A Note On Free Agency

Every year, fans across the league are impatient when their team isn't the first one to sign a big ticket free agent. They're upset when a splash isn't made. And yet, teams that do, such as the Buffalo Bills last season, often win the March Super Bowl, but they're nowhere to be found when it comes to the one in February.

This season, the New York Jets are in no position to spend lavishly on expensive free agents. With $15.5 million in cap space, not including the rookie draft pool and a possible Darrelle Revis trade (which will add additional costs), there simply isn't enough room to fill all of the holes on the team by signing expensive free agents.

So I ask for patience. The big name, overpaid free agents are the ones that are often signed in the first few days. After the market calms down, teams will then sign the second-tier of players, the under-the-radar guys that this team desperately needs. Unfortunately, we can't afford guys like Mike DeVito and LaRon Landry, who got, in my opinion, far overpaid for their body of work. We can't afford a Paul Kruger and a Mike Wallace. So again, have some patience that we'll sign some second-tier players like Antwan Barnes, Victor Butler, or Mike Goodson.

Overspending on overrated free agents is, in large part, what got us here in the first place. The contract should match production, and it's difficult to find that balance in the first few days. So, have some patience, and let this play out.