FREE AGENT dept. ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

Jets free-agent class '13

A roundup of the Jets eligible for unrestricted and restricted free agency :

UNRESTRICTED

S Yeremiah Bell -- There's usually not much of a market for 35-year-old safeties, but he was a solid addition and brought leadership to the locker room. They should bring him back on a one-year deal. He's a good "hold-the-fort guy," as Parcells used to say.

DT Mike DeVito -- The Jets are nuts if they let him get away. He's a true heart-and-soul player, still in the prime of his career. But here's the reality: They have to make Quinton Coples a starter to justify his first-round status, and that means DeVito will get better money elsewhere.

PK Nick Folk -- Solid kicker, solid year. Sounds like another one-year contract.

RB Shonn Greene -- It's be interesting to see the kind of market that develops for him. He's a complementary back, not a true No. 1. Chances are, the Jets will look to upgrade, bringing in a speed back to complement Bilal Powell.

FB Lex Hilliard -- The Jets plucked him off the scrap heap and that's where he'll end up.

TE Dustin Keller -- Someone will get a great bargain, and it probably won't be the Jets. In the right offense, Keller has the receiving skills to shine. The Jets' interest will depend on their new offensive scheme -- assuming Tony Sparano is gone.

S LaRon Landry -- Should the Jets try to re-sign him? Absolutely. Will it happen? Highly unlikely. They can't use the franchise tag, per a clause in his contract, and they probably won't be able to afford him. Landry bet on himself by signing a one-year deal with the Jets -- and he won.

G Brandon Moore -- He's the fourth-rated guard in the league, according to ProFootballFocus.com, but the Jets probably will try to get younger. At the same, Moore, who will be 34, may want a change of scenery after a decade of Jet craziness.

WR Chaz Schilens -- He's a one-year, minimum-salary type of player, strictly a No. 4 or No. 5 receiver. He can play special teams, too. He's unlikely to return. The media madness around the team really was an eye-opener for Schilens.

G Matt Slauson -- Management forced him to take a pay cut and turned his position into a time-share with Vladimir Ducasse, strong indications that it's prepared to part ways. Too bad, because Slauson is a smart, workmanlike player.

LB Bryan Thomas -- He'll be 34 and his body is breaking down. The former first-round pick gave everything he had for more than a decade, but it's time to move on. Thomas could end up retiring.

RESTRICTED

TE Jeff Cumberland -- He can be a serviceable No. 2 tight end, but it wouldn't be a surprise if they let him test the market.

RT Austin Howard -- It'll be interesting to see if the new GM likes him as much as the old one. Howard came a long way in a year and, with continued development, he can be a solid starter in the league.

LB Josh Mauga -- Unlikely to be tendered.

LS Tanner Purdum -- They brought in some competition by signing Travis Tripuka to a reserve/future contract. He's the son of former NBA player Kelly Tripuka and grandson of former Broncos great Frank Tripuka. The Jets probably won't tender Purdum, letting him test the waters.

> http://espn.go.com/b...-agent-class-13

[JayKwaz]

Bring back Cumberland and Howard, let the rest walk. Don't sign any free agents. Get teh cap straight, regroup with draft and compensatory picks.

[CrazyCarl40]

I think you have to bring back Moore or Slauson. I have no faith in Vlad to be a starting guard. There are too many holes to create another one at guard. Bell would be fine to bring back, Landry earned a decent pay day elsewhere. Hilliard wasn't bad, except missing blocks all the time. DeVito should be brought back too. Everyone else can take a walk.

[unbanmadmike1]

Ducasse won't be on the Jets next season.

[kelly]

Report : Jets Will Free Up $30 Million is Salary, Early in Waiver Period

This won’t be much of a surprise to anybody, nor will anybody be upset by it.

