The New York Jets are still holding out hope that free agent Ryan Fitzpatrick will be their starting quarterback in 2016.
"He's a very good fit for us," general manager Mike Maccagnan told reporters on a Friday conference call. "Our goal eventually is to get Ryan under contract."
As of March 10, the Jets' offer was little better than the three-year, $21 million contract that Chase Daniel received in Philadelphia, NFL Media's Albert Breer reported.
The going rate for league-average NFL starters is closer to $18 million annually, as exemplified by the recent contracts for Sam Bradford and Brock Osweiler.
"At some point in time hopefully we can find a middle ground we're both happy with," Maccagnan added.
For now, the Jets are content to let the process play out, refusing to place a deadline on Fitzpatrick's return. Maccagnan even noted that Geno Smith was ahead of Fitzpatrick last summer after an impressive 2015 offseason.
In related quarterback news, Maccagnan attributed Robert Griffin III's free agent visit to due diligence, stressing that the focus is "to try to get something with Ryan."
Here's what else we learned from the Jets on Friday:
» Maccagnan refused to entertain hypotheticals when asked about a potential trade involving franchise player Muhammad Wilkerson, adding that it's "not something we're actively pursuing." He stopped short of saying Wilkerson would not be traded. It would be interesting to see Maccagnan's reaction if a team such as the Raiders were to offer a first-round pick for the Pro Bowl defensive end.
» Maccagnan said little to dispel the notion that left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson will have to restructure his contract calling for more than $10 million in salary and bonuses this season.
"Our thought is D'Brickashaw Ferguson will be on the roster in 2016," Maccagnan said. "... But we'll see how this thing unfolds."
