5 Mistakes the New York Jets Can't Afford to Make This Offseason

Mike Maccagnan has a blueprint for what not to do as a general manager just by looking at what his predecessor did.

Timid spending and handing jobs to unqualified players is a good way to field an underperforming team. Cutting the dead weight and reinvesting this money into younger, more expensive players is the first step to rebuilding the franchise. Failing to evade the same mistakes will put the Jets right back into this position before they know it.

Here are five mistakes the Jets need to avoid making if they want to finally get back into contention sooner than later. 

Assume Geno Smith Is the Starter

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

One of the underrated perks of bringing in a new head coach-general manager combination is that the new regime has no allegiance to any of the disappointing draft picks from the previous administration. If it doesn't like a player, it can move on from him, free of the politics that typically come along with it.

Geno Smith is penciled in as the starter, but by no means should his name be in ink at the top spot on the depth chart, even if he did finish the season with a perfect quarterback rating. 

So far, coach Todd Bowles is approaching the situation with the right attitude, not handing Smith anything without ruling him out:

"

Mike Maccagnan on Geno Smith: "I don't want to rule out Geno or anoint him." (via WFAN) #jets

— Kimberley A. Martin (@KMart_LI) January 22, 2015"

After all, Smith may be the only option left after the free agency/draft carousel ends.

Keep Percy Harvin on His Current Deal

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

There are only a handful of NFL players worth $10.5 million per season. Percy Harvin is simply not one of them. 

As talented as he is as a receiver, runner and return man, his extensive injury history and poor fit as a perimeter wide receiver would make him one of the most overpaid players on the team at $10.5 million, which is what he's set to earn in 2015, according to Spotrac. 

The Jets could potentially bring Harvin back on a cheaper deal, but they may as well reinvest that money on a receiver who can line up on the outside every snap, making life much easier on offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. 

Be Timid in Free Agency

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

The Jets find themselves with a brand-new administration this season because the previous regime was too tight with its money. If general manager Mike Maccagnan wants to stick around longer than his predecessor, he needs to spend a healthy amount of the Jets' abnormal amount of projected cap space—$48.9 million, according to Over The Cap.

However, there is a fine line Maccagnan needs to tread to avoid wild overspending while keeping his team as competitive as possible.

His predecessor undershot (big time); Maccagnan would be better off being a little looser with the checkbook to avoid another disastrous season in 2015. Even if it means overpaying for a few players, bringing in top talent is Maccagnan's No. 1 priority. 

Ignore Muhammad Wilkerson Contract

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

The Jets have Pro Bowl defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson under contract for the 2015 season thanks to a fifth-year option they exercised last year, but that does not mean they can put this delicate situation on the back burner for much longer. 

Plenty of defensive stars from the 2011 class have been given extensions by their respective teams, including J.J. Watt and Patrick Peterson. What's the wait on Wilkerson's deal?

Of course, the Jets want to retain Wilkerson on the most responsible deal possible, but the last thing this franchise needs is a Darrelle Revis-esque holdout to damper the mood even more. Assuring Wilkerson's future as a Jet in the long term won't just give the Jets a defensive start to build around—it will rejuvenate a franchise in desperate need of some positive vibes. 

Keep Chris Johnson

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Maccagnan can get a jump-start on the rebuilding process by cutting the dead weight left over from the previous regime, starting with running back Chris Johnson. 

While he managed a respectable 4.3 yards per carry (the same as his backup Bilal Powell), a good chunk of his yardage came from random breakaway runs. On a down-by-down basis, Johnson was as average as they come. 

Johnson's speed can be useful in spots, but not at his $5.25 million cap hit, per Spotrac, regardless of how much space the Jets have. The money would be better invested in a younger, more reliable option—perhaps in someone such as Powell, a soon-to-be free agent.