New York Jets: Lucky draft proves front office’s plan is working

By all accounts the New York Jets got lucky in the 2018 NFL Draft, yet good luck only comes when timing meets preparation. Gang Green’s good fortune proves that their GM’s plan is working.

No matter how poor or successful a team’s season was, there are always major offseason questions on the front burner. The NFL turns over too much for even the best teams to advance a calendar year unscathed. Let’s continue the team-by-team overview with the New York Jets.

The Jets seemed to be between plans and out on a limb this offseason. You could say that everything worked out splendidly in the end, but was that a case of smart strategy or blind luck? Does one prove the other to be true?

Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate the New York Jets in today’s NFL Sports Debate.

Todd Salem:

New York wanted (needed) to come out of this offseason with a plan for the future at quarterback. That began by re-signing veteran Josh McCown and bringing in Teddy Bridgewater on a prove-it deal. Of course, behind McCown on the depth chart, it would have been hard for Bridgewater to prove much of anything unless the starter got hurt. Be that as it may, the Jets were moving places and taking chances.

That chance-taking took an even grander turn when the team traded up to the third pick in the draft. You know what is ballsy? Trading up to a spot to select your future franchise quarterback before you know what player will even be available at that slot!

Instead of ending up with the third-best quarterback in the draft, which was a very plausible outcome, the Jets were gifted the player many felt was the very best passer in the class, Sam Darnold. So did it all work out in the end and that is that, or should the New York Jets be ridiculed for flawed plans?

Overall, this team doesn’t look like it has plans of competing in 2018. There is too much turnover and too much talent that has recently been jettisoned on both sides of the ball. New York still has horses on defense but with less name recognition. That is arguably a good thing, but the plan should be to shape the defense to peak in time with Darnold’s maturation. It will be tricky planning. Who knows, the Jets may mess it up and luck into the correct outcome anyway.

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I do like some of the chances this team took, though. Signing post-hype sleepers like Terrelle Pryor and Thomas Rawls is a good move for rebuilding teams to make. Signing starters like Trumaine Johnson and Isaiah Crowell is a good move for anyone with the cap space.

Am I being too harsh on the Jets overall? If Bridgewater doesn’t look healthy, he can be released for little penalty. And maybe the coaching staff did feel comfortable with at least three of the top quarterbacks in this draft class. I suppose having a plan is better than no plan at all, but having a flawed plan and not getting lucky could have set Gang Green back another half dozen years. What if Bridgewater looks healthy and has no opportunity for reps in practice? Even worse, what if Darnold had been taken second by the Giants, as had been rumored for a lot of the predraft process?

Dan Salem:

It was a near certainty that either the Cleveland Browns or New York Giants were going to select Barkley before the Jets picked third overall in the draft. This left New York to draft either plan A or plan B and both were excellent options. They once again got ‘lucky’ with plan A falling to them. It’s the reason they made the early trade up to three in the first place, because Cleveland does weird things and the Giants like their current quarterback.

If they hadn’t made the deal with Indianapolis, its likely the Buffalo Bills would have. That would have been truly bad. What transpired was how you plan for good luck, by being prepared and putting yourself in the proper position to capitalize. That is a credit to the New York Jets.

Gang Green planned for good luck and got it with Darnold, but they also did an excellent job in free agency. If you look at the Jets’ current roster, they filled holes with some solid additions without losing more than one or two key players from last season. New York was very young in 2017, but they played solid football and lost by less than a touchdown more often than not. That bodes very well for 2018 and beyond. The defense is blossoming and I really like the offense that has come together.

Questions remain at tight end and on the offensive line, but the depth at wide receiver and running back are excellent. Considering the Jets will be playing a rookie quarterback by October at the latest, they are in an excellent position to improve upon their five wins of a season ago and grow as a team towards the playoffs. They are building a great defense and currently have unheralded talent on offense. Nothing beats a solid chip on your shoulder.

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I believe what your missing is the vision that the Jets have used very well. Bridgewater came with little to no risk, but could reap high rewards in a trade or as added veteran depth. New York shed the discerning voices in its locker room who just so happened to come with high price tags as well. Demario Davis is probably the lone exception, but the Jets stood by their mission to get younger and cheaper.

In doing so they are building an inexpensive and highly talented team. That is the goal of all teams and what the New England Patriots have done to perfection. There’s little name recognition in New England outside of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski and the Patriots never give out the big money contract. If you can’t beat them, join them.