With the 2024 NFL Draft officially behind them, the Jets march toward offseason camps ahead of the regular season.
Now, the Jets will have seven new players and a few more undrafted free agents in tow for their 90-man roster. There is also still time for New York to add some veteran talent in free agency with whatever money the team has left over from the first waves of free agency and the draft. It's not much, but general manager Joe Douglas should and likely is looking at players on the open market to fill whatever cracks are left in the roster.
Here is the Jets salary cap situation following the 2024 NFL draft:
NFL DRAFT 2024: Best values | Biggest reaches | Biggest steals | Best UDFAs
Jets salary cap situation post-2024 NFL Draft
The Jets have around $9.19 million in salary cap space, according to Over The Cap. That ranks 21st in the league.
However, that doesn't account for how the money New York needs to pay its 2024 draft class. With that in mind, the Jets have just $5.08 million in effective cap space, per OTC, which ranks 22nd in the league.
Here is the full rundown of each NFL team's salary cap and effective salary cap after the draft:
| Team | Cap Space | Effective Cap Space |
|---|---|---|
| Patriots | $50,781,659 | $43,100,745 |
| Commanders | $43,437,115 | $34,534,877 |
| Jaguars | $34,231,736 | $30,866,651 |
| Titans | $30,836,098 | $25,566,201 |
| Chargers | $30,661,002 | $23,608,259 |
| Cardinals | $29,322,545 | $19,586,636 |
| Colts | $28,412,296 | $24,784,954 |
| Eagles | $28,176,857 | $24,651,262 |
| Lions | $26,008,308 | $23,416,428 |
| Texans | $23,670,426 | $21,811,555 |
| Bengals | $23,362,449 | $19,824,748 |
| Bears | $22,814,788 | $12,539,188 |
| Raiders | $22,566,943 | $18,612,800 |
| Packers | $21,699,437 | $17,821,402 |
| Chiefs | $20,157,377 | $17,635,078 |
| Steelers | $18,345,353 | $15,062,351 |
| Vikings | $16,672,244 | $11,062,173 |
| Broncos | $15,174,810 | $11,881,339 |
| Browns | $13,583,574 | $12,673,713 |
| Rams | $11,476,513 | $7,876,454 |
| Jets | $9,190,213 | $5,080,415 |
| Panthers | $8,082,458 | $5,528,084 |
| Saints | $7,780,455 | $4,270,748 |
| Ravens | $7,231,042 | $4,558,494 |
| 49ers | $6,391,025 | $3,753,942 |
| Cowboys | $6,296,988 | $3,581,386 |
| Falcons | $5,709,099 | $617,103 |
| Giants | $5,447,378 | -$384,645) |
| Dolphins | $2,916,052 | $138,778 |
| Bills | $2,898,830 | $723,481 |
| Seahawks | $1,616,170 | -$1,390,018 |
| Buccaneers | $390,599 | -$2,281,553 |
Jets draft picks 2024: When does New York pick? Full list of NFL Draft selections
5 free agents Jets could sign following 2024 NFL Draft
Douglas mentioned the Jets are looking into the veteran free agent market following the draft, but admitted on ESPN Radio that the Jets "don’t have a lot left in the budget to go out and spend." He did add that "if the right opportunity presents itself, I think we can add to different position rooms. As long as it’s the right type of player and person."
There are positions of need still on the team, though they've been mitigated a bit by the draft class. New York could use another receiver, as well as depth on the offensive and defensive lines. Safety might be the biggest need unless the Jets are comfortable with Chuck Clark and Tony Adams manning the deep secondary with Ashtyn Davis back in the fold.
Here are five free agents the Jets could sign before the season:
WR Odell Beckham Jr.
The Jets wanted Odell Beckham Jr. a year ago but the price wasn't right. Now that he's a year older and would be a reserve player for New York, perhaps OBJ would be amenable to a return to the city that adopted him in 2013.
WR Tyler Boyd
Boyd is a big slot receiver who could start Week 1 for New York while Mike Williams continues to recover from his ACL tear and rookie Malachi Corley assimilates into the offense. He's not a world-beater, but Boyd would be an inexpensive tertiary option for the offense early in the season.
S Justin Simmons
Simmons could be expensive, but he's just the type of player the Jets need in the secondary. He can play either safety position and give the Jets much-needed veteran leadership in the defensive backfield.
DL Calais Campbell
There is a spot on the Jets' depth chart for a player like Campbell even after the team traded away John Franklin-Myers. Campbell is 37, but proved in 2023 he can still play at a high level after tallying 6.5 sacks.
LT David Bakhtiari
Bakhtiari wouldn't fill a need for the Jets with Fashanu in the fold, but he would be a welcome site for Rodgers and give the Jets even more veteran depth on the offensive line.
Jets dead money cap hits for 2024
The Jets rank highly in dead cap hits this season. New York owe $52.05 million in dead cap money to players not on the roster, per OTC, which ranks third in the league behind the Vikings and Bills.
New York cut or traded away some big names from their 2023 roster including the aforementioned Franklin-Myers, guard Laken Tomlinson, tight end C.J. Uzomah, quarterback Zach Wilson and edge rusher Carl Lawson.
| Name | Cap Number |
|---|---|
| Laken Tomlinson | $10,740,000 |
| John Franklin-Myers | $9,056,000 |
| Zach Wilson | $8,457,670 |
| C.J. Uzomah | $5,921,668 |
| Carl Lawson | $5,860,000 |
| Duane Brown | $4,728,000 |
| Jordan Whitehead | $3,300,000 |
| Mecole Hardman | $2,000,000 |
| Quinton Jefferson | $1,540,000 |
| Michael Carter | $201,840 |
| Nick Bawden | $100,000 |
| TOTAL | $52,050,639 |