Rich Cimini of ESPN New York reported in his Sunday Notes article yesterday that when the waiver period opens in February, the Jets will let go of over $30 million off of their cap number quick than it “takes to hail a cab”. His report advises that we will say goodbye to :

• Calvin Pace ($8.56 million saved)
  
• Bart Scott ($7.15 million saved)
  
• Jason Smith ($12 million saved)
  
• Eric Smith ($3 million saved)
  

In total, that will knock $30.7 million off of the Jets cap number, leaving only $4.5 million in dead money. A win-win for the Jets.Obviously, this won’t solve all of the Jets problems, but it will be a good start, that’s for sure. Come February, the Jets can finally pull the linebacking corp out of the Stone Ages, and we will be able to say we “can’t wait” to see the young linebackers. Done will be the #63 eligible days as well. The Jumbo package, as we know it, will be no more.

> http://thejetpress.c...-waiver-period/

[pointman]

Without Slauson and Moore, whoever our QB is... is dead.

[SayNoToDMC]

Without Slauson and Moore, whoever our QB is... is dead.

Keep Sanchez and get somebody off of Washingtons staff to implement that offense here.

[SenorGato]

The Jets need this guy:

[SenorGato]

Although this guy:

could also work.

[unbanmadmike1]

Keep Sanchez and get somebody off of Washingtons staff to implement that offense here.

Thats a terrible idea.

[Il Mostro]

Without Slauson and Moore, whoever our QB is... is dead.

Both of these guys are more than serviceable. What good can come from cutting them loose. We should keep our eyes out for Moore's replacement in the draft and hopefully have him learn a thing or two from the veteran.

[SayNoToDMC]

Thats a terrible idea.

Not if my plan is to kill Sanchez

[pointman]

Thats a terrible idea.

Its actually an awesome idea.

[SayNoToDMC]

I think you have to bring back Moore or Slauson. I have no faith in Vlad to be a starting guard. There are too many holes to create another one at guard. Bell would be fine to bring back, Landry earned a decent pay day elsewhere. Hilliard wasn't bad, except missing blocks all the time. DeVito should be brought back too. Everyone else can take a walk.

Really hope he's back

[pointman]

Bell

Landry

Moore

Slauson

Folk

Howard.

Our line and secondary would be set. Landry is the only big ticket guy on that list, no?

[pointman]

Both of these guys are more than serviceable. What good can come from cutting them loose. We should keep our eyes out for Moore's replacement in the draft and hopefully have him learn a thing or two from the veteran.

I am with you 100%. One is old, the other a moron. They won't cost us too much to retain, and they weren't liabilities for us at all. Without Moore, Slauson, Howard, and Brick playing less than great... we couldn't ground and pound a chuck steak.

[Greenseed4]

We obviously need to keep Moore and Slauson.

Ducasse may be the answer at LG, but the Pete Kendall turned Adriene Clarke debacle should be enough to dispell the notion that OG is a position we can afford to neglect. I would rather keep them both AND draft a newbie (early on) than let them both float on to newer pasteurs and trust someone new. My favor fave is DJ Fluker (Alabama), a natural RT who could bounce inside with his mauling run block style.

[Ryno the Jet]

Keep Sanchez and get somebody off of Washingtons staff to implement that offense here.

Thats a terrible idea.

The idea is to get Sanchez to do da stanky leg like

[Ryno the Jet]

LB Bryan Thomas -- He'll be 34 and his body is breaking down. The former first-round pick gave everything he had for more than a decade, but it's time to move on. Thomas could end up retiring.

Except that year he admittedly didn't give it his all...

[kelly]

The Jets need this guy:

we need alot more than just him^^^

[sirlancemehlot]

Ideally, the jets GM would have drafted a guard or right tackle LAST year in order to shore up depth and add a measure of continuity knowing that the team was likely going to lose one or both of its guards to FA this year. Ideally.

Freakin' Tannenbaum. I know he's gone. I just can't quit him.

[sirlancemehlot]

Ideally, the jets GM would have drafted a guard or right tackle LAST year in order to shore up depth and add a measure of continuity knowing that the team was likely going to lose one or both of its guards to FA this year. Ideally.

Freakin' Tannenbaum. I know he's gone. I just can't quit him.

