After a disappointing 2016 season, the Jets face a number of contractual questions ranging from player cuts to trades to free agency strategy.
New York finds itself in more or less the same position it was in when it fired John Idzik in 2015 — a roster full of holes and devoid of talent.
Rebuilding this team after years of poor drafting will not be easy, but the Jets' rebuild will start with some tough decisions on their current roster during the lead-up to 2017 NFL free agency.
MORE: Top NFL free agents for 2017
Darrelle Revis contract situation
The Jets' re-signing of Revis in 2015 was met with big fanfare. He was supposed to be the returning hero who would right all the wrongs of the prior two seasons.
The Jets made a big commitment with $39 million in guarantees, but the fairy tale has turned into a nightmare.
It was clear from the start that Revis was no longer an elite player, but the wheels came off in 2016 as teams picked on him often and with great success. Revis reportedly was out of shape and dealing with a hand injury, but many also questioned his effort on the field.
Revis has openly said his future might no longer be at cornerback, sounding like a player with one foot out the door. Revis has a cap charge of over $15 million, $6 million of which is guaranteed if he's cut.
The situation took another turn this past week when Revis was charged in Pittsburgh following an altercation. Clauses in Revis’ contract related to personal conduct potentially could allow the Jets to void his guarantee and cut him without owing him another dime. But it’s a tricky situation.
The best odds for the Jets to realize that void would come from an NFL suspension, but the timeframe on that occurring is probably not on the Jets' side. If Revis is on the Jets' roster on March 10, he will earn a $2 million roster bonus in addition to the $6 million guarantee.
The Jets also have the right to suspend him on their own and void the guarantee, but that would create a potentially messy situation with the former star and likely land both sides in a grievance hearing, which the team might not even win.
The Jets most likely will release Revis in early March and pay him his $6 million to go away.
Jets roster purge
The Jets' contracts, while large on the surface, were for the most part designed to be two-year deals, most of which were signed in 2015. This has left the Jets with the most flexibility in the NFL to create cap space; flexibility they will use this year.
The Jets have already opened up $10 million of cap space by declining an option on left tackle Ryan Clady, making him a free agent in 2017. Right tackle Breno Giacomini missed most of last season and should not be back in 2017, saving the Jets $4.5 million. Erin Henderson landed on the NFI list in 2016, which should make it an easy decision to slice his $2.6 million salary.
Receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker count for $16.25 million on the cap, and their release would free up over $13 million in cap space. Marshall has struggled in two of the last three seasons and seemed to wear on his teammates last year, which makes it likely he would be cut. Decker is coming off an injury, and given the departure of offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, it’s unknown how well he will be utilized even if healthy.
MOCK DRAFT: Jets address secondary
The Jets' secondary is a problem, but neither Buster Skrine nor Marcus Gilchrist are worth the salaries the team is paying them. The Jets could save over $8 million by cutting them. If the Jets do move into full cost-cutting mode, that also opens up the possibility of releasing veteran kicker Nick Folk and nose tackle Steve McLendon to open up another $5 million.
The hardest decisions come with center Nick Mangold and linebacker David Harris. Both have been with the Jets for about a decade, but it is hard to justify $15.6 million in charges for two older players in a rebuilding effort. The Jets will need to either cut those two or extend their contracts to a more affordable price, ensuring one day they retire as Jets.
The Sheldon Richardson/Muhammad Wilkerson question
The Jets' selection of Leonard Williams in the 2015 draft raised eyebrows because Williams played the lone position of strength on the team. That move has left the Jets with three players for two positions.
The team tried multiple ways to work around this logjam last year, including moving Richardson to a 3-4 outside linebacker, but nothing worked. Both Richardson and Wilkerson struggled, were disciplined by the Jets for missing meetings and had their effort questioned.
One of the two will need to go — the question is which.
The Jets likely would prefer to move Richardson, who is more talented but has more concerns. Given the fact that he is going to be looking for a new contract (and that he already has some character concerns), getting anything more than a late second-round draft pick would be a surprise. The Jets found no takers for Richardson last year when they did try to trade him.
Would the Jets move Wilkerson despite paying him $22 million last year? If the price is right, they should. The acquiring team would owe Wilkerson only $15 million for this year and could walk away in 2018 if he busts. If he plays well, the team would have Wilkerson under contract in 2018 and 2019 for a total of $32.5 million. That deal is better for another team than trading for Richardson and having to pay him a full contract.
MORE: Positives, negatives for Jets in 2017
Jets free agency decisions
If the Jets make a majority of these cuts and trades, they likely will have well over $50 million in cap space at the start of free agency. The big question: Do they go back to their strategy of 2015 and try again in free agency to revamp their roster, or do they go back to the strategy of 2013 and focus on the draft while hoarding cap space for the future?
Neither approach has proved successful for them.
Because they don’t have the same draft capital of other teams and need a quarterback, left tackle, cornerback, safety, pass rusher and running back (among other positions), the Jets arguably are in the worst position in the NFL.
Free agency is a tough place to go to fix a roster, but with a general manager and a coach on the hot seat, it may have to be the route the Jets take.