This free agent period reminds of a Saved By The Bell episode in which Zack falls for the new student nurse and dumps Kelly. When he's turned off by the student nurse (who's onto his scheme), he tries to run back to Kelly but she is dating another guy. In this case, Nnamdi Asomugha is the new object of affection and Antonio Cromartie is the jilted lover. Luckily, Cromartie has forgiven the Jets by signing a 4-year, $32 million dollar contract as reported by the NY Post.
Asomugha is a shutdown cornerback, while Cromartie is a very good cornerback. But by pursuing Asomugha vigorously and not getting him, the Jets ran the risk of also losing Cromartie, leaving them with what would have been a gaping hole in the secondary. I don't think Kyle Wilson was ready to step up and start based on what I saw of him last year.
In the end, the Jets did not get the most-coveted free agent but retained two of their top four free agents(Cromartie, Santonio Holmes) and brought in Plaxico Burress to give Mark Sanchez a bigger target to throw to in the end zone. They couldn't re-sign Brad Smith and Braylon Edwards appears to be headed elsewhere. I'm sorry to see both go, but I'm relieved that the Jets kept their biggest stars. It remains to be seen the impact of Smith's absence on the wildcat and special teams, but Cromartie can at least spell Smith on punt returns.
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