Cimini: Austin Pursuit Over

by John B on Apr 14, 2009 9:30 AM EDT

Rich Cimini says the Jets are out of the Miles Austin sweepstakes.

The Jets' courtship of Cowboys WR Miles Austin is "dead," according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

So much for that flirtation.

Evidently, the Jets came to their senses, realizing it would've been crazy to part with a second-round pick -- the compensation that would've been required to land Austin, a restricted free agent.

The price was ultimately the sticking point. One can understand why the Jets would look at Austin. He is young and has intriguing tools, namely great speed on vertical routes. However, there is little justification to give up a second round pick on a player who has not shown much in three years in the league. It would constitute horrendous value.

Kansas City got a starting quarterback and a versatile linebacker for a second rounder in a trade with the Pats last month. New England got the best receiver in football for a fourth rounder two years ago. Would Austin have been worth trying to develop for a small price? The answer is yes. Was it worth parting with a commodity as valuable as a second round pick to try? The answer is no.

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From the perspective of a Cowboys fan

I can understand that Jets fans would have been bummed losing a 2nd round pick to get Austin, but the Cowboys fans would have been equally bummed to lose him and only getting a 2nd. He really came on during training camp this past year and had a few good games before he got hurt. I haven’t seen anybody that the Cowboys could draft at 52 that would outperform him. After releasing TO, it would have put the Cowboys in a bad situation to have also lost Austin.

The downside on Austin is his health – and that is good reason for the Jets to be wary.

The non-offer for the Jets may just be the best thing for both teams.

by doomsdayreturns on Apr 14, 2009 12:18 PM EDT reply actions