Ryan Fitzpatrick: MERGED

[kelly]

WHAT WILL JETS DO AT QB?

Rich Cimini expects the Jets to re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick to a multyear deal, leaving Geno Smith and Bryce Petty to duel for the No. 2 spot. Who will be the odd man out? Predicting the QB depth chart

 

>    http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[jgb]

13 minutes ago, kelly said:

WHAT WILL JETS DO AT QB?

Rich Cimini expects the Jets to re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick to a multyear deal, leaving Geno Smith and Bryce Petty to duel for the No. 2 spot. Who will be the odd man out? Predicting the QB depth chart

 

>    http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

Hint: It won't be a Heartbreaker and it will be Good to Be King when our next #2 QB is Free Fallin' bombs into our receivers waiting arms come pre-season with nary a locker room Break Down in sight.

[NYJ37/12]

1 hour ago, Jetsfan80 said:

There was an article just 2 days ago suggesting Fitz is the top priority right now.  Macc has also been very good about not letting information leak.  Patience, sir, patience.  The Conquering Hero will return.

haha, I must have missed that article. I just need some news. This is the worst time of year for sports.

[NYJ37/12]

1 hour ago, jgb said:

Again, read the post you quote and respond to it. Don't then try to say it means something else. People here can read, you know. Nice try though. It's ok to be wrong. Your momma still loves you.

what?

[jgb]

10 minutes ago, NYJ37/12 said:

what?

Correct. See your posting is improving already! For $9.99 you can get the next 3 steps of my trademarked four step process to become a conquering hero level poster.

[NYJ37/12]

5 minutes ago, jgb said:

Correct. See your posting is improving already! For $9.99 you can get the next 3 steps of my trademarked four step process to become a conquering hero level poster.

I think you're confusing me with someone else. Have a nice day.

[Mainejet]

9 hours ago, Jet Nut said:

Wasn't it you that wrote about Jet fans not wanting to pay their players who play well after copying and pasting a post saying Fitz should get only 8 mil?

Your words.  Don't get pissy

 So 8's not enough  but 12-14 is too much, what are you proposing, 10 mil?

2 years and anywhere from 5 to 7 million per season. You're way overvaluing him here. You seem to forget Ryan Fitzpatrick KNOWS he won't have this kind of success anywhere else. It's a smart decision for him to stay here and cultivate this new found chemistry he has with Marshall, Decker, possibly Powell, and whatever other weapons the Jets get him during the offseason. If he leaves, he probably knows he'll end up being the Ryan Fitzpatrick of old and whatever money he gets offered based on incentives in FA he'll never collect.

NY is the best place for Ryan Fitzpatrick to play and I think he's well aware of that.

[Jet Nut]

34 minutes ago, Mainejet said:

2 years and anywhere from 5 to 7 million per season. You're way overvaluing him here. You seem to forget Ryan Fitzpatrick KNOWS he won't have this kind of success anywhere else. It's a smart decision for him to stay here and cultivate this new found chemistry he has with Marshall, Decker, possibly Powell, and whatever other weapons the Jets get him during the offseason. If he leaves, he probably knows he'll end up being the Ryan Fitzpatrick of old and whatever money he gets offered based on incentives in FA he'll never collect.

NY is the best place for Ryan Fitzpatrick to play and I think he's well aware of that.

5-7 would be fair, depending on the guarantees, I agree

[NYJ37/12]

23 minutes ago, Jet Nut said:

5-7 would be fair, depending on the guarantees, I agree

that would be fair, I agree also. He's not worth more but wishful thinking I believe. The floor for starting qb's is around 12 right now. I think he gives the Jets a little discount but not 4-5 million discount.

[Jet Nut]

2 minutes ago, NYJ37/12 said:

that would be fair, I agree also. He's not worth more but wishful thinking I believe. The floor for starting qb's is around 12 right now. I think he gives the Jets a little discount but not 4-5 million discount.

