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Palladino: Jets Need To Beat The Clock, Land Fitz Or Mo Wilk By Camp

By Ernie Palladino
» More Ernie Palladino Columns

It's a race now.

No, not the Mets' chase of the Nationals in the NL East or the Yankees' fight against the .500 barrier. Those things are just sort of sitting there, stagnating until one of them decides to get on the stick and make with some regular offensive beatdowns.

This has to do with football, specifically with the Jets' negotiations (non-negotiations?) with Muhammad Wilkerson and Ryan Fitzpatrick. At this point, the clock is quickly ticking down to training camp, and it's a race to see which really ticked off player general manager Mike Maccagnan can get into the locker room first.

The smart money has to be on Fitzpatrick. Not that that makes Todd Bowles' quarterback-of-choice a cinch to beat Wilkerson in. It doesn't. But if management simply looks at the quarterback situation -- an exercise the media has executed ad infinitum since March -- Maccagnan will quickly see the crying need to sign the unrestricted free agent for somewhere north of the $12 million per year they already have on the table.

Maccagnan also must realize how important it is to get Fitzpatrick in the building early so the 33-year-old journeyman coming off a career year doesn't miss a single rep in camp. For all the happy talk about how good Christian Hackenburg looked in minicamp and all the progress Bryce Petty has made, it still comes down to Geno Smith as the starter as long as Fitzpatrick is absent.

Anyone who thinks Bowles or Maccagnan will settle for that once the real work starts should probably get some help, and fast. Smith got some glowing reviews in minicamp for his growing leadership. But Bowles knows as well as anyone that once defenses land a few shots to the puss, the coach wants his cool-headed Amish Rifle absorbing them.

Besides, we all learned last year how well Geno takes a punch.

Not well.

MORENamath: Geno Smith Will Be Jets' Starting QB Even If Fitzpatrick Is Back

Bowles, himself, said that he still considers Fitzpatrick his starter, at least until Week 4 of camp. After that, all bets are off.

Coach and GM would rather not bet at all. But that will take Maccagnan cracking open the bank just a little bit wider, even if it means reworking or cutting one or two players to accommodate Fitz' big price tag.

Working in their favor is the fact that Fitzpatrick has kept relatively quiet. He wants his money, that's all.

MOREJets Coach Tired Of Answering Ryan Fitzpatrick Questions

Wilkerson is a different story. He might just sit out the entire camp as he licks the wounds of having to accept the one-year and $15.7 million that comes with a franchise tag.

The commoners in the stands should have it so tough. But that's another story. The fact is, Wilkerson is so hacked off that he apparently is willing to sit home until he gets a multi-year deal.

Wilkerson has gone so far as to tell The Post that the Jets are acting like they don't want him at all. He's not paranoid. With the ascendance of Leonard Williams and the clean, productive slate of Sheldon Richardson, the Jets have long considered Wilkerson expendable. Problem is, he'd be hard to trade, especially since his asking price continues to rise in light of Philadelphia's Fletcher Cox' six-year, $103 million extension.

MOREJets' Bowles: Muhammad Wilkerson Contract Situation Not A Distraction

Wilkerson considers himself a better player than Cox, and has left his agent and Maccagnan to do the math.

However this turns out, it doesn't favor Wilkerson getting to camp before Fitzpatrick. He may not be there at all.

Still, the possibility of the Jets settling with both remains open despite the long odds.

Fitzpatrick leads the two-horse race right now. But if Maccagnan doesn't act fast and decisively, he could see both stars finish up the track.

If that happens, the Jets will be the ones finishing out of the money.

Follow Ernie on Twitter at @ErniePalladino

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