Looking back on the newest iteration of the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement), which instituted the rookie salary cap, moves like this shouldn’t be surprising. We will probably see similarly active ’14 and ’15 free agency periods – but why?

The rookie wage scale financially induces “youth movements” in many organizations as they dump off higher-priced old veterans that have no “upside” remaining for those college kids that they hope do.

It makes perfect sense in that respect. Why hold onto a thirty-something player whom you know is good enough to play, perhaps even start, when you can get the same thing from a rookie 10 years younger and at half price?

Players like Pace and Scott have had their time in the spotlight. Football in particular is a young man’s game and a team in limbo, such as the New York Jets, faced some tough decisions on personnel. It appears that they’ve decided to undergo their own youth movement.

Also, don’t forget the tense situation between the team and their best player, CB Darrelle Revis, probably because of salary and his recent history of injury.

The overall point is that a team in trouble like the Jets needs the lower-priced younger players for two obvious reasons. One, the veterans aren’t going to get any better. Two, younger is cheaper.

It frees up cap room for the OTHER free agents in the market to get paid by a team that really could use help at a key position.

The seeming flood of quality free agents is in part a result of those salary considerations of the younger players. True, Scott and Pace are past their primes, but they can still play and still help someone – quite possibly one of the playoff teams last season looking for “a final piece” to get them further along.

Occasionally a young team will sign a veteran or two at certain positions if the price is right. Within the NFC South, for example, Tampa Bay might sign Pace or Scott to help their dynamic young OLBs grow and to provide depth or spot-starting duties. A tutor-for-hire, so to speak, or a sort of informal player-coach and good locker room presence to set an example.

Because of the rookie wage scale, teams are more willing to move toward youth, yes, but at some point these kids have to make a team. The end result means less money to more borderline veteran free agents simply because there are going to be more of them. There will be more good ones in the near future as the rookies work their way through to the end of their rookie contracts in another 2-3 years at which point the balance between veteran free agents and rookie free agents will find some equilibrium again, but for now it means more roster turnover for more teams.

For the fans, it means more of a chance that the jersey you bought last year or the year before will be out of date sooner.

For Panthers’ fans, it means don’t be horribly shocked to wake up one day to find out we no longer have Beason, Gamble, or Ron Edwards. Not saying it will happen but Panthers’ fans are probably going to be in for a shock along that front one of these days. The Panthers have one of the worst salary cap situations in the NFL, the team disappointed last season, we have a new GM, and all three players I named spent much or all of the season injured. It is also by no means an exhaustive list.

Got your attention now?

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Yes, that mighty Bills defense spent $100 million on free agent DE Mario Williams and their top draft pick on CB Stephon Gilmore of South Carolina – whom I’ve said is not a great cover guy and best suited for zone defense – the same defense that can’t stop anyone a month into the season. So it turns out that it was the Bills D that broke down…not the Jets’ offense that took off.

No, the Jets’ scoring output has been on a low ever since. They put up 10 against the Steelers…not unheard of especially playing in Pittsburgh, but 10 points won’t win you many games…especially when the offensively-challenged Oakland Raiders put up 34 on the same team the following week.

The Jets then managed 23 in overtime in Miami against a defense well-built to stop the Jets’ offense by happenstance, but the Dolphins don’t exactly help themselves or their defense with their lack of offensive punch.

Then came last week. 60 minutes, zero points against the best team in the NFC if not the NFL in the San Francisco 49′ers. Niners’ CB Carlos Rogers says the Niners’ players were talking on the sideline during the game about how the Jets’ defense ‘quit playing.’ While it may seem like a cheap shot after the fact, the Niners aren’t known to be a high-octane offense. They put up 37 and coasted in the 4th quarter and the talk persisted.

Interesting.

Sept 23, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis (24) seeks medical treatment during a game against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Has Rex Ryan lost control of this team?

They lost Darrelle Revis for the season during the Miami game. If that weren’t enough, they lost WR Santonio Holmes for the season with a Lisfranc foot injury against the Niners. Their best defender and best offensive threat – gone and gone. Yes it hurts, but injuries are a part of the NFL and always will be. Both players got injured on non-contact plays so that can’t be blamed. Human bodies are imperfect and can and do get injured every day in every occupation.

As Albert Breer pointed out on the NFL Network, the Jets weren’t the most talented team at the WR position anyway BEFORE the injury; now they may be forced to look outside the organization. Perhaps Chad Johnson should stay close to his phone – even though the Jets have the relationship with Plaxico Burress. I think Johnson’s the one that is hungry enough AND hasn’t lost the ability to play…with the right team. But what about the immediate future?