Also starting QBs who you can grow with, who are intended to be with their teams as opposed to a stop gap, bridge QB who probably peaked a year ago

[chirorob]

13 hours ago, jgb said:

I found an article quoting a "prominent agent" saying he "could" get a 10-12 per year deal. 

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/57420/jets-qb-ryan-fitzpatrick-in-line-for-jaw-dropping-contract

Could just be agent puffery but I will note the article also mentioned $12 would place Fitzpatrick only as 20th highest paid QB. So maybe the issue is we are undervaluing the market. 20th highest paid does not sound outrageous.

Also from the article is this depressing note:  6. Homegrown: Muhammad Wilkerson became the first player from the Jets' past eight drafts to be selected to the Pro Bowl.

Thanks, Idzik!!!

That's more than just Idzik.  

and 12 million sounds about right for a short term deal, I think people are underestimating what a QB goes for.   20th highest sounds like a very fair deal.  Fitz also holds some leverage, if he leaves, where does that leave the Jets QB wise?

[chirorob]

1 hour ago, Mainejet said:

2 years and anywhere from 5 to 7 million per season. You're way overvaluing him here. You seem to forget Ryan Fitzpatrick KNOWS he won't have this kind of success anywhere else. It's a smart decision for him to stay here and cultivate this new found chemistry he has with Marshall, Decker, possibly Powell, and whatever other weapons the Jets get him during the offseason. If he leaves, he probably knows he'll end up being the Ryan Fitzpatrick of old and whatever money he gets offered based on incentives in FA he'll never collect.

NY is the best place for Ryan Fitzpatrick to play and I think he's well aware of that.

That's really low.  There are backups making close to 5.  Vick made 5 on the Jets.   He should get a raise over last year, he played well.

[kelly]

With free agency set to begin March 9, we'll examine the New York Jets' top free agents over the next few days :

Player: Ryan Fitzpatrick

Position: Quarterback

Age: 33

Previous contract: He signed a two-year, $7.25 million contract with theHouston Texans in 2014. The Jets inherited the final year ($3.25 million) when they traded for him last March.

2015 stats: Fitzpatrick set career highs for wins as a starter (10), passing yards (3,905), touchdown passes (31) and Total QBR (63.6). His touchdown-pass total was a franchise record, eclipsing Vinny Testaverde's previous mark (29). He finished 12th in QBR, but only 24th in passer rating (88.0). Why so low? He threw 15 interceptions, more than all but four quarterbacks.

The case to keep him: Fitzpatrick is a popular team leader and an ideal fit in Chan Gailey's offense. After years of mediocrity, he showed what he can do with a talented receiving corps and a top-10 defense, something he never had in his many previous stops. Despite limited reps -- he was idle most of the offseason due to a surgically repaired broken leg -- he made a seamless transition to the starting role after the Geno Smith/IK Enemkpali mess. Fitzpatrick's chemistry with his supporting cast should be even better in 2016 after a full offseason of preparation. His surgically repaired left thumb, which didn't stop him from playing, is a distant memory. He's not a franchise quarterback, but he's good enough to be a bridge until That Guy comes along ... if he ever comes along.

The case to let him go: It usually raises eyebrows when a player enjoys a career year at age 33. Is he a late bloomer or was it just an aberration? In Fitzpatrick's case, he provided cynics with fodder by throwing three fourth-quarter interceptions in the final game of the season, costing the Jets a playoff spot. His Buffalo implosion shouldn't overshadow all the good moments from his breakout year, but it served as a reminder that he has no big-game resume -- no playoff appearances in 11 seasons.

Crystal ball: The Jets must -- and will -- re-sign Fitzpatrick, who is smart enough to recognize his best chance for success is in New York. Where else could he go? There aren't many starting vacancies. The Texans have the biggest need, but they've been there, done that with Fitzpatrick. He deserves a nice raise, but the Jets have to be careful not to overpay for someone who may not be starting beyond 2016. He's had an unusual career, so it's hard to quantify his true value compared with the market. The key will be the amount of guaranteed money. Prediction: Three years, $24 million, including $12 million guaranteed. The $8 million average per year would put him 21st in the league, according ESPN salary information. The $12 million guarantee would put him 26th.

