When free agency rolled around this off-season, many wondered about Maccagnan's splurge on corners (myself included.) Sure, they're important in Bowles' system. Sure, most of ours were awful or damaged. But we had a former top 10 pick in Milliner coming back from an injury, a 3rd round pick with a lot of promise, and... some other guys. Still, Maccagnan went all out, signing 3 starting caliber corners to deals worth about $30M in 2015. Lo and behold, Dee Milliner is injured again. Good thing Maccagnan signed all those guys and didn't rely on Milliner's health, right?
During the draft, some people criticized Maccagnan for going BPA and not filling one of the many holes on the roster. Sure, Leonard Williams was called the "best player" in the entire draft by many, but the Jets already had 2 young studs in Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson. In their 3-4 defense, how were the Jets going to use 3 elite defensive linemen? Well, we won't know for quite some time because Richardson is looking at a 4 game suspension which could very possibly be extended to half the season or longer after his recent arrest. Good thing the Jets have that Leonard Williams guy.
I haven't always been the strongest supporter of Maccagnan's off-season moves, but it's hard to knock him here. The Jets lost their #1 corner from last year to another injury, but he was prepared. The Jets lost their #1 player from last year to a suspension, but he was prepared. The draft unfolded very unexpectedly, but he was prepared. Maccagnan knows how to fill his team with depth at positions that are injury prone. Idzik relied on Milliner to be the #1 corner in year 2. Maccagnan knows how to take BPA when many would be tempted to draft need. Idzik drafted Milliner and Pryor with his first pick in consecutive drafts (they could still pan out, but what they've put out there is not promising.) Maccagnan lost both of his first round picks from the 2013 draft, two players many would have relied on to make an impact this year, but he was ready. In spite of all the losses this off-season and negativity I've spewed, it's hard for me not to feel pleased with how our new general manager has performed thus far. He couldn't have prepared us any better.