The question now has to be asked: Is this a team whose make-up is now molded for Tim Tebow to shine?

Yes, we’ve been inundated with Tebow, Tebow, Tebow ever since he signed. But now are the ‘lack of stars’ aligning to run the University of Florida offense? Oddly enough, that’s the direction everything seems to be pointing – even if the Jets ultimately don’t go there.

Think about it: they’ve lost their top WR and need to protect a defense that suddenly seems vulnerable. What’s the ‘bestest and cheapest’ way to do that? Answer: with a good running game to eat the clock.

The Jets drafted Stephen Hill from Georgia Tech in the second round…knowing he came from a triple-option offense, but looking at his upside down the road. He’s a grand physical specimen close to the “Megatron” mold but raw and unheralded as an actual threat at the position yet. So…what did he do in college? Answer: he made a great if overqualified run-blocker at the WR position.

Sept. 30, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes (10) reacts as he is carried off the field after an apparent injury against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half at MetLife Stadium. 49ers won 34-0. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

Who did the Jets sign to coach the offense? Tony Sparano, architect of the resurgence of the Wildcat in Miami a few years ago. It’s the ‘single-wing’ formation from the 1950′s fad fame…along with the hula hoop and frisbee. ‘Ground and Pound’ it’s called. It’s what he was hired to do – take the Jets back in time to when football was 3 yards and a cloud of recycled prescription athletic turf shavings. Ehh…you get the idea.

The Dolphins also drafted West Virginia QB Pat White with the 8th pick of the second round – the idea being he could be a dual threat QB from the Wildcat in an attempt to extend and evolve the single-wing into the 21st Century, but it never panned out. White was south of 200 pounds and couldn’t take a hit so he left the league the year after he was drafted. End of experiment…or is Dr. Frankenstein being paged?

Tim Tebow was a first-round pick and the Jets caused a QB controversy in trading for him. Now, with Sanchez not producing (again), the injuries they’ve had AND the personnel they have left? It just seems that it’s more likely than not that Tebow will take the field in a Wildcat or Wildcat-like offense…or perhaps some version of the “T-Bone” offense he ran for John Fox in Denver last year.

Folks, this isn’t gonna go away quietly…not with the situation so seemingly molded to Tim Tebow’s wheelhouse…and getting there more and more every day.

Tebow is a fullback wearing a QB’s number. Rookie Stephen Hill is actually the “grizzled veteran” at blocking for the offense, or some close variant of it so he fits right in. Sparano’s got as much experience with “trendy” run-driven offenses as anyone and he isn’t afraid to experiment. Sanchez isn’t getting any semblance of a “regular” offense going and the injuries are putting a collar on what they can do.

It just seems like everything is pointing to some Tebow Magic down the road. After all, if he’s not there for contingency plans of some sort, why did they get him in the first place?

Stay tuned and don’t say you weren’t warned when you start seeing Tim Tebow on SportsCenter against the top-rated Houston Texans’ defense.

Boy, that didn’t last long.

“Raw” rookie Stephen Hill had a 33-yard TD reception in the second quarter and added a 17-yard TD in the third. QB Mark Sanchez has thrown 3 TD passes vs one interception and actually looks like he belongs on the field.

Bills RB C.J. Spiller had the Bills’ lone TD on a breakaway 56-yard touchdown run, nearly equaling QB Ryan Fitzpatrick’s passing yardage total of 75 up to this point. Fitzpatrick has completed only 11 passes in the game so far and a TD. That’s the good news.

The bad news? Three of those completions were to the Jets defenders. To be fair, the Jets’ offense has scored “only” 34 of the points. Antonio Cromartie returned one of Fitzpatrick’s “completions” 40 yards in a pick-6 to open the second half scoring.

Truly, when the Jets get the lead, their defense can REALLY pin their ears back and go after the QB. If early returns are any indication, the Bills will be in the market for a new QB this offseason.

If the Miami Dolphins were ever serious about trading Matt Moore, the Bills might look for him now. More likely, the Bills would be picking up a David Garrard off waivers to push Fitzgerald. I doubt the Dolphins want to trade Moore now, given rookie Ryan Tannehill’s 3 INTs so far against Houston and Pat Devlin is still a developmental guy albeit with quite some talent.

I know it’s only one game, but Buffalo spent $100 million on ONE player – defensive end Mario Williams – so it would appear the owner wants to win, and win now.

Fitzgerald has been the Bills’ starting QB for years now…mostly because everyone they bring in to challenge him isn’t up to the task. Ask a J.P. Losman about that one?

Whatever the case is, it does appear that the Bills picked up right where they left off last season. Losing games big.