>      http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/58482/ryan-fitzpatrick-saved-jets-in-2015-did-they-save-enough-to-pay-him

[cant wait]

On February 17, 2016 at 1:32 PM, chirorob said:

That's really low.  There are backups making close to 5.  Vick made 5 on the Jets.   He should get a raise over last year, he played well.

Didn't know Fitz's agent posted here

[chirorob]

43 minutes ago, cant wait said:

Didn't know Fitz's agent posted here

I wish I was.   But reality is reality.

[kelly]

Jets GM 'feels good' about Ryan Fitzpatrick contract talks

 

New York Jets coach Todd Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan addressed the media for 15 minutes apiece on Wednesday at the NFL scouting combine. What did we learn ?

1. They're optimistic about re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick (still) : The Jets have been transparent with their desire to keep Fitzpatrick, always staying positive with comments regarding contract talks. That didn't change Wednesday. Asked about the current state of the negotiations, Maccagnan said, "I feel good about it, but at the end of the day, it's a process." It would be a surprise if he's not signed by the start of the league year, March 9. The Jets will meet with the quarterback's agent in Indianapolis.

rest of above article  : 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/58609/jets-gm-mike-maccagnan-feels-good-about-ryan-fitzpatrick-contract-talks

[kelly]

Assessing Ryan Fitzpatrick’s value has entire NFL puzzled

 

 — For the past two months, it has felt inevitable the Jets and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick would reach an agreement on a new contract before free agency begins March 9. But the Fitzpatrick contract may not be so easy.Ask coaches, executives and agents at the NFL Scouting Combine about Fitzpatrick’s value and you will get a variety of opinions. Some point to his 2015 season, when he threw for a team-record 31 touchdowns and led the most prolific offense in Jets history. Others point to his history as a journeyman and say 2015 was an anomaly, using the final game of the season in Buffalo, when he was intercepted three times in the loss that kept the Jets out of the playoffs, as evidence he will revert to the turnover-prone quarterback he has been during his career.

So, how do you evaluate a 33-year-old coming off a career year if you are Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan? Do you believe the chemistry offensive coordinator Chan Gailey and wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker had with Fitzpatrick will continue? If so, at what price?

The market value of Fitzpatrick’s contract also is tough to figure out. There basically are two classes of starting quarterback contracts in the NFL — those still on their rookie contracts and those who have signed veteran deals. Nearly all of the veteran starters make $16 million per year and up. Could Fitzpatrick’s agents point to that and say that is what he wants? That seems extremely high, but they may argue if the Jets believe Fitzpatrick is their starter for the immediate future, he should be paid like the other veterans around the league.

The website Spotrac.com, which analyzes contracts, projects Fitzpatrick’s average annual value at $11 million, but predicts he only will get $8 million per year.Broncos vice president of football operations and general manager John Elway talked about how there is no middle range of salaries for quarterbacks this week. He faces a similar problem with what to pay pending free agent Brock Osweiler.“That’s the hard part,” Elway said on Pro Football Talk. “When you look at where the salaries are on quarterbacks, either above $15 million or below $5 [million]. There’s no middle class of quarterbacks.”There are a few outliers, like Tom Brady, whose team-friendly deal averages $9 million per year, or players who were coming off poor seasons like Brian Hoyer ($5.25 million) or Josh McCown ($4.6 million). But Fitzpatrick is coming off a monster season.

“You have to pay him,” one league source said. “That was the best offense the Jets ever had.”

ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, who worked in the front office of the Redskins and Eagles, disagrees.“You’re not paying him for what he did last year,” Riddick said. “This is about future performance production always when you’re talking about contracts, and with him it’s no different. For them, the question would be in turn to go back to his agent and say, ‘Oh what, do you think you can do it again?’ It’s great that he did it, but clearly I don’t think they’re going to think he can sustain that level. They’re not trying to pay him for what he did last year.”

