Can't say I don't agree, the idea of being cash strapped in 2 or 3 years doesn't seem conducive to building long term. Still with the ever rising cap # and our surplus of space it also seems that it is still a viable option. I really do think Cousins could be the franchise QB for the next 5-7 but at the same time understand the risk of not drafting a QB that could be the franchise for the next 15-17. I will however lean to the side of Cousins simply and for no other reason than our draft history with QBs. Cousins would instantly be the best QB we have had young, healthy and under long term contract that I can recall. I would like to see us compete sooner than later. Another bad QB draft and we are awful again for years.
Westie and King Koopa have neatly summarized my feelings on this. I'd also like to add that it's very difficult to argue against signing a Cousins who may well deliver a 10-6 season and a playoff berth. We haven't had that in a long time. But here's the thing: 1. Can he take it further than that, all the way to a championship? 2. Given the cost, will his contract prevent the Jets from surrounding him with the supporting cast he needs and then be able to maintain that cast over time? I have doubts about both. And the thing is, once he's signed, even with a front loaded contract and an escape clause for the team after three years, that may be two years too long if he doesn't succeed, two years in which his salary is sucking up cash that could be used to improve the team. Balanced against that is that this draft class has some of the best QB talent in some time, If the right guy is taken, and the right system put in place for him to succeed, we could be set for a decade or more. Those are two BIG "if's" of course, but if they go all in on a rookie QB and he falls on his face, presumably they'll have a fairly high pick next year with which to try again. What all this boils down to for me is that those who want the assurance of simply making the playoffs will likely be very happy with Cousins. Those who want a sustained, championship caliber team won't be.
Personally I see cousins as a slightly better Nic Foles who if you haven't heard beat Brady and the Patriots. I think if you put Cousins with a good supporting cast and a beefed up offensive line (reading this MM?) he could put up great numbers. Who is their right mind would have anticipated Foles to completely dominate the Pats and Vikings in the playoffs no less? No one. I realize cousins only made it to one playoff game but he really has not had a great running game or offensive line. All I'm saying is consider what Foles accomplished, with cousins we could have that....but yes it's a risk as it is with any other big contract you hand out.
From where I'm sitting the only reason you don't sign Kirk Cousins is because he himself decides to go elsewhere. Every other box is checked. The only slight possibility why you wouldn't is if the Jets front office is absolutely positive they want to push all their chips in on one of these rookie QBs that are virtually guaranteed to be available to draft at the #6 pick. That does NOT mean the likes of Rosen, Allen or Darnold who will likely not be available at #6 (maybe... but you certainly can't plan on it) that means the likes of Jackson, Falk (2nd rd), and maybe Mayfield. I simply can't imagine that is the case but that would be the one and only reason I see to not go all in on Kirk Cousins.
Yes...IF the Jets significantly upgrade their offensive skill players and OL. Those are two HUGE if's. Of course it's very possible they can do it, even just with who's available in this draft, but WILL they? So far Macc hasn't shown he can. And it would be so SOJ-like for them to sign a "savior" and assume that's all they need to do, and to not sign the supporting cast.
Cousins or a savior in the draft. Mac still needs to do the same things and draft around them. Using the need of a supporting cast as an excuse to not sign cousins isn’t legit. Actually, I’d argue it’s more of a reason to sign him as it gives you another opportunity to add the talent around him.
Cousins, an accurate short passer, and Jarvis Landry, an excellent run after the catch wideout, would be a nice package deal
I understand your concern...I do think about this as well but look at it another way if they can't do this for cousins then any rookie they draft is bound to fail. Signing cousins would allow them to draft OL at the top of the draft....maybe trade down and get a couple. Options open up. Cousins contract although record breaking is very much the norm for a dependable starter. I just picture signing cousins and drafting Barkley....go OL with our 2 second round picks(will never happen but dare to dream). That would change our offense considerably.