[LAD_Brooklyn]

I'm excited to have Josh Mauga back for next year and hopefully healthy. Not so sure what type of injury and when it occured for him to have miss the entire season. But with him back there's no reason to bring back Scott nor to rush Davis into the startign slot just because he's a 3rd rounder.

[kelly]

AFC East's top free agents: Nos. 4-6

The AFC East blog continues its ranking of the top dozen free agents.

Here are Nos. 4-6 :

No. 6 : Sean Smith, CB, Dolphins

2012 stats : 59 tackles, two INTs, three forced fumbles

Analysis : The Miami Dolphins are in a tough spot with Smith. Miami cannot afford to lose more corners. Cornerback is a premium position and Smith may be able to command upwards of $8 million per year on the open market. The Dolphins may not want to pay that much in a multi-year extension. Miami also has the option to use a one-year franchise tag on Smith. But that would eat up a lot of cap room for Smith, who is a good but not elite corner.

No. 5: LaRon Landry, S, Jets

2012 stats: 99 tackles, two INTs, four forced fumbles

Analysis: Landry's stock rose dramatically this year with the New York Jets. He stayed around the football, recording 99 tackles, four forced fumbles and two interception. Landry also made the Pro Bowl. The Jets were able to sign Landry to a team-friendly, one-year contract last season due to injury concerns with his Achilles. But Landry showed his durability by playing in all 16 games and will be looking for a multi-year extension. The Jets don't have much money available to use in the free agency and could lose Landry.

No. 4: Andy Levitre, G, Bills

2012 stats: 16 starts

Analysis: Levitre might be Buffalo's best offensive lineman. He's a versatile guard who plays a big role in Buffalo's offense. There is a reason C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson had so many running lanes over the past two seasons. It's clear Buffalo wants to keep its offensive line in tact. The Bills signed guard Kraig Urbik to a four-year, $15 million extension last month. Levitre, the other starting guard, will come with a higher price tag.

We will have the division's top three pending free agents later in the AFC East blog.

> http://espn.go.com/b...-agents-nos-4-6

[Sperm Edwards]

Ideally, the jets GM would have drafted a guard or right tackle LAST year in order to shore up depth and add a measure of continuity knowing that the team was likely going to lose one or both of its guards to FA this year. Ideally.

Freakin' Tannenbaum. I know he's gone. I just can't quit him.

We did. He just sucked is all.

[kelly]

We did. He just sucked is all.

true/agreed...oh , & he's not the only one

cheers ~ ~

[SenorGato]

How possible is it to sign a LeVitre or Cherilus or Vollmer (I think there's 0 chance there)?

[kelly]

How possible is it to sign a LeVitre or Cherilus or Vollmer (I think there's 0 chance there)?

can there be LESS than zero ? ?...yes , than that's it

[kelly]

The Best Free Agent Fit at Every Position for the New York Jets

The New York Jets are a train wreck.

Rex Ryan is permanently inked to Mark Sanchez (literally), the general manager position is vacant and incredibly unappealing to top-notch candidates, and the team has nothing but question marks at quarterback.To add to the team's hardships, they are currently about $10 million over the salary cap.

However, the team seems to be moving towards cap stability, as reported by Rich Cimini of ESPN New York :

As soon as the waiver period opens in February, the Jets will clear $30.7 million off their salary cap in less time than it takes to hail a cab in New York. They will release LB Calvin Pace ($8.56 million savings), LB Bart Scott ($7.15 million), OT Jason Smith ($12 million) and S Eric Smith ($3 million). Those moves will result in only $4.5 million in dead money. The problem—and it's a big problem—is that they will have only 10 starters under contract and not much cap room.

Even if New York gets comfortably under the set salary cap, they will have plenty of work to do when free agency hits.The team has plenty of need areas but not the financial flexibility to make a play for elite free agents. Therefore, the team will be forced to target a handful of lower-tier free agents who can immediately take hold of the starting reigns.With that said, here is the best free-agent fit at every position, considering the team's financial situation and how the player(s) fit into the Jets' offensive and defensive systems.