One agent suggested the Jets design an incentive-filled contract that would pay Fitzpatrick more if he gets the team to the playoffs or hits statistical marks.If the Jets don’t give Fitzpatrick a contract offer he finds fair, would he test free agency? He has said he wants to return to the Jets. He likes being back with Gailey. He has moved his wife and five kids three times in the past three years as he bounced from Buffalo to Tennessee to Houston to New York. He has indicated he does not really want to do that again, but it may be the way he lands the most lucrative deal.The quarterback free-agency market is extremely thin this year. If the Broncos re-sign Osweiler, as they are expected to, the top of the quarterback market would be Fitzpatrick, Kirk Cousins and Sam Bradford.

“He knows that that’s the best place for him, especially that relationship with Chan,” Riddick said. “You don’t want to mess those kinds of things up and wind up cutting off your nose to spite your face. You don’t want to do that and I think Ryan at this point in his career knows that this is where I need to be. If they need him to hold down the fort for another year or however long it takes to get that next guy, then ultimately that’s what his role will be.”

>   http://nypost.com/2016/02/27/assessing-ryan-fitzpatricks-value-has-entire-nfl-puzzled/

[UnitedWhofans]

I love that article. Nobody in the NFL has a clue

[JetsFanatic]

Kelly beat to the article I was going to post. Great Article!

[kelly]

If the Jets can't re-sign QB Ryan Fitzpatrick ... don't ask

With free agency approaching (March 9), we're looking at the biggest needs on the New York Jets' roster, examining possible upgrades :

Position: Quarterback

2016 cap hits (position rank):

• Geno Smith -- $1.6 million (44/81)

• Bryce Petty -- $573,000 (55/81)

Pending free agents: Ryan Fitzpatrick

Key stat: Over the last two seasons, Fitzpatrick is 14th in Total QBR (61.1), slightly ahead of the Carolina Panthers' Cam Newton (60.8).

Money matters: Fitzpatrick, who made $3.25 million last season, deserves a raise after the best year of his career. Both sides have expressed a desire to re-up. The question is, what is the true value of a 33-year-old journeyman who already has reached his ceiling? The key will be the structure of the contract. Look for a front-loaded contract that could include anywhere from $10 million to $14 million in guarantees. In terms of the entire package, it could be three or four years with an APY (average per year) of $8 million to $10 million. Fitzpatrick would be nuts to leave the Jets. He has a high comfort level with coordinator Chan Gailey and his receivers, and the fan base likes him. ... Smith, entering the final year of his rookie deal, has a $414,000 roster bonus tied to offseason workouts.

Big picture: Assuming Fitzpatrick returns, the big question involves the No. 2 job: Is Petty ready to move up the depth chart or do they stick with Smith for another year? The organization believes Petty has the skill set to be the primary backup, but it's a leap because he has yet to play in a regular-season game. General manager Mike Maccagnan has been non-committal on Smith, suggesting he wants to assess the offseason before making a decision.

Free-agent market watch: Sam Bradford, Kirk Cousins, Brock Osweiler, Drew Stanton, Chase Daniel.

Also could become available: Robert Griffin III, Colin Kaepernick, Peyton Manning.

Game plan: The organization's goal is to re-sign Fitzpatrick before he hits the open market. If successful, they should be finished in free agency at quarterback. If they somehow lose him to another team (not likely), sound the alarm bells. There are no appealing fallback options. If they need to sign a veteran, keep an eye on Stanton, although he's best suited as a No. 2. He won five games for the Arizona Cardinals in 2014, when Todd Bowles was the defensive coordinator. The Jets really like Cousins, but he probably will be tagged by the Washington Redskins.

>     http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/58389/jets-no-1-priority-at-quarterback-re-sign-ryan-fitzpatrick

[kelly]

Rich Gannon Expects Jets to Re-Sign Fitzpatrick

Former Raiders QB Is a Huge Chan Gailey Fan

 

video..

