The New York Jets' free-agent courtship of Dont'a Hightower continues to create ripples. He wound up re-signing with the New England Patriots, but questions remain about the Jets' level of involvement.
Let's try to answer some of those questions.
Prior to his visit last weekend, the Jets made a generous offer -- five years, $55 million, according to a league source. The maximum value of the offer was $62.5 million. To reach that, Hightower would've had to play in every game and make the Pro Bowl every year over the length of the contract.
Then came the visit and the physical examination. As reported by Pro Football Talk, the Jets were uncomfortable with the results of the physical, the source confirmed. What caused their trepidation is unclear, but it's no secret that Hightower has battled knee and shoulder injuries throughout his career with the Patriots.
Essentially, the Jets dropped out at that point. You know what happened next: Hightower re-signed with the Patriots -- a four-year, $35.5 million deal.
So what did we learn from all this?
The Jets really, really wanted Hightower ... before his physical. Their offer was $1.25 million per year better than what he wound up receiving from the Patriots. In the end, though, the Jets wouldn't have signed him because of their concerns about the physical.
