New York Jets first-year general manager Darren Mougey did not want to call what he just did a “tear-down.”
But what else could it be?
At Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, he jettisoned a 25-year-old, two-time Pro Bowl cornerback who was just four months into a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension and one of the best defensive tackles in the entire league. Now, without Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, the Jets’ defense is significantly worse in a season that has started at an abysmal 1-7.
“A lot of work goes into it,” Mougey said. “Never an easy day, a lot of tough decisions. Never easy moving on from any player, let alone guys like Sauce and Quinnen, who have been a part of this organization and team this year.
“We got to today, and we had these offers that we felt were too good for the team, and we made that with Sauce and Quinnen.”
Mougey got two first-round draft picks for Gardner from the Indianapolis Colts. He got a first- and second-rounder from the Dallas Cowboys for Williams. With that extra draft capital, he now has to hit on those picks to ensure the replenishment of legitimate talent. Otherwise, he will have let two foundational cornerstones of his team go for nothing.
This is a full-fledged rebuild, retool, tear-down — whatever you would like to call it — and it puts the pressure solely on his shoulders.
He does have the assets to be flexible in addressing the franchise’s future. He will have roughly $117 million to spend during the offseason to land prominent free agents and accelerate the rebuild. That is an important fail-safe to have rather than putting all of the proverbial eggs in the basket that is the draft.
Not only will he have to replace the talent lost with the departures of Gardner and Williams, but it has already become clear that Justin Fields is not going to be the franchise’s quarterback of the future. Some more offensive weapons to complement wide receiver Garrett Wilson — who appears to be the only untouchable asset within New York’s ranks — could also do some good. As for the backfield, running back Breece Hall is surprisingly still with the Jets despite considerable interest from contending teams like the Kansas City Chiefs.
