@@New York Jets

Cap space and FA OL + Huff

  • January 19, 2024


Based on [Jets Talk 24/4 YT](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wLVOS_JZ58) video, the Jets will have around $56 million in free cap space (rookie class included)

$17m Huff + $15m Tyron Smith LT + $11m Onwenu RT + $2m random vet IOL is $45 million spent on a very loose scenario using OTC valuation and potential overpay. Add McGovern for $2m for continuity the Jets have spent $47 million and have $9 million remaining.

It likely won’t go like this, maybe Huff gets more elsewhere, or maybe he costs less (OTC valuation is $9.1 million so big overvalue there) and all of the other signings cost less and there is more space and the Jets get everyone they want including WR.

This is a good setup to win now imo. Maybe Tyron Smith is Andrus Peat or Fant, maybe they get a WR and Huff leaves, any number of combinations, as long as the OL and therefore offense is improved, works well.

This is just an estimate, no future first round draft pick traded, Huff signed, and the Jets could have solid starters and sold backups potentially at every position on OL with $9m to spare. Add rookie OL and WR it just looks better.

With $100 million in cap in ’25 they can also put some cap into the future with signing bonuses.

Just to recap:

OL would be –

LT – Smith > backup rookie, AVT

LG – AVT or new FA or rookie > backup Tippmann, McGovern or FA, rookie

C – Tippmann > backup McGovern or FA, rookie

RG – FA Random (or AVT, rookie) > backup Tippmann, AVT, rookie

RT – Onwenu > backup Warren, Mitchell, AVT, rookie

Smith, AVT, Tippmann, RG, Onwenu + rookies and remaining OL.

There is cap to sign Tee Higgins with big signing bonus, or any other WR, sign Bakhtiari potentially if he is cut, Alaric Jackson/Fant/Becton/Eluemunor are options as backup or fill in.

Because JD hasn’t overpaid players in the past he can fit a lot into the present it seems and spread out salary with signing bonus so it doesn’t have huge impact in the future.

This team can come together with a big off-season, without trading a future high pick (although still an option), keeping Huff, future salary cap not crushed, solid OL and backups, a good WR, and rookie class. Cautiously optimistic. JD has to be willing to overpay now.

*Included link to video above and here it is again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wLVOS_JZ58

11 comments

  1. Huff is gone, needing 4 OL a WR2 on the offensive side of the ball you cannot put resources into DE. Not trading him at the deadline was a disaster

  2. We’d all like to see huff stay but realistically the plan will be for McDonald to come in and take over a bigger role to replace huff.

  3. Seems like too cheap for Smith and is there somebody else the Cowboys need to tag or something

  5. You are forgetting some things in your calculations. The jets need basic roster filling moves, and you probably need to account for around 7 million in basic vet contracts. Along with the cap hit of 4.6 million for our draft. You are already now over with that amount. 

  6. Huff is great for this system but I think he would be a total bust if he signed elsewhere and expected to be in a bigger role. He plays like 45 percent of snaps and only on passing downs. When he does play on runs, he is inept as to how to stop them. He also never gets any extra attention because of teams doubling Quinnen. Don’t get me wrong I love Huff and would love to see him back but he is not worth top tier edge rush money.

    As for your line predictions, I think that isn’t realistic. Who says Tyron Smith is out of Dallas? He is gonna be 33 years old, he isn’t necessarily gonna just go to the highest bidder at this point in his career.

    Owenu is a guard playing out of position. Might as well just slide AVT over if we are going to do that. Jermaine Eluemunor is the most realistic option and I dont hate it. He has had two good seasons in a row but GVR is also killing it on that o-line so part of it worries me that the jets won’t get out of him with what that system did.

  7. I dont think they would spend the cap to tag him, but, unless he has an insane ask, i dont see why they Jets cant get a bit crafty and pay him on a Reddick type deal adjusted for inflation, so 3-4 around 17-19 per as you say, but low base this year. Huff cant really expect to be paid like Sweat, can he?

    TBH I think a more likely scenario is the jets have a hard time finding quality guys at positions of need to **take their money,** a la Orlando Brown last year. Nightmare scenario is letting Huff walk on a reasonable deal, then whiffing on premiere OL, and overpaying for mid/bustable OL/WR.

  8. What YT video are you referencing? Very curious how they got to $56mil in cap space. That seems like fantasy land as things currently stand

  10. Lol dude, way off in the first sentence. Try closer to $45m combined to keep Huff and sign Smith

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