The Jets and Derek Carr
The Jets painted themselves into a corner with the handling of the Carr situation and are now in desperation mode. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
Robert Saleh is in a similar situation to Dennis Allen, in that he’s basically got to win and win quickly or be on the chopping block.
The Jets have some young talent but they need a veteran QB to push things forward. Carr was the perfect fit for their needs. He’s got some fire and knows the landscape of the AFC. I have no doubt that anyone who knows actual Xs and Os football in the Jets camp wanted Carr. It makes too much sense.
But the Rodgers possibility made them push pause on Carr and he went to the team that actually wanted him outright.
Much like the Saints and Dolphins with Brees in 2006.
Sometimes you want to be where you’re wanted most.
Carr will not regret the decision because he’s about to feel a love from Saints Nation that he’s never felt before as a pro.
The Jets are either going to overpay for Rodgers or overpay for Jimmy G now.
It makes me so grateful that the Saints brass did what they needed to do to get their guy and that the Jets overplayed their hand to nudge Carr to us.
Your above post made inferences to this, but when the Saints brass and DA met with Carr in Indy last week, they told him that he was and remains their biggest, top priority, that he would be our best QB and provide our best chance of winning consistently since Brees and that we wanted and needed him badly and were willing to give him a contract commensurate with these suggestions or arguments.
Creating, or crafting a sales pitch scenario where you tell probably the best FA QB in this off-season that's he wanted and needed engenders an enormous psychological boost. Sure, we're stroking his ego but in a good, professional way that assures him that we're above board, that he believes New Orleans is a city and team he'd love to play and live in, too like Brees did during his career. Carr knows the NFC South is a division right now where getting 9-10 wins it and you get a home playoff game, and that this team has a good roster and enough potential talent to make some interesting things happen.
The Jets gave him mixed signals, at best. Everyone in the organization, from assistant coaches, Saleh, GM, and most of the team's roster wanted Carr except the one person whose opinion matters the most, and has largely ensured the Jets have remained mediocre, at best, for the majority of his tenure as owner because he wanted to "wait and see" if Aaron Rodgers was going to be available so while Carr was a top option, in Woody Johnson's eyes, he was the fallback option in case Rodgers was unattainable. We like you, Derek, but we like Aaron quite a bit more and that's not how you treat very good, former 4-time Pro-Bowl QB who has looked very good often while being surrounded by less-than-average supporting casts or old, retread HC's like Jack Del Rio and Jon Gruden. They didnt make him feel like he was their top priority, and in the NFL, its a common, overused adage but is prescient regarding this situation: You don't decide to sign and play for a team where you're not the top priority and the team's owner never really wanted you.