Buffalo Rumblings
Strategic changes have philosophical value
Well Buffalo Bills fans, we’ve arrived at peak hope season on the NFL calendar. The ebbs and flows of the offseason can be meaningful, especially during the main player acquisition phase that runs from March until the end of the April.
If a team hasn’t done anything in the first few hours of the free-agency negotiating window, the murmurs of disapproval begin in the dark corners of the internet. Conversely, if a team makes a widely approved big splash in the NFL Draft with a consensus player, the optimism for the coming year or years isn’t just restored, but amplified. And between these two polar opposite reactions, there are many other inflection points ranging from detached apathy to mild and optimistic curiosity.
Just a few weeks after the NFL Draft, we reach a point where fan bases (overall) have completely bought into their teams’ draft classes. They’ve watched all the hype videos and seen the behind-the-scenes moments of draft night — that clearly prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the players selected by their team were the ideal and most desired picks at every single spot.
People are ready to believe. But it’s not just Bills Mafia that’s ready. The remainder of the AFC East teams made moves to inspire hope in their respective fan bases as well. We’ve already discussed the 2025 NFL Draft acquisitions made by the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins. For the conclusion of this series, we’ll outline the New York Jersey Jets and their draft class.
Finally free from the Aaron Rodgers drama that engulfed the team over the last two seasons, the Jets are looking at a fresh start from the top of their organization. They have a new general manager (Darren Mougey, formerly the assistant general manager for the Denver Broncos), a new head coach (Aaron Glenn, previously the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions), and a new starting quarterback (Justin Fields, drafted by the Chicago Bears, and most recently of the Pittsburgh Steelers).
The thing that makes the Jets’ offseason so interesting is the fact that most of the changes to their organization happened at the top. They didn’t make big splashes in free agency outside of the Fields addition. Safety Andre Cisco was signed to a low-cost one-year deal, cornerback Brandon Stephens came on board for a nice $12 million average annual value contract, plus some odds and ends here and there... but that’s about it.
Sometimes organizations feel the need to an entire overhaul of their personnel when a regime change comes along. The Jets made key moves at the most influential and leadership positions in the building (GM, HC, QB) and then they essentially hunkered down until the draft.
Will it pay off?
