Tom Brady is gone, but it should mean little for the rebuilding New York Jets

Tom Brady is gone, out of the AFC East. The greatest quarterback of all-time, at the very least the most-accomplished ever to play the game, is no longer a New England Patriot. Adios. Bye-bye. No longer in the division. 

What this means for the New York Jets? Nothing really. Business should stay as usual. 

In the near-term, the Jets are likely aided by the fact that they will not have to face Brady on New England twice next year. But after two decades of dominating the division, there was always to be more in the rearview mirror of Brady’s illustrious career than open road ahead. This day had to come sooner rather than later. 

Now, it is the time for this organization, so snakebitten since Super Bowl III, to capitalize on a wide-open division.  

For the Jets in the immediate, it means that the games against the hated and dominant Patriots become a bit more winnable in 2020 and beyond. But for what happens inside One Jets Drive, well, nothing really changes for general manager Joe Douglas. 

There shouldn’t be a rush to rebuild. The team shouldn’t throw money around. The pragmatic and patient moves that have dominated this offseason, while not flashy, should continue to be a part of this team’s philosophy. 

The reality is that things aren’t going to change suddenly for the Jets now that Brady is gone. While the division is wide-open moving forward, the Jets still are not in a position to challenge quite yet.  

There are too many holes to fill on a roster that overachieved to go 7-9 last year. There isn’t enough salary cap this offseason to address things. The two-deep isn’t very deep. The Jets need to rebuild through the draft and continue to add to their young core. To think that the Jets suddenly could become competitive overnight if they went crazy in free agency is a fool’s errand. 

Brady’s departure for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and not only another division but another conference entirely opens the door for the Jets to be competitive again. They haven’t won the AFC East since 2002, something that now should be in play as their rebuild continues and eventually matures. 

There is a change in the AFC East, a new wind blowing through. The Patriots aren’t a lock to win the division. There’s a path to the playoffs now that is much broader then when Brady was in town. 

But Brady leaving to become a snowbird doesn’t go hand-in-hand with any material changes for the Jets in terms of their roster construct or how they pursue becoming relevant again. This team needs to focus less on what is happening up I-95 in Foxboro and stop worrying so much about being the little brother for the past 20 years. Douglas has proven so far through this offseason that he is shrewd, careful and deliberate. 

He won’t be pressured or harried into a big spend or a bad contract just because of public perception and a fanbase clamoring for stars. And now with the biggest star in the NFL not only off of their biggest rival’s roster but out of the division, Douglas has to stay the course. 

Maybe Brady’s change of zip code helps the Jets in the near-term by weakening the Patriots. But if this rebuild is to have staying power, it must move forward at the same pace, with the same intentions and patience as if Brady was going to continue on in New England till he was 50-years old. 

It is a big day for the Jets and their fans. The end of an era that was nothing short of torture and torment. 

All this will mean nothing, however, if the Jets don’t continue their slow and steady course to right the talent deficiency on their roster. Only then, will this new era in the AFC East actually mean something for the Jets.