> http://www.newyorkjets.com/videos/videos/Rich-Gannon-Expects-Jets-to-Re-Sign-Fitzpatrick-/e9262d35-44ed-420e-b76a-adf8a5736b17

[predator_05]

Bradford signed a 2 year deal for $26 million guaranteed. This is now a ballpark figure for the Fitz contract.

[joewilly12]

11 minutes ago, predator_05 said:

Bradford signed a 2 year deal for $26 million guaranteed. This is now a ballpark figure for the Fitz contract.

NO WAY IN HELL THE JETS BETTER NOT BE AS STUPID AS THE EAGLES AND YES IM YELLING

[drdetroit]

4 hours ago, predator_05 said:

Bradford signed a 2 year deal for $26 million guaranteed. This is now a ballpark figure for the Fitz contract.

Try 2 years $36 million with $26 million guaranteed.

 

The Eagles just screwed us royally by letting themselves get screwed up the butt.  How the hell do you give that contract to Sam Bradford?

[Warfish]

5 hours ago, joewilly12 said:

NO WAY IN HELL THE JETS BETTER NOT BE AS STUPID AS THE EAGLES AND YES IM YELLING

I hope the Jets give him 2 years, 26.1 million, just so I can watch you melt down.

[Gas2No99]

6 hours ago, joewilly12 said:

NO WAY IN HELL THE JETS BETTER NOT BE AS STUPID AS THE EAGLES AND YES IM YELLING

Capital Letters = yelling? 

huh, news to me. That makes A LOT more sense now. I always considered it a manner of emphasis in place of being unable to gesticulate online.

 . . . always learn something new every day. Go figure.

 

[kelly]

When word of quarterback Sam Bradford's two-year contract extension with theEagles hit the internet late Tuesday afternoon, it looked like Bradford was getting a lot more money ($36 million max, with $26 million guaranteed) than most NFL observers anticipated.But without knowing the details, it wasimpossible to gauge just how Bradford's deal might impact what the Jets would do with their soon-to-be free-agent quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick.But now some of the fine print has trickled out, and Bradford's deal does seem to provides some kind of guide for what the Jets might do with Fitzpatrick.

Over to you, Andrew Brandt of The MMQB :

Andrew Brandt 

 

✔‎@AndrewBrandt

Some details on Bradford/Eagles deal: of $26M total guarantee, $22M fully guaranteed upon signing. $18M in 2016, up to $20M w/playoff wins.

 

Andrew Brandt 

 

✔‎@AndrewBrandt

Bradford details continued: $11M signing bonus, $7M salary in 2016. $4M of 2017 salary fully guaranteed, another $4M guaranteed for injury.

 

Andrew Brandt 

 

✔‎@AndrewBrandt

Bradford gets fully secured $22M, $2M more than Tag w/playoff upside. Eagles get 2nd year option with $4M risk, another $4M if major injury.

 

Basically, Bradford is getting $22 million in total guarantees: a base salary of $7.5 million in 2016, plus an $11 million signing bonus, plus $4 million of his 2017 salary fully guaranteed. There then is a roster bonus of $4 million that Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported would kick in on March 17, 2017, plus an injury-only 2017 guarantee of $4 million more. There are also incentives for playoff wins.

What this means, as Brandt noted, is that Bradford is basically getting a one-year deal, with a team option for Year 2. And most of his money is front-loaded into Year 1.But this is important: Because that $11 million signing bonus gets pro-rated over the two-year life of the deal, Bradford's cap charge for 2016 is just $12.5 million—right in the range of what had been expected for the Jets and Fitzpatrick.

Bradford's cap figure could be much higher in Year 2, but by then the Eagles will know whether they want to trigger the option, with the understanding that they'll have to eat $9.5 million in dead money if they cut Bradford loose by next March. (Next year's salary cap is expected to be significantly higher than 2016's $155.27 million, which ought to ease the pain.)

In a nutshell, if Bradford plays well in 2016, the Eagles can opt to keep him for another year at something resembling a market-rate price for a playoff-caliber quarterback. If he doesn't, he's gone.Like the Jets and Fitzpatrick, the Eagles and Bradford made it clear they want to stick together. Also similarly, the Jets are likely hesitant to commit too much, for too long. And remember: Bradford and Fitzpatrick are represented by the same agency.

