​By most accounts, Darren Mougey’s second offseason as general manager of the New York Jets has been very successful. Compared to previous offseasons, the Jets had a plan and executed it to the best of their ability. They targeted veteran players who can provide leadership and had experience playing for Aaron Glenn in Detroit and New Orleans.Not only did they plan for the present, but they also added pieces for the team’s future through the 2026 NFL Draft. New York used their first-round picks to select David Bailey, arguably the best pass rusher in the draft as well as two key pieces for the offense in tight end Kenyon Sadiq and wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdd the contract extensions Mougey got done with Breece Hall as well as Joe Tippmann and the Jets have become a potentially attractive destination for a rookie quarterback in next year’s draft.But, watching the plan Mougey put in place for this season only makes the strategy he and Glenn initiated last offseason more frustrating and tough to swallow. The Jets undermined our intelligence as fans by trying to convince anyone who would listen that they were competing when the additions they made did not reflect that in any way. When you compare and contrast both offseasons under head coach Aaron Glenn and Mougey, one thing becomes abundantly clear. The Jets purposefully tanked the 2025 season.Instead of finding impact players on offense or defense, the 2025 offseason plan was designed around finding players who Mougey and Glenn felt had untapped potential and had yet to realize it with their previous teams.In other words, it was the equivalent of buying 100 scratch-off lottery tickets and hoping you hit the jackpot on at least one.  It’s not a sound strategy for a team with playoff aspirations. It was a strategy that is primarily centered around luck, not skill. Hope for the best, but expect the worst.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe biggest acquisition for the Jets last offseason was quarterback Justin Fields. There were plenty of Jets fans who preferred the team to draft Fields instead of Zach Wilson. While his playmaking ability was on display during his time with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers, his inaccuracy as a passer as well as his penchant for taking bad sacks were also on display.  It wasn’t exactly a low-risk move either as the Jets gave Fields $40 million over two seasons.After a strong first game against the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers, it couldn’t have gone any worse for Fields as he put up the worst passing numbers of his career. He was benched midway through the season for Tyrod Taylor and when Taylor got hurt during a game against the Miami Dolphins, Glenn elected to play UDFA Brady Cook over a healthy Fields.Instead of being aggressive and landing a strong receiver to pair with Garrett Wilson like Chris Godwin, Stefon Diggs or Keenan Allen, the Jets went as deep into the bargain bin as you could go to sign Jo