Still seven weeks away from free agency, the New York Jets made a preemptive strike by locking up their No. 1 priority, guard Brian Winters, who signed a four-year contract extension on Monday.
The knee-jerk reaction: Wow, the Jets mean business. They're ticked off by the 5-11 season and they can't wait to start fixing things.
There might be some of that sentiment at One Jets Drive, but there were other factors in play. For one, the two sides actually began negotiating late last season -- before Winters suffered his rotator cuff tear in Week 15.