NFL starting quarterbacks are costly commodities. The money may or may not be exactly the same, but the Eagles and Bradford probably just provided the Jets and Fitzpatrick with the kind of structure that might work.

>   http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/03/sam_bradford_contract_a_blueprint_for_ryan_fitzpat.html#incart_river_index

[Sperm Edwards]

Difference with the Bradford deal is Bradford is the guy the Eagles like. Fitz is the guy the Jets like to keep the seat warm for someone else. 

[kelly]

JETS HAVE TEMPLATE FOR FITZPATRICK DEAL  ?

The Jets clearly want to keep Ryan Fitzpatrick, but they don't want to commit too much money or too many years to the career journeyman. Could Sam Bradford's new deal provide the structure for Fitzpatrick's contract ?  NFL Rumors

 

>    http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[kelly]

Ryan Fitzpatrick may have just been given the upper hand in his negotiations with the Jets front office.And all it took was a little assist from Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford.

“Oh yes,” one league source said. “Fitzpatrick’s market’s now set.”

On Wednesday, it was announced that Bradford and Philadelphia had agreed to terms on a two-year contract worth $36 million. Bradford will get $26 million guaranteed, and an average of $18 million during those two years, according to ESPN.

Fitzpatrick, who is also set to become an unrestricted free agent, is looking for a new deal himself.Among the handful of league sources Jets Wirespoke to unaffiliated with Fitzpatrick, all stated there’s no reason to think he won’t get a deal similar to the one just inked by Bradford. Anywhere from a $14-$18 million annual year average is “not out of the question.”

Take into consideration exactly what Bradford has accomplished since being selected with the top pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. In the ensuing six seasons, and of a possible 96 games, Bradford has played in 63 of them. In the last three years, and of a possible 48 games, he’s been active for 21 of them.

Just once has Bradford had a completion percentage over 61 percent, only twice has he thrown for more than 3,600 yards yards in a season, and just once has he thrown more than 20 touchdowns (his career-high is 21 in 2012).

>      http://jetswire.usatoday.com/2016/03/01/could-sam-bradfords-36-million-contract-set-market-for-ryan-fitzpatrick/

[cant wait]

$18M for fitz LOL

[cant wait]

15 hours ago, Sperm Edwards said:

Difference with the Bradford deal is Bradford is the guy the Eagles like. Fitz is the guy the Jets like to keep the seat warm for someone else. 

And with Bradford there's potential still that he turns into a franchise QB. Fitz will never be that guy

[BurnleyJet]

9 Per, anything more is insane for a career back up. 

[kelly]

The Jets don’t have themselves a franchise quarterback. They do, however, have themselves a quarterback. A quarterback they grew to trust in 2015. A quarterback who saved the season with an unexpected career year after Geno Smith versus IK Enemkpali, before he saved his worst for last with a wild-card playoff berth on the line in Buffalo.

A quarterback who suddenly finds himself six days from the opportunity to wade into the green free-agent waters.

Mike Maccagnan was Rookie GM of the Year because he made all the right moves a year ago, the most impactful being bringing Darrelle Revis back home and trading away peanuts for Brandon Marshall and the journeyman quarterback named Ryan Fitzpatrick.The journeyman Ivy League quarterback who has grown weary of his vagabond NFL existence and hopes he has found a home with his wife and five children as a New York Jet.

Let’s not Buttfumble this, fellas.

Let’s make a deal.

A deal that would make sense for FitzMagic and Magic Mike, both.

We start with this :

The 33-year-old quarterback is willing to give the Jets a hometown discount, especially given Maccagnan’s sobering salary-cap realities.As part of the compromise, the wunderkind GM will therefore not need to take advantage of the fact Fitzpatrick would prefer to stay in a system that fits him beautifully with an offensive coordinator he loves in Chan Gailey.It is no small thing that Marshall and Eric Decker and Nick Mangold, among others, believe in Fitzpatrick. It is no small thing that Fitzpatrick has the perfect Eli Manningesque temperament for this market — with the same smarts, toughness and gym-rat commitment.

