The Facts: The Jets absolutely would love to sign Cousins in the coming weeks, according to team sources. He’s a win-now AND win-later quarterback entering the prime of his career. There’s a large enough window (at least five seasons) to win with the soon-to-be 30-year-old signal caller to make it more than worthwhile to make a strong investment in him, but let’s be clear: The Jets are not going to try to bring him aboard by any means necessary.
Diehards Line:According to Daily News staffer Manish Mehta, the notion that the organization will go to any lengths to sign him is patently false. There’s a difference between making a strong and aggressive move for a player and actually recklessly overspending. The Jets aren’t going to hand Cousins a blank check, team sources tell Mehta. This comes on the heels of a report the Jets might be willing to pay Cousins $60 million in the first year of a blockbuster deal. Mehta calls that "beyond ludicrous. ..." The Jets, who will have more than $90 million in available cap space after Mo Wilkerson and Matt Forte are cut in the coming weeks, aren’t going to make a cursory inquiry. They’ll be real players for Cousins, but they are not going to wildly overspend or make history by offering him a fully guaranteed four- or five-year deal, team sources tell Mehta. ... Stay tuned. Cousins will be front and center through the start of free agency. We'll continue to follow up as needed.