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Discretion is the better part of valor . . .
And Joe Douglas gets high marks for discretion when it comes to spending money in free agency.
Like when he drew a line in the sand with WR Robby Anderson, refusing to offer an expensive long-term deal to the talented, but mercurial wideout, who ended up signing with Carolina (for essentially one year).
Like when did cave to media pressure to pay big bucks to defensive end Jordan Jenkins, who ended up re-signing on a one-year deal for $3.5 million.
In free agency, where he did spend some coin on offensive linemen, but not crazy capital, and then ended up getting his franchise left tackle in the draft, who will be locked up on his cost-effective rookie deal for at least four years.
And this takes us to free agent cornerback Logan Ryan.
On May 12, Manish Mehta tweeted: “BREAKING: Jets believe that they will sign former Patriots & Titans defensive back Logan Ryan to a one-year deal, per sources. Smart move by Joe Douglas.”
It never happened and considering what Ian Rapoport announced on Monday, it’s a good thing they didn’t pay big bucks to Ryan to play cornerback for them.
During free agency, the Jets were considered a possible landing spot for Ryan, a former Tennessee and New England cornerback.
In May, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport announced that Ryan was looking for a $10 million salary this year.
Perhaps that price scared teams off, and Ryan is still unsigned. And considering what Rapoport announced on Monday, Douglas did the right thing not writing a big check to Ryan to play CB for Gang Green.
Rapoport announced on Monday that Ryan now views himself as a safety, not a cornerback.
So it was probably a good thing the Jets didn’t spend big bucks on him to fill one of their cornerback slots.
One reason Ryan, 29, is probably a better fit at safety, is that while he has good ball skills and tackling ability, he doesn’t have a elite speed. And his lack of great speed is probably a reason the Titans moved on, and that he didn’t have much of a free agent market at cornerback.
So perhaps the Jets might kick the tires on him as a safety, a position they could probably use another veteran.
But if they did sign him to play safety, it wouldn’t be for megabucks.
First of all, he first switching to the position, so there’s a learning curve.
Secondly, announcing a position change in August, don’t expect a team to write him a big check when he has yet to prove he can be effective at the new position?
But once again, the Jets not paying Ryan crazy money in the spring, is an example that “Joe Knows Contracts.”
He’s not going to spend recklessly like past Jets GM’s.
And he’s not going to fall into a Neil Schwartz trap like a past GM. Schwartz represents Ryan, and remember, he kicked the Jets butts twice on Darrelle Revis contracts with the help from his surrogates in the media. Remember that nasty holdout in the summer of 2010 that played out on national TV on “Hard Knocks?”
Perhaps Schwartz tried to do that with Ryan and a media surrogate, pumping up the Jets ‘interest, and claiming a deal was about to get done.
One thing about Douglas – he’s not going to govern by public opinion polls.
Schwartz has to understand – there’s a new sheriff in town.
Stuff that worked for him with Revis, isn’t going to work now.
August 11, 2020
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