LISTEN: Jets GM Mike Maccagnan Talks Free Agency On WFAN
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan is moving forward after last season's disappointing end.
The Jets, who went 10-6, needed a win at Buffalo to clinch a playoff spot, but came up short.
"Probably like the fans, when that last game ended, again we were very disappointed," Maccagnan told WFAN's Mike Francesa on Thursday. "We did a lot of good things this season. We were right there in the thick of it at the end and weren't able to get that last win to kind of put us in the playoffs."
Maccagnan discussed the upcoming offseason, naming free agent defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, defensive tackle Damon Harrison and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick as some of the players he would like to retain.
"In a perfect world, we like to bring as much of the players that are our own free agents back in the fold to continue to build on what we've already done," the general manager said.
Wilkerson, who had 12 sacks last season, underwent surgery last week on the leg he broke in the season finale. It was a "significant" injury that will take about six months to recover from, Maccagnan said.
"It's an injury a lot of players come back from," Maccagnan said. "It's a long process, but they do come back."
He added that Harrison "is somebody we thought played very well, along with Muhammad, that we'd like to try keep in the fold, and we'll see if there's a way we can do that going forward." Harrison had 72 combined tackles in 2015.
As for Fitzpatrick, Maccagnan said: "He played at a very high level, which we liked. And we still feel that he has very good football left in him."
The journeyman quarterback set a Jets franchise record with 31 touchdowns after taking over as the starter when Geno Smith's jaw was broken by a punch from then-teammate Ikemefuna Enemkpali in August.
Fitzpatrick has said he would like to return to the Jets in 2016.
Maccagnan said he will explore adding an edge pass rusher.
The Jets are currently $11.4 million under the salary cap for next season, according to OverTheCap.com.
