New York Jets: Is a Khalil Mack trade a win-now move?

When most people here win-now move, they think it’s a go for the Super Bowl this year move. However, would that be the case if the New York Jets trade for Khalil Mack?

The New York Jets are still building toward a championship team. According to various reports, Oakland Raiders edge rusher Khalil Mack is on the trading block. In fact, according to Pro Football Talk, four teams are “exploring the possibility very seriously.” If one of them are the Jets, is this a good idea?

Here’s the one question that should be proposed: If the Jets do land Mack and they can extend his contract, will their defense be good enough to carry the team like the Broncos carried Peyton Manning? The answer is no, but let’s explore this trade deeper.

The offensive line is lacking in depth, but they aren’t necessarily terrible starters. They also have enough pass catching options to make this offense a viable one that can compete in 2018.

Adding Mack is not a win-now move similar to what the Jets tried to do with Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2016 when they hoped he’d replicate his 2015 performance. The addition of Mack would actually provide the Jets with a more balanced team where one side of the ball doesn’t have to dominate in order to win.

If they are able to extend Mack, it also establishes 2018 as the foundational year for winning in the future. In other words, 2018 isn’t the be all, end all — it’s just the beginning for developing a winning culture. Yes, it would cost the Jets a lot to land Mack, but adding him is a game-changing move. It shows the Jets are for real, not just in 2018, but moving forward.

Mack is also 27 years old and still at the beginning of his prime. So, the Jets would have three cornerstone pieces — Mack, Sam Darnold and Jamal Adams — for the next four years (with the fifth-year option for Adams). In the end, it’s not a win-now move for the Jets to get Mack, but rather a foundational piece that could help them win over the long haul.