Mike Maccagnan and the New York Jets are expected to have around $100 million in cap space by the time the 2018 NFL offseason begins.
Mike Maccagnan did not sacrifice the future of his team, the New York Jets. With $27.317 million left in cap space, money is still available from the cool over $100 million available to start when the offseason commenced.
For those who were signed to new Jets deals, notice the short-term nature of the contracts. Most are one-year deals leading to next offseason’s copycat of another blockbuster free agency. According to Rich Cimini of ESPN, the Jets are expected to come equipped to the 2019 free agency party with around $100 million.
Eighteen total players have been signed to contracts over the last three weeks. Only two received guaranteed money in 2019, Trumaine Johnson and Avery Williamson. Other such as Josh McCown, Isaiah Crowell, Teddy Bridgewater, Thomas Rawls and Spencer Long are either on one-year deals or under a contract that offers extreme flexibility for New York.
“It’s a nice problem to have,” CEO Christopher Johnson said at last week’s NFL meetings.
Cimini breaks down a certain Jets “plan” as it’s now suddenly starting to crystalize before our very eyes. He says year one was meant to rip it apart. Year two, right now, is for snagging that franchise quarterback (which they’re sure to do in the upcoming draft). Then year three (next offseason) will be to go all out, guns blazing.
That’s crap.
NFL free agency these days is what it is. Next offseason won’t suddenly offer overwhelming value that 2018 didn’t showcase. What makes anybody think Maccagnan and the Jets will suddenly decide to commit to long-term deals or force themselves to do so during one specific offseason?
It’s not prudent. It all depends on value, what’s available and what the current depth chart looks like and a lot of that depends on development and the upcoming draft.
If Maccagnan truly wanted to provide his young quarterback a running start, he would have at least gotten in on the Andrew Norwell or Nate Solder sweepstakes this offseason. (More specifically Norwell as he’s a much nicer value with his age.) But Maccagnan just doesn’t invest in his O-line.
Assessing strategy aside, one thing’s for certain: the New York Jets will have a bundle of money again next offseason.
