Hour 1: Giants and Jets Hit Free Agency Crossroads, Reaction to the Minkah Trade and QB Chaos

Evan & Tiki

Audacy

Sports

4.2 • 988 Ratings

🗓️ 9 March 2026

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

NFL legal tampering is here, and the Jets wasted no time making a move by landing Minkah Fitzpatrick in a trade that feels like an early win. Evan and Tiki break down why adding the former All-Pro safety is a smart start for a team that badly needed help in the secondary, and why it signals the Jets are trying to win now, not punt on the season. From there, the conversation turns to the biggest question hanging over the franchise, quarterback. With names like Carson Wentz, Geno Smith, Tua Tagovailoa, Kyler Murray, and Malik Willis all part of the discussion, Evan and Tiki lay out which options offer real hope and which ones would feel like a disaster. They debate whether the Jets should chase upside, avoid stopgap mistakes, or try to find a short-term answer that keeps the team competitive while leaving the door open for the future. The hour also shifts to the Giants, with free agency needs front and center as Big Blue looks at linebacker, cornerback, and wide receiver help. With both New York teams facing major roster questions, this hour captures the pressure, excitement, and uncertainty of the start of NFL free agency.

Transcript

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0:00.0	There's a lot of football today because at 12 o'clock, the legal tampering period begins with NFL free agency involving both the Giants and the Jets.
0:07.4	And the New York Jets are on the board with what I like to call a no-brainer trade.
0:12.4	There are certain moves that a team makes, and you can argue it, you can say, that's too much.
0:16.6	I don't like it. I don't love this.
0:18.5	They gave up a freaking late round draft pick for a two-time all-pro safety, who's 29 years old.
0:26.5	They gave him a brand new contract of three years and $30 million.
0:29.8	And for a defense that needs a whole lot of adding, adding Minka Fitzpatrick and giving up nothing is a rare good day and good moment for the New York Jets. Yeah, when you look at the Jets last year, one of the glaring weaknesses was their secondary, and particularly their safety positions. Andre Sisko was bad when he came over. Tony Adams was even worse. Those guys are free agents. They will not be signed. I mean, he hoped you get something out of Malachi Moore, who was a fourth round pick last year, who would be the other strong safety in this situation. But Minka Fitzpatrick is such an interesting case because we all remember, what is? Four years ago, he got traded from Miami to Pittsburgh, and we thought, well, this is going to be fantastic for him.
1:17.0	He's going to turn into an all-pro top-end safety, but for whatever reason, his production declined.
1:18.0	He was not effective.
1:21.7	He battled a little bit of injury here and there, and he wasn't the same player.
1:29.5	He goes back to Miami, and he gets back into that Pro Bowl type of quality, a guy who can play deep and also down in the box.
1:33.3	So it's a good early deal for the Jets.
1:34.5	This is not free agency.
1:35.4	That has a start a jet.
1:38.1	The Jets have a lot to do in free agency.
1:40.8	Safety was a position we thought they would address.
1:41.1	Yes. But quarterback they still need.
1:43.1	Edge they still need.
1:45.5	Offensive line they still need. Maybe another wide receiver. But quarterback they still need, edge they still need, offensive line they still need,
1:50.7	maybe another wide receiver, but they got the free agency period started with a trade that I think benefits them in the short and long term.
1:53.8	So far, and it is still the early going of the Muhe era, he knows what he's doing.
1:59.4	Yes.
	...

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