Because of past failures at the quarterback position, the New York Jets — in a decades-long search for a franchise quarterback — put themselves in the unenviable position of having to trade up.

This current Jets regime whiffed on draft picks Bryce Petty and Christian cheap nike nfl jersey Hackenberg and they missed out on prized free agent Kirk Cousins even though they offered more money than the Minnesota Vikings. So general manager Mike Maccagnan had a choice:

Sit tight with the sixth pick and pray one of the top four quarterbacks falls in his lap — a quarterback he actually believes in — or be proactive and jump for one he really likes.

Wisely, Maccagnan opted for the latter, moving up three spots in the draft. To get the third pick away from the Indianapolis Colts, the Jets sent the sixth pick and two second-round picks in this year’s draft — the 37th and 49th overall picks — plus their 2019 second-rounder.

Maccagnan did well to keep his 2019 first-rounder, but make no mistake — this was a costly proposition. By trading three second-rounders, he gave up three potential starting players — a big haul for a rebuilding team with many holes.

The Jets went into the offseason knowing they’d have to pay big money for a quarterback (Cousins) or a big draft-pick package. After getting snubbed by Cousins, they opted for the latter route.

Again, they had to.cheap nike nfl jerseys wholesale It was a no-brainer. In the process, they boxed out the Buffalo Bills, who surely will be angling to move up for a quarterback.

The Jets re-signed Josh McCown and added Teddy Bridgewater at the start of free agency, but no one in the NFL actually believed they’d stand pat with that tandem. They were the Band-Aids, the quick fix. This franchise, in a perpetual search for the next Joe Namath, needed something long term.