Fitz-signed

It makes a lot of sense when you think about it. It was a compromise. It was the best way to go . . .

Ryan Fitzpatrick got a one-year deal for $12 million.

Perfect.

Fitzpatrick didn’t like the three-year, $24 million with $15 million guaranteed. If he was force to play under that contract, he would have been pissed. It would have impacted his mindset. He never liked that offer.

But the first year of that deal was for $12 million guaranteed.

The final two years were lousy.

So just go with the year for $12 million and drop the last two years.

I love one-year deals in sports, especially in a brutal sport like football.

It keeps the carrot dangling in front of the athlete.

Fitzpatrick needs to put up or shut up. There is no way around that.

He had a very good season overall last year, but laid an egg (along with Darrelle Revis) in a key game in Buffalo.

That really hurt his bargaining position. If he had led the Jets into the playoffs, he could have made a lot more money. That Buffalo game took a lot of potential money out of his bank account.

So on a one-year deal, he’s got to show he can avoid those kind of outings, like he had in Buffalo and Houston. The Bills think they own the guy. Prove them wrong in 2016.

If not, he will likely be playing elsewhere next year.

If he does even out his game this year, he will get another nice contract from the Jets next off-season.

So this is a win-win. Fitzpatrick gets good money for one year, and the Jets hedge their bets on a quarterback who is a little inconsistent.

Even with his inconsistency, he gave the Jets one of the best quarterback seasons in recent memory.

And they need him this year, even with the warts.

You have to give Mike Maccagnan credit.

You really do.

The man is really smart and keeps moving up the GM growth curve.

After coming out of the gate in 2015 spending recklessly on defensive backs, dolling out $150 million in contracts, he’s signed much tighter deals in 2016.

Some of those contract he gave up in 2015 were profligate.

The Revis contract is one of the worst in Jets history. Hey, nothing wrong with bringing him back, but the deal was way over-the-top for a cornerback past his prime. He also overpaid Antonio Cromartie and Buster Skrine (who really didn’t have a good season last year if you review the film).

But Mr. Coffee is a fast learner, and did a much better job this year on the contract front.

He got Mo Wilkerson to drop a sixth year, he got Fitzpatrick on a one-year “prove yourself again” deal and he got Ryan Clady to take a lot less money than he was making in Denver.

He also got a starting inside linebacker, Erin Henderson, for a pittance, who might be an upgrade over DeMario Davis.

The Fitzpatrick deal agreed to today was a perfect compromise.

July 27, 2016

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