Darren Mougey is fixing one Jets mistake that doomed Joe Douglas

The New York Jets are in the early stages of what appears to be an incredibly long rebuild, but they have two foundational pieces (one on each side of the ball) in wide receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Sauce Gardner, who needed to be taken care of with hefty new extensions.

New GM Darren Mougey made sure to get both of these players locked up with hefty new contracts before the season started. Wilson came first, inking a four-year, $130 million contract that will pay the former Ohio State $32.5 million in the next four years.

Gardner was extended the following day, landing a four-year, $120.4 million contract that slightly surpasses Derek Stingley Jr's average AAV and makes him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.

Joe Douglas' mixed tenure in New York had plenty of highlights, including the selections of both Gardner and Wilson, but some of his many lowlights came during contract squabbles. Mougey has wisely chosen the path of least resistance, giving Wilson and Gardner contracts that solidify their status as elite players with room to grow.

Darren Mougey avoids Joe Douglas mistake after extending Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner

While the Haason Reddick debacle was just as much on Reddick's stupid decision as it was the Jets, it illustrated what made the Jets such a frustrating team in the last few years. Douglas always picked what he thought was a fair price and stuck to it, leaving little room for negotiation.

Douglas' tactics weren't by any means a guaranteed way to ensure no contracts got done, but they added some salt into the mix when none was needed.

It wasn't the best for attracting big-name free agents, either. Mougey realized that his roster is largely devoid of star talent outside of those two and the Williams brothers, and he reacted accordingly.

Gardner is so good that he went through a "down year" and still allowed the fewest catches of any cornerback in the league. Wilson has tallied 80 catches and 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons, becoming one of just five players in NFL history to hit those marks.

The Jets know that their bread will be buttered by Wilson on offense and Gardner on defense throughout most of the Mougey and Aaron Glenn regime, and this new front office was well aware of the fact that it was better to reward them for their services instead of getting into a staring contest.

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