It’s all or nothing for Mike Maccagnan in 2018

With free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins and other potential targets flying off the radar, it’s all or nothing for general manager Mike Maccagnan when it comes to his plans on adding better talent to the New York Jets.

In case you missed it, free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins is indeed heading to the Minnesota Vikings. It’s a harsh reality when it comes down to it, but it is what it is. Ever since Monday when teams can speak to players and offer pitches before free agency hits on Wednesday, general manager Mike Maccagnan has been rather quiet. When will the New York Jets start getting in on the free agency frenzy?

While many will admit rebuilding a team the right way begins and ends with the NFL Draft, adding key free agent veterans can indeed speed the process. It takes a lot of research and scouting to see which free agents make the most sense and can provide an immediate impact. But all the popular and well, top free agents are rapidly being locked up in new contracts elsewhere.

One can only imagine the rage and disappointment of the fan base if Maccagnan fails to land a top free agent quarterback and resorts to bringing in someone that is more hope than reality. No, Teddy Bridgewater isn’t going to miraculously come in and be the same player he once was. No disrespect to him but he’d be a player with a huge question mark since there is no guarantee he’ll be an effective starter or play efficiently when his number is called.

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If Maccagnan decides to bring back Josh McCown, that would make sense if he also plans to draft a quarterback in April and have them start. The Jets shouldn’t have yet another season with an aging veteran that is limited in what he can do to get the job done efficiently. It’s time they start fresh at quarterback and bring in a young gunslinger that is ready to start come Week 1. Surely, that can’t be any worse than what the Jets have been doing over the past few years.

It’s all or nothing for Maccagnan to deliver something new and exciting when it comes to the most important position on the team. Enough with veteran quarterbacks starting since it’s beginning to get exhausting when other teams that start rookie quarterbacks get that offensive spark since they have everything to prove.

Yes, they’ll be some bumps in the road in such a situation but if McCown or any other veteran quarterback is mentoring a top rookie in a backup role, it’ll help them develop and be something different. It could also be something better but again, that all depends on what Maccagnan does between now and training camp. If it’s another case of the “same old Jets” come 2018, Maccagnan might have bigger things to worry about besides who is the Jets starting quarterback.