Jets' Sauce Gadner having fun playing GM on social media, but likely missing the big picture
Sauce Gardner is a true elite shutdown corner in the NFL. He has gone up against the best of the best and found himself up to the task. But does that make him an elite judge of talent? He seems to think so. The Jets have an outstanding defense that has dragged the team to […]
Sauce Gardner is a true elite shutdown corner in the NFL. He has gone up against the best of the best and found himself up to the task. But does that make him an elite judge of talent? He seems to think so.
The Jets have an outstanding defense that has dragged the team to seven wins the last two seasons. But their offense is in need of some major overhaul. Aaron Rodgers’ return next season will certainly mask a few of the inefficiencies on the offensive side of the ball, but there is more work to be done then simply giving Rodgers the ball.
The Jets will need at least two starting offensive linemen, both likely to be tackles, a second running back to compliment Breece Hall and a veteran backup quarterback that won’t derail the season should the 40-year-old Rodgers miss time next season.
And that brings us to the wide receiver position. The Jets had not one, not two but three big swings and misses last year in free agency in order to get Rodgers some weapons to go alongside Garrett Wilson. Allan Lazard was a healthy scratch in multiple games because he was more of a hinderance on the field than he was an asset.
The Jets offensive staff never figured out a way to utilize Mecole Hardman and wound-up trading him back to the Kansas City Chiefs only to watch him literally win them the Super Bowl.
Let’s face it, Randall Cobb was on the team just because Aaron Rodgers is his son’s godfather. Offensively, he was non-existent.
Which leads most football analysts and fans believing the Jets will be in the market for a number two wide receiver this offseason, and they have some big plans to fill the position.
From trading for future Hall of Famers, to spending top dollar in free agency, there is no shortage of names people have penciled in for the number two spot on the Jets wide receiver depth chart. Including Sauce Gardner.
Sauce made some waves earlier this offseason when he said the Jets should be perusing free agent wide receivers Calvin Ridley from the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tee Higgins from the Cincinnati Bengals.
Sauce is now making waves but putting his GM hat on as “LeSauce GM”. He is sending cryptic messages to Mike Evans and is breaking down his thoughts on San Francisco 49ers wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk, who many believe might be available via trade this offseason.
Sauce is everything you want in a star player in New York. He is active on social media, and he is extremely likable. He is loyal to his team and their fans. Perhaps most importantly, he is a recruiter for the Jets. He is letting big names know that he wants them to join him in New York to help win a title.
Yea, But…
While I love Sauce’s attitude and his high aspirations for the Jets offseason, the fact is that New York is working with very limited resources, and they will likely fall short of Gardner’s expectations.
When they talk about signing a free agent wide receiver, it seems like they forget about the current cap situation for the Jets. New York currently sits around $3 million over the cap in effective cap space according to overthecap.com. What effective cap space means is the cap space a team will have after signing at least 51 players and its projected rookie class to its roster.
Some talking heads will tell you that they can restructure a few contracts and $80 million in cap space will magically appear, but it’s not that simple. In reality, the Jets will be working on a small margin. So, while the idea of signing Mike Evans, Tee Higgins, or Calvin Ridley might sound great, its likely not in the cards.
As for trading for an Aiyuk, what are they going to give up that will satisfy the 49ers? They don’t have a second-round pick and their first-round pick is almost certainly dog-eared for the best offensive lineman available. Does anyone believe the 49ers will trade a number one wideout for a third-round pick? What players do you think the Jets have that you would be okay with them moving for a wide receiver? There aren’t any.
So, while Sauce can play GM from home with the best of them, fans shouldn’t get their hopes too high that another star is headed to the big apple to play wide receiver.
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This is the part of the NFL off season that usually comes down to one simple question. And that question could lead to a Super Bowl or to the unemployment line. Teams that make the right choice are often in the playoffs while teams that chose wrong are often rebuilding or looking towards next season. […]
