The Jets Trying to Lure Dont'a Hightower with Cupcakes is the Most Jets Move Ever

Fox Sports – Dont’a Hightower would fill a major need for the Jets – particularly if they cut David Harris – which is exactly why they’ve expressed interest in him. They hosted him for a visit on Sunday, and they pulled out all the stops. Jets gear, cupcakes, birthday wishes. All of it.

“They sent his mother Jets merchandise, they brought him out to dinner last night and had cupcakes given to him on his birthday,” Adam Schefter said on ESPN. “They had ‘Happy Birthday Dont’a Hightower’ on all the screens inside the Jets training facility.”

Damn you, Jets. Damn you all to hell. Coming after Dont’a Hightower like that. Just pulling out all the stops. He’s the best free agent on the market and Gang Green proved they’re playing for keeps.

Here we’ve got the Patriots on the one hand, offering him a chance to keep wearing the green dot on a defense that is guaranteed to be in the AFC championship game. To work with the same coaching staff that helped him win two rings. And to be the consensus favorite to win another, which would put him in the exclusive Three Ring Club with the likes of Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour, Troy Brown, Matt Light, Mike Vrabel, Ty Law and a few others. But what’s that compared to cupcakes? To getting your name on the TVs like they’re having his birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese? And sending his mom Jets gear? That is diabolical.

Mrs. Hightower might have had some doubts about her son leaving Titletown to go play for the team that brought us the Buttfumble, foot fetishes and IK Enemkpali breaking his quarterback’s jaw. But when you’re going to send her some t-shirts and a Ryan Fitzpatrick jersey, how could a mother say no to that?

In actual Dont’a Hightower news, he continues to visit with actual NFL teams. Today he’s in Pittsburgh, despite the Snowpocalypse. And if the rumors are true, teams who have talked to him are increasingly convinced he’s staying in New England. One hot rumor had him going to Tennessee because he owns a house down there, though the Titans have denied even talking to him. Other reports say some teams aren’t interested because they don’t think he fits their system. Which is both laughable and an indictment of any coordinator around the league who can’t figure out how to use a physical, aggressive, smart 270 lb linebacker in his prime. I certainly hope that’s the case with the Steelers, who have traditionally built their defense around smaller, faster guys like James Harrison, Lawrence Timmons and Ryan Shazier. And have shown zero interest in changing their scheme, no matter how many times Tom Brady vivisects them. Regardless, I think we all hope whatever Hightower decides, he does it soon. I need to know whether the Pats merely had the best free agency period in the league, or if they actually achieved perfection.