FLORHAM PARK Germaine Pratt Jersey , N.J. (AP) — or make his first pick based solely on need to kick off the New York Jets‘ draft weekend.He ended up with perhaps the best overall talent in this year’s class, taking Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams at No. 3 on Thursday night.It’s hard to criticize that selection — a no-brainer — by the Jets general manager, even if taking a punishing pass rusher would have filled one of the team’s biggest needs.“When you factor (need) into your evaluation process,” Maccagnan said, “you run the risk of potentially making a mistake.”Maccagnan made it clear New York was open for business to trade on the draft’s opening night but found no suitable offers — and instead bolstered his defensive line with Williams.“I’m coming in to be a dominant player up front,” Williams said, “and be a dominant player, in general.”As it turned out, Maccagnan got his edge rusher Friday night, when he took a gamble on Florida’s talented but polarizing Jachai Polite in the third round.Then came some wheeling and dealing.The Jets moved up one spot by trading with Minnesota to take USC offensive tackle Chuma Edoga with the 92nd overall pick. New York then traded down twice early Saturday before grabbing West Virginia tight end Trevon Wesco in the fourth round.Maccagnan wrapped up the Jets’ draft haul by making some risky selections: Minnesota linebacker Blake Cashman in the fifth round, and Rutgers cornerback Blessuan Austin in the sixth. Both come with injury concerns — Coleman had three shoulder surgeries in college, and Austin tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee twice.“Like everything else, you’re never really done building the roster,” Maccagnan said. “You’re constantly doing that, but we felt at this point in time we made some good strides, and we have some good pieces in place.”Here’s one last look at the Jets’ draft:WHO THEY GOTIt all starts with Williams http://www.bengalscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-ryan-finley-jersey , of course. For the third straight year, the player many considered the best in the draft “fell” to the Jets. It was safety Jamal Adams in 2017 and quarterback Sam Darnold last year. Both are cornerstones of the franchise, and Williams has a chance to quickly become one, too.Polite was initially thought to be a first-round talent, but his draft stock plummeted because of a hamstring injury that affected his NFL combine performance and pro day. Nagging character issues also added to the flaws, but the Jets could be getting a steal if Polite’s mind and body are right as he begins his pro career.Edoga could eventually work his way to a starting role at right or left tackle, and he can play guard, too. Oh, and he and Darnold were once teammates at USC, which certainly doesn’t hurt.Wesco is a big blocking tight end who could quickly become a favorite of running back Le’Veon Bell if he can help blow open some holes up front.Cashman and Austin are developmental players who might make their marks early on special teams. Maccagnan said Austin could start camp on the physically unable to perform list, so it’s uncertain how much impact he’ll make this season.SURPRISE MOVETrading up to take Edoga had some fans scratching their heads, especially those hoping for a cornerback or center at that point in the draft.Those same fans were a bit baffled a round later when the Jets took a blocking tight end in Wesco.HOW THEY DIDThere will be plenty of excitement about New York’s defensive front with Williams combining with Leonard Williams, Henry Anderson, Steve McLendon and Nathan Shepherd, the team’s third-rounder last year, expected to put lots of pressure on quarterbacks up the middle.A motivated Polite could also eventually give the Jets a consistent pass-rushing presence from the outside that they have lacked since the days of John Abraham in the early 2000s.The other selections Renell Wren Jersey , perhaps other than Wesco, could take some time before becoming regular contributors.WHAT’S NEXT?New York still has quite a few holes, including at cornerback, where Trumaine Johnson is a certain starter on one side and Darryl Roberts appears to be the favorite on the other. Morris Claiborne remains a free agent and is rehabilitating an undisclosed injury, said Maccagnan, who also didn’t rule out bringing the veteran back.Center remains a question mark, too, with Jonotthan Harrison the leading candidate to start. Jon Toth, who spent last season on the practice squad, is the only other player at the position on the roster, so the Jets could explore bringing in a veteran free agent. KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes awoke early on Tuesday to open presents with his little sister and the rest of his family, then the Chiefs quarterback hopped in his car for a quick trip to Arrowhead Stadium.Where he watched film. On Christmas.He got in his usual couple of hours of game-week prep on what is typically a day off for NFL teams, then hopped back in his car and headed home for the family feast.Then he watched more film. Still on Christmas.It’s that dedication to Mahomes’ craft that has helped the second-year pro become an MVP candidate as a first-time starter. He already has shattered numerous franchise records, including yards passing and TD passes in a single season, and Mahomes has positioned Kansas City for a third straight AFC West title and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs with a victory Sunday over Oakland.The biggest wild card for the Chiefs entering the season has become their one constant.“It’s the process. You set up the schedule for a reason http://www.bengalscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-michael-jordan-jersey ,” Mahomes said Wednesday, when the rest of the Chiefs returned to practice.“You follow the same schedule — game plan, watch film, practice — and you do the same things you’ve been doing to have success.”At this point, why would Mahomes deviate from his routine?He’s thrown 48 touchdown passes to lead the NFL by a dozen, and his 4,816 yards passing trail only Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He leads the league in yards per attempt among QBs that have started all season, and only the Saints’ Drew Brees has a better quarterback rating.Speaking of ratings, Mahomes only has had three games in which his rating has failed to reach 100, and the Chiefs still won all of those games. He’s thrown a TD pass in every game except one, and that was a 30-14 rout of Jacksonville.And he’s thrown at least three touchdown passes in 10 games, with a pair of six-touchdown efforts in shootouts against the Patriots and Rams.“You just trust the process,” Mahomes said in explaining his unflappable nature. “Trust that your teammates are going to make the big plays they’ve made all year, and trust in my ability not to do too much. You just play the same game you’ve played all year.”Or the same game he’s played his whole life.Few were convinced that Mahomes would seamlessly transition from the Air Raid system of Texas Tech to the versatile, complex West Coast offense of Andy Reid. But the Chiefs coach saw enough of him last season in practice that Reid was willing to trade away Alex Smith and give him a shot.Now, the Chiefs are promoting Mahomes in MVP hype videos as they barrel toward the playoffs.“I am happy for all these guys T.J. Hockenson Jersey , whatever accolades they get,” Reid said. “Patrick has worked hard for all of that stuff. There are a lot of great players in this league, so all the sudden you get pointed out as doing that, it’s important. Then it’s important to get back to what is real and that’s the game. But I am happy for him. A lot of work went into that for him.”Right, the game. The one that Mahomes was in the film room prepping for on Christmas, while the rest of his family was relaxing at home. The Chiefs have already squandered two chances to lock up the division title, and they could fall all the way to the No. 5 seed with a loss Sunday.So it makes sense that Mahomes was cramming for the Raiders on Tuesday.Even if it didn’t mean straying from the norm.“Everybody is excited for the opportunity,” Mahomes said, “getting to play a division opponent, a rival in our division, then get to play at Arrowhead Stadium. We want to stay here from here on out. If we come out and play like we know we can, we can make a run at this thing.”Notes: RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif returned to practice for the first time since breaking his fibula and tearing ligaments in Week 5 against Jacksonville. It begins a three-week window in which Duvernay-Tardif can get up to speed. “We’ll just bring him back gradually,” Reid said. “It’s just a matter of getting caught up with the speed of the game.” … Reid said WR Sammy Watkins was out of a walking boot and “moving around,” though his return remains uncertain. He hasn’t played a full game since early November.
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