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Mike Maccagnan makes a brilliant move in Jets trading up

By Luis Tirado Jr.

FLORHAM PARK, NJ - JANUARY 21: New York Jets General Manager Mike Maccagnan addresses the media during a press conference on January 21, 2015 in Florham Park, New Jersey. Maccagnan and Head Coach Todd Bowles were both introduced for the first time. (Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images)
FLORHAM PARK, NJ - JANUARY 21: New York Jets General Manager Mike Maccagnan addresses the media during a press conference on January 21, 2015 in Florham Park, New Jersey. Maccagnan and Head Coach Todd Bowles were both introduced for the first time. (Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images) /
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General manager Mike Maccagnan and the New York Jets made a blockbuster trade in moving up the draft order of the 2018 NFL Draft.

St. Patrick’s Day is going to be an even greener event thanks to some blockbuster news coming out of One Jets Drive. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, the New York Jets made a huge move when it comes to the 2018 NFL Draft.

In an article written by Rich Cimini of ESPN, he confirmed that the Jets have traded up and went from having the No. 6 overall pick to No. 3. In order to trade up and swap picks with the Indianapolis Colts, Maccagnan gave up three second-round picks in this year’s draft and next year’s second round pick as well.

Yes, it was a huge trade that Maccagnan made in order to move up and guarantee the Jets one of the top four quarterbacks in this year’s draft. Who knows what will transpire once the Jets are on the clock but this was a move that needed to happen.

In the grand scheme of things, no one that is currently on the roster is the future. There is hope that perhaps Teddy Bridgewater could do it but let’s be real for a moment. He’s coming off a major injury and might not be the same player he once was before it. The Jets took a flier on him but it’s a low risk/high reward situation.

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The Jets were fully aware of this before they signed Bridgewater in free agency, hence why he only got a one-year deal. Maccagnan’s aggressiveness to trade up in this year’s draft all points to finally securing a top franchise quarterback for the future.

With Josh McCown and Bridgewater in the mix for next season, the Jets are putting their next eventual new franchise quarterback in a great situation to sit back and learn. This is the kind of move that suggests the Jets will sit their rookie quarterback for all of next season, let McCown start with Bridgewater as his backup, and let them develop for at least a year.

That way, in 2019, that rookie quarterback will be ready to hopefully begin a new and successful era under center as a starter. Even before this blockbuster trade by the Jets, both Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg were already in hot water based on bringing back McCown and adding Bridgewater.

If the Jets do end up taking a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick as they most likely will, the writing will be on the wall for Petty and Hackenberg since there would be no need to have so many quarterbacks on the depth chart. For once, the Jets are doing things the right way and shaping up to finally have an answer under center for years to come.

Must Read: 30 greatest draft picks in Jets history

Maccagnan continues to make all the right moves so far this offseason, which is a pleasant sight to see compared to the past. If he’s able to end it with a newly drafted quarterback that will bring success and consistent production from the most important position on the team in the future, the Jets are going to be a team to reckon with in 2019 and beyond.

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