Getty A New York Jets fan sitting in disgust in the middle of an NFL game.
The New York Jets stepped up to the plate and swung as hard as they could, unfortunately, they didn’t make contact.
General manager Joe Douglas was as close as he has ever been to pulling off a blockbuster deal.
They were considered a finalist, along with the Miami Dolphins, in the Tyreek Hill sweepstakes. Both teams made trade offers to the Kansas City Chiefs and sent contract extensions to Hill’s camp and the ball was in his court, per Connor Hughes of The Athletic.
Well, I didn’t know I was going to cry like this today…
#Jets Tyreek Hill #TakeFlight what could’ve been📷 @KKramzz
Ultimately he picked the Dolphins over the Jets and now everyone is wondering what is next?
ALL the latest Jets news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Jets newsletter here!
All for Naught
Douglas deserves an ‘A’ for effort because he has attempted multiple swings this offseason, even if they didn’t come to fruition:
- Calvin Ridley (gambling situation)
- Amari Cooper (contract issues)
- Chandler Jones (chose Las Vegas Raiders)
- Robert Woods (age was a turnoff)
- Hill (chose Dolphins)
Douglas did take some big swings, so credit there.
Calvin Ridley, but he wasn’t available (pending suspension). Amari Cooper, but DAL wouldn’t make trade contingent on reworked deal. Chandler Jones, but he chose LV. Tyreek Hill, but he chose MIA.
Now pressure on to HR draft
With all of those violent swings, what the heck is next?
Hughes says the team is now “out of other options” and will be forced to rely on the 2022 NFL draft to fill their void at wide receiver.
#Jets pursuit of Ridley-Cooper-Hill highlight desire for a proven pass catcher — someone who can help Zach Wilson now — along with some of the concerns with this receiver class.
Doesn’t matter now. They need to draft one. Out of other options.
In what has become the craziest NFL offseason in history, the big-time trades seem to be over barring something unforeseen.
The one fans have been begging for is Seattle Seahawks wide receiver, DK Metcalf. He is entering the last year of his rookie contract and the team seems to be in a bit of a transition.
However, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN, he got a sense that Douglas “checked into Metcalf”, but got the impression he wasn’t available.
Joe Douglas has been hanging out in the weeds in this WR market, watching big names change teams and waiting for right op. Got a sense that he checked into D.K. Metcalf, but he’s not available. Probably had his eye on Hill for at least a few days. #Jets
Time to Show Some Massive Respect
A lot of fans are disappointed that Douglas hasn’t been able to complete some of these monster trades, but their blame is misplaced.
The Jets’ GM did everything in his power to make this trade happen with an agreement from the Chiefs and a comparable contract offer to Hill’s camp, but he chose the Dolphins.
Imagine what the narrative would’ve been if the six-time Pro Bowler picked the green and white instead?
Douglas gets the Jets their No. 1 wide receiver without giving up either of their first-round picks inside the top-10? He would’ve been heralded as a genius and would immediately be in the running for the executive of the year.
Here is the trade the Chiefs and Jets had in place for Tyreek Hill:
🏈Chiefs would have gotten picks No. 35, 38 and 69
🏈Jets would have gotten Hill and No. 103.
However that didn’t happen, but the good news is the Jets still have all of their nine picks in April’s draft. That of course includes four picks in the top-38.
The only difference between yesterday and today is the increased pressure on Douglas to nail these selections.
At the end of the day, each pick is a lottery ticket and there are so many variables involved it is hard to know for sure which player will ascend to stardom and which one will flop. It is Douglas’ job to find that out.
The light will be left on, just in case another player surprisingly becomes available, as Douglas said they will be involved in any trade that becomes available this offseason.
Follow @BoyGreen25 & @obermuller_nyj on Twitter for all the latest New York Jets breaking news, rumors, fresh takes, and more!
READ NEXT: Jets Could Land Steal of Offseason With ‘Draft-and-Stash’ Strategy