One of the chief complaints for Jets fans who wanted to see General Manager John Idzik fired after the 2014 season was the fact that Idzik didn’t address several weak spots on the team despite having a lot of cap space in reserve.
Those fans got their wish when it came to Idzik and they’ll likely enjoy what new General Manager Mike Maccagnan said about the team’s plans for free agency this time. During an interview with the team’s website, Maccagnan acknowledged that he’ll have a lot of cap space to play with this year and that he plans to use it.
“Building through the draft is ideally what I want to do, but we’ll be very active in free agency,” Maccagnan said.
Maccagnan said that the team would explore all avenues in free agency, suggesting they won’t just throw money at the biggest names. That’s probably wise for a team that’s as short on talent in various spots, a state of affairs that makes it all the more important that Maccagnan is able to build through the draft in the years to come.
As much heat as Idzik took for not signing more help at cornerback or wide receiver, the fact that defensive end Sheldon Richardson, quarterback Geno Smith and tight end Jace Amaro were the only three of the 19 picks he made over the last two years to play significant roles for the team in 2014 may have been just as damaging. The last few Mike Tannenbaum drafts weren’t great either, leaving the Jets in need of an overhaul this offseason.
