With The First Pick
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New York Jets: Why they’re throwing in towel on 2017 season

By Maurice Barksdale

Oct 17, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; General view of a New York Jets helmet during the game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 17, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; General view of a New York Jets helmet during the game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Jets have released or traded a number of veteran starters this offseason, giving the impression they’ve quit on 2017 before the season starts.

With the recent release of linebacker David Harris and wide receiver Eric Decker, the New York Jets have signaled the start of a youth movement.  When you axe two veteran leaders like Harris and Decker you’re essentially saying you have no real intention of competing in the AFC East.

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This is bad news for New York Jets fans.  They’ll have to endure a season or more where the team will probably struggle, while the Jets still expect them to devote their time and energy on a team they know has pretty much conceded before training camp starts.

New York Jets fans deserve for the organization to put the best team they possibly can on the field every season.  However, in spite of that the Jets seem to be fine with starting the rebuild process now as opposed to seeing how the 2017 season plays out first.

Here are some reasons the New York Jets chose to push the button on a rebuild now?

First, the New York Jets brain trust probably didn’t believe their overall talent level was good enough to contend for a playoff spot.  If they’d kept some of the veterans they released, I think head coach Todd Bowles could have gotten the team to improve on their 5-11 record from last season and perhaps come close to a .500 record.

But probably the biggest reason the New York Jets chose to rebuild now is the uncertainty at quarterback.  Josh McCown is a solid journeyman and Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty are still developing. There’s a chance one of them might make a move but for now they are unknown commodities.

Since he’s a high round draft pick (round 2), Hackenberg will get the opportunity to show what he can do.  If he can’t show something this year then the New York Jets will probably look to take another quarterback early in next years draft.  Sam Darnold might be who they have their eyes on.

But in the meantime it seems like Todd Bowles is has been set up to fail. Perhaps Bowles will find a way to keep his job.  But for now though he will have to make do with what he has and find out which of his young players he can work with and which have no future with the team.

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It could be a painful process finding out. Either way, the New York Jets chose to get a head start on a rebuild that they probably thought would have happened any way. Initiating this rebuild now might pay off in the long run, but unfortunately New York Jets fans don’t have a lot to look forward to for the immediate future.

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