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New Jersey – Mike Maccagnan addressed the media today in the annual pre-draft presser. Did he say anything newsworthy? Also, we look at a particular contract situation . . .
Mike Maccagan held his pre-draft press conference today.
One change from previous years. In the past, the Jets would have their GM up there, along with the college scouting director and personnel consultant Terry Bradway.
Maccagan was the only one in there today.
Why do you need three people up there to say nothing. One will do the trick. I’m not complaining, just pointing out how meaningless this yearly tradition has become.
He didn’t say anything newsworthy.
Some made a big deal about him saying they talked to teams in front of them about the cost of moving up.
To me, this isn’t news, it’s just the Jets doing their due diligence.
This was my first time in a Maccagnan press conference. I wasn’t there for his introduction because I was at the Senior Bowl in Alabama.
My takeaway from listening to him philosophize about draft theory today, is that man has a fertile football mind.
You can tell he’s been scouting players forever, and knows from whence he speaks.
Maccagnan emphasized the importance of not letting “need” impact the reports that they write up on prospects. He said you need to evaluate “in a bubble” and not even think about “need” when put these players under the microscope.
He said it’s best to fill your needs in free agency – because in free agency, you actually have NFL tape on these players, so you know what they can do on the NFL level. With college players, while you might like certain prospects, you still don’t know what they can do in the NFL. This makes a lot of sense. Fill your holes with people you know can do this NFL thing, not unproven kids.
While there wasn’t a lot of news out of this presser, reading the tea leaves, it seems like the Jets and Mo Wilkerson are light years apart on a long-term contract.
You get the sense they aren’t even in the same stratosphere.
This Suh contract in Miami has really muddied the water.
I’m not saying that Wilkerson expects to get what Suh got, but it certainly raised the bar. Ndamukong Suh signed a 6 year, $114,375,000 contract with the Dolphins, including a $25,500,000 signing bonus, $59,955,000 guaranteed.
And the Jets aren’t prepared to go anywhere near that number.
Something else to consider. Wilkerson had motor issues at Temple. His motor ran hot-and-cold. And while his motor has revved pretty high most of his time with the Jets, there has to be a concern that a long-term huge money contract might impact his motor. The new regime would probably like to keep dangling the carrot for another year, to get him to play with his hair on fire this year, aiming for a huge pay-day in 2016.
The benchmark contract that makes the most sense for Wilkerson is the deal signed by Calais Campbell, also a 3-4 end, in Arizona, Five years, $55 million, with $31 million guaranteed.
April 24, 2015
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