*Center, Defensive End, Inside Linebacker, Cornerback and Punter are not on the list, as the Jets possess stability at each of those positions and will likely not look to upgrade those areas in free agency

> http://bleacherrepor...e-new-york-jets

[bitonti]

We obviously need to keep Moore and Slauson.

Ducasse may be the answer at LG, but the Pete Kendall turned Adriene Clarke debacle should be enough to dispell the notion that OG is a position we can afford to neglect. I would rather keep them both AND draft a newbie (early on) than let them both float on to newer pasteurs and trust someone new. My favor fave is DJ Fluker (Alabama), a natural RT who could bounce inside with his mauling run block style.

Someone's gonna draft Fluker mid-low rd1 to be RT/LT. supposed to be a physical beast like in the stacy andrews mold. Chance Warmack is an interesting name, if they trade down... a line of Brick - Vlad - Mangold -Chance -Howard could be pretty good.

why not tender all the RFAs at least at low levels. cmon Josh Mauga was made for special teams and nickel downs.

Barton in another thread who said Trade Cro and use that money to resign Landry. +1 that idea.

[kelly]

Someone's gonna draft Fluker mid-low rd1 to be RT/LT. supposed to be a physical beast like in the stacy andrews mold. Chance Warmack is an interesting name, if they trade down... a line of Brick - Vlad - Mangold -Chance -Howard could be pretty good.

why not tender all the RFAs at least at low levels. cmon Josh Mauga was made for special teams and nickel downs.

Barton in another thread who said Trade Cro and use that money to resign Landry. +1 that idea.

Landry is gonna get some offerS for major coin

[kelly]

5 things Jets learned from divisional round

We all know the NFL is a copycat league. That said, the Jets may have been able to learn a thing or two (or five) from the weekend's divisional playoff games -- stuff that could come in handy as they attempt to rebuild from 6-10.

For instance :

1. You need an offense : By that, we mean an offense that can actually score points, something the Jets didn't do very well in 2012. All eight teams scored at least 28 points for a total of 276 points, making it the highest-scoring postseason weekend in history (four games). By the way, the Jets' point total for the season was only 281. Yikes.Defensive-minded critics will point to the wild-card games, noting that no team scored more than 24 points. True, but that was more the exception than the rule. A championship-caliber team must have the ability to let its hair down, so to speak, and play aggressive, wide-open offensive football if the circumstances dictate that approach. Maybe Rex Ryan finally understands that. As he noted last week, he's willing to shift his philosophy.

2. Quarterback play is vital : It's a quarterback-driven league, and that was on display over the weekend. Not one of the eight quarterbacks produced a passer rating lower than 88.3. Each quarterback, even playoff newbies Colin Kaepernick and rookie Russell Wilson, were integral parts of their respective game plan. In other words, they were catalysts, not just game managers -- the approach the Jets often take with Mark Sanchez.A new trend in quarterbacking was on display, meaning the exceptional running skills of Kaepernick and Wilson. Whether they were designed plays or scrambles, both players got results with their feet. In fact, Kaepernick rushed for 181 yards, a league record for a quarterback. He ran for 102 yards and a TD out of the "pistol" formation, which Ryan mentioned last week as a possibility for the Jets. Yes, three of the four remaining quarterbacks are traditional pocket passers, but the wave of the future is upon us.

3. Speed on defense is key : Naturally, the increase in running quarterbacks will force defenses to adjust. You need to fight speed with speed. Anybody who watched the Jets knows that defensive speed wasn't an attribute. They need to get faster, especially on the perimeter.

4. Running backs still matter : Yeah, it has become a passing league, but the four divisional games showed us it's still important to have a threat in the backfield. The four winners each had a back that ran for at least 82 yards -- Stevan Ridley 82, Michael Turner 98, Frank Gore 119 and Ray Rice 131. This doesn't mean Ground & Pound still is in vogue -- sorry, Tony Sparano -- but it's clear that successful teams need offensive balance.This presents a problem for the Jets, whose top back -- Shonn Greene -- could leave as a free agent.

