Joe Douglas has to do something to address the Jets’ gaping holes at cornerback.
New York’s first-year general manager is tasked with completely overhauling the position this offseason. He got a head start on things by telling free agent bust Trumaine Johnson he will be released. Now, it’s time for Douglas and his team to zone in on which corners they want to target in free agency.
Douglas will have plenty of cornerbacks to pick from, which is a good thing. There is plenty of variety on this year’s market and plenty of pieces that can be plugged into Gregg Williams’ defense rather seamlessly.
One problem, though: this year’s cornerback class is good, not great. Byron Jones and James Bradberry are nice players, but they are not the typical superstar corners that make it to free agency. This leaves the Jets and Douglas in a precarious position, as they will have to decide who exactly is worth spending on.
If Douglas wants to land one of this year’s top free agent cornerbacks, that means paying big-time money to slightly above average players. That might seem like a harsh take on Jones and Bradberry, but there is a reason the Cowboys and Panthers did not show much inclination to re-sign them. Their production simply does not warrant the money they are in line to receive.
A potential bidding war for Jones could take his average annual salary north of $16 million. That is a lot of money for a cornerback who has not intercepted a single pass since transitioning to the position two years ago.
Bradberry, meanwhile, is seeking a deal worth more than $15 million per year. Is a corner that allowed completions on 59 percent of passes thrown his way last season really worth that much money?
Breaking the bank to land “top” free agent corners is a dangerous practice — one that ultimately cost Mike Maccagnan. In the former general manager’s defense, at least he was spending lucrative amounts of money to land Darrelle Revis and Trumaine Johnson, two players who came to New York with the reputation of being among the best in the game when they signed.
If Douglas gives in, throws money at either Jones or Bradberry, and they wind up being busts, what’s his excuse? Neither is worth what they will sign for once free agency kicks off. The market will dictate they are, but film and past production say otherwise.
Douglas seems like he is wise enough to avoid the mistake of overpaying a player who is not worth the money. Then again, it’s his first free agency on the job. Who knows how he is going to approach things with over $50 million to spend. The need to make a move for the sake of making a move could also be enough for Douglas to abandon his traditional way of thinking.
Either way, the Jets should be wary of spending big bucks on this year’s “top” free agent cornerbacks. If there is ever a free agent cornerback class to invest big money in, it’s not this one.