is magnified because of the crazy new landscape in the AFC. There's a Catch-22 element to this because it's unfair to expect him to be a savior without a game-changing weapon. Hill, at an exorbitant cost, would've been that guy.
Under normal circumstances, the Jets would be in trouble, but this isn't normal because they're loaded with draft picks -- nine total, including four in the top 38.
They have the draft capital to get better. What they really need is a capital improvement from Wilson.
ESPN Rich Cimini
Their patient and methodical approach can be frustrating for fans, especially with so many AFC teams making blockbuster moves. The folks on the inside -- the decision-makers at One Jets Drive -- aren't in panic mode, but the events of the last two weeks have reminded them of an undeniable truth.
More than ever, everything hinges on Zach Wilson.
If the quarterback follows the career trajectory of Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen, who improved dramatically in Years 2 and 3, the Jets believe they will be among the AFC elite. If he sputters again or peaks at average, they're doomed to mediocrity and another rebuild in a couple of years.
General manager Joe Douglas and coach Robert Saleh knew their future was tied to Wilson as soon as they drafted him second overall last year, and now that is magnified because of the crazy new landscape in the AFC. There's a Catch-22 element to this because it's unfair to expect him to be a savior without a game-changing weapon. Hill, at an exorbitant cost, would've been that guy.
Under normal circumstances, the Jets would be in trouble, but this isn't normal because they're loaded with draft picks -- nine total, including four in the top 38.
They have the draft capital to get better. What they really need is a capital improvement from Wilson.
ESPN Rich Cimini
