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When we look back on March 23, 2022, we will probably remember it as the day the New York Jets missed out on superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Shortly after NFL insider Adam Schefter dropped a major bomb that the Jets and division rival Miami Dolphins were finalists in a blockbuster deal for the Kansas City Chiefs speed demon, it was announced that the Fins had landed Hill.
Schefter elaborated on the trade package from Miami: “Chiefs are trading six-time Pro-Bowl WR Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks: a 2022 1st-round pick (No. 29), a 2nd-round pick (No. 50) and a 4th-round pick, as well as 4th- and 6th-round picks in the 2023 draft, sources tell ESPN.”
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Jets Offer Revealed
Prepare yourself, because this might upset the average Jets fan. Not only did Gang Green miss out on Hill but it appears that they might have been able to do more to persuade KC to choose them — no questions asked.
Schefter revealed the Jets’ offer not long after the news that the Dolphins would be acquiring the superstar and Joe Douglas definitely left some powerful ammunition in his pocket.
He explained: “Jets trade offer to the Chiefs for Tyreek Hill – that Kansas City would have accepted if the WR opted for NY – did not include a first-round pick, but rather multiple picks that were commensurate to the Dolphins’ offer based on the draft value chart that teams use, per sources.”
ESPN’s Rich Cimini provided even more detail on the exact package of picks.
“The Jets were prepared to give up two 2s and a 3 and they would’ve gotten Hill and a low 3. As noted earlier, the 10th pick alone would’ve been superior to the Miami offer. This is more comparable,” Cimini wrote.
Beat reporter Connor Hughes confirmed these reports, providing more clarity. “The #Jets technically offered the #Chiefs more than the #Dolphins, based on the trade value chart. Jets were also willing to pay Hill the same record-setting deal, per sources. The idea they didn’t match, or come close to matching, is not true. Hill simply picked MIA over NYJ.”
Let’s digest that for a moment. Chiefs GM Brett Veach allowed Hill to make the final decision on Miami over New York, but Douglas did not include either of the Jets’ two 2022 first-round picks in his trade package. He did provide a fair — better even — offer than Miami but having said that, he did have the means at his disposal to go higher.
If Douglas budges on his price and offers the No. 10 overall pick, does Veach allow Hill to choose the Dolphins? There wasn’t a no-trade clause in play, so that decision was player-friendly because all things were reported even in terms of trade value. Theoretically, the Jets could have upped the ante and offered a first-round pick from the start, in order to secure Hill. They did not.
Maybe Hill chose Miami, but the Jets weren’t willing to make an offer that could not be refused. That might end up being a franchise-altering miscalculation by Douglas.
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Hill Deal Alters AFC East Landscape
According to Schefter, the “Dolphins’ odds to win [the] Super Bowl at Caesars Sportsbook improved from 70-1 to 40-1 while their odds to win the AFC improved from 35-1 to 20-1.”
There’s no easy way around it — this one hurts.
A true top-tier wide receiver was the one thing that the Jets desperately needed on this offense after the free agency period. Douglas had reportedly pursued Calvin Ridley to fill this void, before his suspension. Franchise tags and extensions also took a couple of targets off the board like Mike Williams or Chris Godwin.
Then Davante Adams was traded, but it came out that the Green Bay Packers superstar was only willing to go to Las Vegas — GB honored that request.
The Jets also passed on Amari Cooper and Robert Woods, despite having the means to afford each. Reports claimed that age was the primary concern on these two veteran weapons.
Trade candidates have been dropping like flies this offseason and then Hill became available out of nowhere. For a brief moment, it felt like a gift from the heavens, but then the wide receiver chose Miami after KC received similar offers.
Assuming no one else becomes available via trade before the end of April, it’s becoming more and more likely that the Jets spend their top two selections on wide receiver and edge rusher.
Hughes noted that although Douglas is “as tight-lipped as they come,” it’s “pretty obvious what’s happening at No. 4 and 10” based on his swings and misses over the past couple of weeks.
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