New York Jets Not a Preferred Destination for Top-Tier Free Agents

The New York Jets are in a rebuilding phase, and top free agents aren’t interested in being a part of it.

The New York Jets are in a sheer rebuilding mode. Without admitting it, Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles have made it clear. The older, more expensive players are gone, and they haven’t exactly binged to replace them with free agents. The Jets third-year general manager has stated as much (per team website):

"“There are a lot of players that we have targeted going into free agency that are good players, but also we feel — from intangible standpoint —are good people. Those are the guys we are going to be aggressive to go after, but we have to be careful not to overspend or overshoot the market in terms of what the compensation is. We’re not going to necessarily mortgage the future for now.”"

That is clearly where they are after going with the signings of guys like Kelvin Beachum and Chandler Catanzaro. Sure, they fill needs at kicker and left tackle. But they are not the elite signings we have seen in the past from Maccagnan. He is going for targeted players that fill needs, but that he doesn’t have to spend a lot for. He is not going to mortgage the future. Good plan, because it seems like the top free agents aren’t very interested in joining the Jets rebuilding project anyway.

A.J. Bouye was on the team radar, but he had no interest. Tony Romo would have been just the kind of signing Woody Johnson would have loved but there was no way he was coming to New York. Mike Glennon was someone on the radar, but his preferred destination was Chicago. Everyone of the Jets early choices at the quarterback position have ended up elsewhere.

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Now, we come to the situation with Dont’a Hightower, who some would argue was the best free agent left on the market coming into Wednesday. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN (reported by Rich Cimini), he had narrowed his choices to the Jets, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and returning to the New England Patriots. It would’ve been a move that would continue the team’s youth movement if they landed Hightower.

Over his five-year career with the Patriots, he has averaged 80.8 tackles per season, along with totaling 17 sacks, 13 passes defended, two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries. Adding Hightower would have allowed the team to take a piece away from their arch rivals, which is an opportunity that doesn’t come along often.

The Jets wanted him badly enough that according to Jason La Canfora, they have offered the most money. But even that wasn’t enough? Here is what he had to say:

So the most money wasn’t good enough as he re-signed with the Patriots. Typically the top free agents look to make the most they can at around this time of their careers. Hightower is 27. He might have one more big contract coming his way. Why not take the biggest one in this case? The problem is the Jets. They don’t have an identity right now, and top players don’t want to be part of the rebuilding. They want to win now, and that isn’t likely the immediate future for the Jets.

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That puts a lot of pressure on Maccagnan. The moves he does make have to fit into that bigger picture, and it has to become clear quickly. The team may not win a lot of games in 2017, but there have to be signs that they are heading in the right direction. They aren’t adding the type of players that will make this team better by their mere presence. Elite talents would show immediate results, but the additions here are part of a greater picture.

The free agents don’t want to be here. Maccagnan better get this thing right, and in a hurry, or that won’t change.