Nine days before the Jets' season began, they pulled off a trade that excited many of their fans, sending defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson to Seattle for a second-round draft pick.
The Jets also got a veteran -- wide receiver Jermaine Kearse -- whom some observers perceived as a throw-in piece. After all, a second-round pick surely mattered more to the rebuilding Jets than a receiver who might not even be with them past 2017.
And while that still might be the case, Kearse has thrived through five games with the 3-2 Jets, who have won three straight games entering next Sunday's home game against the Patriots.