Sid Rosenberg: Giants offseason has been far better than Jets so far

So far during the NFL offseason period, I think it is fair to say that the Giants have jump leaps and bounds ahead of the Jets in terms of addressing needs and suring up their strengths. It has to be embarrassing to be a Jets fan right now with how their team has taken what looks to be a step backward heading towards next season. Though, it is still early in the offseason and there may be time for the Jets to address some issues through free agency, but most of the most sought-after players have already snatched up.

Let me start with the Jets. Gang Green has done more subtraction than addition on both sides of the ball. On the offensive side, the Jets cut arguably their two best players in Nick Mangold and Brandon Marshall while also letting go left tackle Ryan Clady and right tackle Breno Giacomini. Mangold and Marshall were players who at some point positively produced on the field while Clady and Giacomini both had expectations to meet and failed to do so over their time with the Jets. It’s embarrassing.

Though there has been more subtraction than addition during free agency the Jets did make a signing on the offensive side. With no interest in resigning Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith jumping ship to the Giants, Mike Maccagnan went and signed 37-year-old journeyman quarterback Josh McCown. The Jets also cut a reliable kicking leg in Nick Folk and signed Chandler Catanzaro, formerly of Arizona.

On the defensive side it has not been much better. The one-time face of the New York Jets franchise Darrelle Revis was cut following an arrest where he was charged with four felonies. Whether the two events coincided with each other is up for debate, the bigger football issue hits the Jets both in the wallet and the locker room. The Jets did go out and bring in Morris Claiborne to replace Revis with hopes that next season they can try to contain the air onslaught to one side of the field.

On the other side of MetLife Stadium, Big Blue has been cherry-picking all of the potential talent from their roommates. Remember that last offseason the Giants lured Damon Harrison away from the Jets and they have seemingly done so again this offseason signing Brandon Marshall and Geno Smith. Now, Geno is a crapshoot with what you are going to get from him but Marshall is going to be a wonderful complement to Odell Beckham Jr. The Giants also signed former Alabama Crimson Tide National Champion, 2013 draft 11th overall pick, and former San Diego Charger D.J. Fluker who fits to be a nice complement to Weston Richburg and Justin Pugh on the interior of the offensive line.

Defensively speaking, last offseason and this current offseason we have seen the Giants go back to their bread and butter, the defensive line. As I mentioned before, Harrison joined the Giants last season as well as Pro Bowler Olivier Vernon and now they have locked up Jason Pierre-Paul for the next four years. We can expect Big Blue to be toward the top of the league leaders defensively with a strong line to go along with a great mix of promising youth and veteran leadership in the secondary.

Whichever way you look at it, the Jets’ horrible decision making continues and the Giants continue to swim in their wake.