Three years ago, Mike Maccagnan crushed his first offseason as the New York Jets' general manager, using free agency and trades to raise the team's talent base. The Jets won 10 games after a four-win season under the previous regime, and he was named NFL Executive of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America.
In retrospect, that first offseason was like a sparkler on the Fourth of July: It dazzled, but faded quickly.
From 2015-17, the Jets doled out $133 million in guarantees for free agents -- the sixth-highest amount in the league, according to ESPN Stats & Information research -- and they don't have anything substantial to show for it.