People weren't exactly thrilled with the QB's in the draft last year and the best truly free QB's were Jay Cutler, Colin Kaepernick and Glennon. It's not surprising in that market that Glennon was overpaid. I'm not going to be that surprised if Cousins comes out and finds that his market tops out at where Alex Smith got paid. For all the arguments about the numbers Smith has some of the best numbers in terms of W-L in the NFL and the Skins never looked great with Cousins at QB. If the Jets wanted to sign Cousins without breaking the bank a logical first offer would be in the $20-21M a year range with $50M or so guaranteed. If Cousins actually had a market well north of that it would become apparent very quickly and the Jets could either recalibrate or bow out depending on how they decided to proceed. Paying players a lot of money doesn't do anything to change their play level. Sometimes it reduces it even as their incentive wanes, as we saw with Mo Wilkerson and Darrelle Revis. The best effort comes out of young hungry players looking to get paid, not stable mid-career vets who have just gotten paid.
That's very true - no matter who they sign as the QB they're going to need to massively upgrade the talent around him. My point though was that if anyone expects Cousins to some here and "pull a Foles" just because he's better than any QB the Jets have had in a long time, that's an unrealistic expectation. I stand by my doubts that Macc can deliver the needed surrounding talent.
Yes, I have no problem agreeing with your idea, again, just doubt Macc being able to deliver. But if he can, it would create an offense not seen on the Jets since the days of O'Brien et. al.
The offense needs at least big play RB, a C, and maybe LT in addition to a QB. Can Mac fill these holes in FA and the draft? Stay tuned.
The Fins are a Mike Tannenbaum team at this point and that means over-extended against the cap already after 2 years with a ton of dead money attached to their existing contracts. Suh has a $26.8M cap figure but if the Fins cut him they have $22M in dead money still on the cap.
Say Mac can't do it. I would feel better about having cousins who is already developed and can still be a quality QB to play the following year than see another high picked QB shrivel up into a shell of himself. At least we can use that high pick for other things. Jets don't do development of QBs ....not in their dna.
The problem is that Flacco is also an argument of the exact opposite point. He made the playoffs each of his first five seasons, winning at least one playoff game every year, averaging 60.5% completion rate, 3527 yards passing, 20 TDs, 11 INTs, winning 2/3 of his starts, and ultimately winning a Super Bowl. I'm pretty sure everyone here would sign up for that. He then signed a 6-year $120 million contract that made him the highest-paid player in the NFL. Since then the last 5 years haven't been that different statistically (62.8% completion rate, 3629 yards, 20 TDs, 15 INTs), but the team is barely .500 in his starts (38-36) and they only made the playoffs once. I think people who don't want the Jets to sign Cousins are afraid that he's already had the first part, and the Jets would get the second part.
Are you really going to doubt Tanny? He’ll figure out some way to kick the cam 2 more years down the road
The last QB that the Jets successfully developed was drafted by Parcells and Groh and mentored by Dan Henning and Paul Hackett. That was 17 years ago now. It's time to do it right for a change. Good teams don't assemble around imported QB's unless they were good before the QB got there. Adding Kirk Cousins to the Jets will make them better but it will not make them a good team. Too many other important pieces are either aging (RB) or not good enough (OL, WR) to support an import at this point. The Jets need to make a commitment to a franchise QB in the draft or they need to draft a couple of guys they think might be the guy and let them duke it out until the winner emerges. They need to not re-sign Josh McCown. If they re-sign Josh McCown he's going to be the guy on the field at the start of the season absent a 6 pick QB. He may be the QB even if the Jets do take a guy on the 6. The point is that if you give Todd Bowles a veteran of proven performance he's going to go with that guy as the default. The Jets need to find their QB not prop the offense for another season. They need to add a bunch of pieces around that QB via the draft this year and probably a key piece in free agency too. The plan should be to have the Jets offense rounding into the form it will take by mid-season and good to go with a few additions for the next 5 years. The plan should be to have the defense that has been assembled over the last 2-3 years solidified going into the season and doing their part while the offense jells. That's how you get to 2019 Jets Super Bowl.
It's not always the QB though, if memory serves me correct, Flacco was lost for the year during one of the last couple of years, maybe 2015, his defense was pretty bad, the great OZ had some mediocre drafts which shocked everyone, and last year they were eliminated by the Bengals on a 4th down 52 yard TD pass with no time left on the clock. Can't blame him for those things. Otherwise he would have been in the playoffs again, heck they even considered firing Harbaugh. I see your point, but as it has been said before, QB gets too much blame or too much credit. From my perspective, Cousins still has plenty left in the tank.
