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Sometimes it seems like perhaps some exaggerate . . .
the Jets’ interest in certain players to help drive the price up.
Like in the case of Odell Beckham, who signed with the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
On March 31, ESPN reported that the Jets are “the most likely landing spot” for Beckham.
Why?
Because the agent told them so to drive up the leverage on the open market?
How the heck were the cap-strapped Jets, who are likely going to be adding Aaron Rodgers large contract soon, and are talking to Quinnen Williams’ agent about a lucrative long-term deal, going to sign Beckham, who wanted $15 million this year? Which he got from the Ravens – the guaranteed money is $15 million, and he can earn more with incentives.
Why the heck would the Jets spend that kind of money on Beckham, when they already paid receiver Allen Lazard big bucks in free agency, signed speedster Mecole Hardman and have their #1 receiver in place with rising star Garrett Wilson?
“Lazard and Corey Davis [are] 2 very big receivers who can provide a lot in terms of the run game and getting those big-body, big-boy routes and those hard, over-the-middle concept, “Robert Saleh said at the NFL owner’s meeting. “And you’ve got Hardman, who just has blazing speed. Garrett obviously, coming back.”
So why were the Jets the “most likely landing spot” for Beckham?
Look, Beckham is a heck of a talent, but this Beckham to the Jets story just didn’t add up.
Joe Douglas is one of those GMs, to use a cliche, “turns over every stone” looking for talent.
So since he looks into so many players, often their agents, attempting to create a bidding war, will use Douglas doing his due diligence on an available player, as a tool to make other teams pay more.
Remember that ESPN report that QB Derek Carr was leaning toward the Jets a few days before he signed with the New Orleans Saints?
That was clearly the agent trying to get the Saints to pay a little more.
Why would the Jets have signed Carr at that point with the possible acquisition of Rodgers on the horizon?
Look, of course, Douglas had some interest in Beckham.
But Douglas, unlike some of his predecessors, generally doesn’t overpay players, with profligate contracts.
Some past GMs overpaid players to almost buy their love to convince them to come to a team that hasn’t had a lot of recent success.
Douglas hasn’t done that.
So yes, he clearly had some interest in Beckham, but probably for nowhere near $15 million guaranteed for one season.
And Beckham clearly knew that, because he was slated to visit the Jets on Monday, but signed with the Ravens on Sunday.
It’s pretty obvious the Ravens paid Beckham, who is coming off the second torn ACL on his right now, exactly what he wanted, as a strategic move to extend an olive branch to dismayed QB Lamar Jackson, who the media constantly has claimed hasn’t had enough weapons.
While Jackson and the Ravens still need to figure out a contract, the idea of playing with Beckham has to excite Jackson.
But as for the Jets, were they interested in Beckham? No doubt, but the level of interest, and the narrative that they were the leading candidates, was perhaps embellished a little to drive up the price.
The agent has a lot of surrogates in the media. Think about it. Is there an NFL player written about more, whether he’s playing or not, than Beckham?
His agency does a wonderful job of working the press and getting the client name out there.
April 10, 2023
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