5. A pass-catching tight end helps: Four tight ends caught at least six passes apiece, not counting the Broncos' Joel Dreessen-Jacob Tamme tandem, which combined for nine catches. Tony Gonzalez, arguably the greatest tight end in history, made a couple of huge receptions. Moral of the story: The tight end is alive and well. When teams use Cover-2 defenses to prevent big plays, the tight end becomes an invaluable weapon over the middle.Unfortunately for the Jets, this is a major concern. The tight-end position is in bad shape, with Dustin Keller likely to leave in free agency.

> http://espn.go.com/b...ivisional-round

[#27TheDominator]

I'd certainly tender Mauga. Guy was playing some. With Mauga, Davis and Harris ILB is okay and they will need to concentrate on OLB.

[HessStation]

5 things Jets learned from divisional round

We all know the NFL is a copycat league. That said, the Jets may have been able to learn a thing or two (or five) from the weekend's divisional playoff games -- stuff that could come in handy as they attempt to rebuild from 6-10.

For instance :

1. You need an offense : By that, we mean an offense that can actually score points, something the Jets didn't do very well in 2012. All eight teams scored at least 28 points for a total of 276 points, making it the highest-scoring postseason weekend in history (four games). By the way, the Jets' point total for the season was only 281. Yikes.Defensive-minded critics will point to the wild-card games, noting that no team scored more than 24 points. True, but that was more the exception than the rule. A championship-caliber team must have the ability to let its hair down, so to speak, and play aggressive, wide-open offensive football if the circumstances dictate that approach. Maybe Rex Ryan finally understands that. As he noted last week, he's willing to shift his philosophy.

2. Quarterback play is vital : It's a quarterback-driven league, and that was on display over the weekend. Not one of the eight quarterbacks produced a passer rating lower than 88.3. Each quarterback, even playoff newbies Colin Kaepernick and rookie Russell Wilson, were integral parts of their respective game plan. In other words, they were catalysts, not just game managers -- the approach the Jets often take with Mark Sanchez.A new trend in quarterbacking was on display, meaning the exceptional running skills of Kaepernick and Wilson. Whether they were designed plays or scrambles, both players got results with their feet. In fact, Kaepernick rushed for 181 yards, a league record for a quarterback. He ran for 102 yards and a TD out of the "pistol" formation, which Ryan mentioned last week as a possibility for the Jets. Yes, three of the four remaining quarterbacks are traditional pocket passers, but the wave of the future is upon us.

3. Speed on defense is key : Naturally, the increase in running quarterbacks will force defenses to adjust. You need to fight speed with speed. Anybody who watched the Jets knows that defensive speed wasn't an attribute. They need to get faster, especially on the perimeter.

4. Running backs still matter : Yeah, it has become a passing league, but the four divisional games showed us it's still important to have a threat in the backfield. The four winners each had a back that ran for at least 82 yards -- Stevan Ridley 82, Michael Turner 98, Frank Gore 119 and Ray Rice 131. This doesn't mean Ground & Pound still is in vogue -- sorry, Tony Sparano -- but it's clear that successful teams need offensive balance.This presents a problem for the Jets, whose top back -- Shonn Greene -- could leave as a free agent.

5. A pass-catching tight end helps: Four tight ends caught at least six passes apiece, not counting the Broncos' Joel Dreessen-Jacob Tamme tandem, which combined for nine catches. Tony Gonzalez, arguably the greatest tight end in history, made a couple of huge receptions. Moral of the story: The tight end is alive and well. When teams use Cover-2 defenses to prevent big plays, the tight end becomes an invaluable weapon over the middle.Unfortunately for the Jets, this is a major concern. The tight-end position is in bad shape, with Dustin Keller likely to leave in free agency.

> http://espn.go.com/b...ivisional-round

im very unimpressed with this analysis.

[Ignatius del Sol]

Cut E. Smith, J. Smith, Scott, Pace. Let Schilens, Moore, Keller, Greene, Devito, and Landry walk. Throw peanuts at Edwards, Slauson, Hilliard, Thomas, Bell, and Folk. Low tender all RFA except the long snapper.