No, Bretsky, et al, I do think the Jets have mortgaged their future.

The following link reveals that as of around Dec. 20th, the Jets have just under 2 million in cap space: http://www.nyjetscap.com/salary.html.

Favre of course has a monster contract should he come back - 13 million next year. Faneca (one of those FA's you all like) will be at 8 mill, Woody at 6.5, and Jenkins at 6.4.

Of course, the sal cap will go up, but how much is unclear. Certainly the Jets will be constrained. In addition, all the above FA's are long in the tooth, so young players are not able to develop as these oldsters played their way to a 9-7 season. On top of that, the coach is fired. Sure, a new coach could conceivably come in and turn it around just like that, but the Baltimores of the world are still rarer than the San Frans.

Finally, the Jets now are in the process of hiring that new coach while not knowing who the QB will be. If it's Favre, then the pattern of the past five years indicates you can count on a great first half and a terrible second half. Okay. And if Favre doesn't come back, or he's not your QB, you're looking at Kellen Clements or some rookie or some hack who gets cut from some other team. Or maybe you trade some more draft picks for a young guy.

So, in sum: you face a full cap on a roster peppered with aging, expensive vets. This is headed by a 39 year old QB who is about to put you through his annual offseason retirement or not retirement extravaganza. You don't have a head coach. You aren't developing many young players. You're missing a third round pick.

I'd say they mortgaged their future. Yep.