By the same token, Maccagnan won’t be showering Fitzpatrick with the five-year, $25 million free-agent bonanza Leon Hess and Steve Gutman bestowed on Neil O’Donnell in 1996, when the salary cap was just $40.753 million.“He’s a little bit of a conundrum: What are you paying him for? What are you paying him to be?” a league source told The Post.The Jets would be paying him to be their bridge quarterback until they find their quarterback of the future.Owner Woody Johnson has a win-now team, and he just raised ticket prices 4 percent. If I’m representing Fitzpatrick, I use this unabashedly as a bargaining chip. A reminder that 4-12 doesn’t become 10-6 without Fitzpatrick throwing for 3,905 yards and 31 touchdowns against 15 interceptions.Then there’s this: The Eagles just signed injury-plagued Sam Bradford to a two-year, $36 million deal with $26 million guaranteed. Bradford is 28.And there’s this: Nick Foles, who flopped with the Rams, made $12.27 million last season. Foles is 27.

“Two different career arcs,” the league source said.

Fitzpatrick, acquired by Maccagnan as a backup, had signed a two-year, $7.25 million deal with the Texans, his previous team. Who were quarterbacked last season by Brian Hoyer ($5.25 million).Neither side should need to read the “Art of the Deal” — whatever happened to the guy who wrote it? — to recognize Fitzpatrick should fall somewhere between Hoyer and Foles, on a two-year, $18 million deal with performance-based incentives.“Anywhere between $8-10 [million per year] I think should get a deal done between the two parties,” the league source said.

Fitzpatrick needs a team (again). The Jets need a quarterback (again).Don’t screw this up, guys. Fitz fits. He knows it, the Jets know it.Ryan Fitzpatrick: the $9 million man.

>          http://nypost.com/2016/03/03/the-contract-jets-should-offer-to-bring-back-ryan-fitzpatrick/

[kelly]

Thanks for filling the mailbag again with terrific questions. You've helped turn this into a popular Saturday feature. This week, we'll do it on Sunday too. For now, the New York Jets question du jour is ...

~ ~  @RichCimini will the bradford deal affect Fitzpatrick as drastically as I've been reading it will? #jetsmail

@RichCimini: For background, you should know that Sam Bradford andRyan Fitzpatrick are represented by the same firm. In fact, Jimmy Sexton is listed by the NFLPA as one of the agents for both players, so I don't think news of the Bradford deal sent shock waves into the Fitzpatrick camp. Basically, we're talking about the same camp.

As for the actual deal, yes, I think it could impact Fitzpatrick in terms of the structure, if not the overall value. Bradford's contract with the Philadelphia Eagles is two years, $36 million, including $22 million fully guaranteed at signing. If the Eagles aren't happy after a year, they can cut Bradford. It won't be cheap (a $9.5 million cap hit in 2017), but they can get out. Some might view it as a one-year, $22 million contract, with a team option for the second year.Understandably, the Eagles didn't want to go all-in with the oft-injured Bradford, who still hasn't lived up to his lofty draft status as a former No. 1 overall pick. So the two sides came up with a "bridge" contract, with the Eagles paying a pretty penny to have that second-year flexibility. I think that kind of structure makes a lot of sense for Fitzpatrick and the Jets, who probably don't want to commit long term to a 33-year-old quarterback.

Fitzpatrick won't get $18 million a year or $22 million guaranteed. Yeah, he had a better year than Bradford, but Bradford is five years younger and would generate more interest on the open market than Fitzpatrick. I spoke to a prominent quarterback agent near the end of the season who estimated that Fitzpatrick would fetch something in the $10 million to $12 million-a-year range. Since then, I've heard $8 million to $10 million per year, including at least $10 million in guarantees.Clearly, the Jets are the best fit for Fitzpatrick. Where else could he go into camp as the undisputed starter? The Houston Texans? Been there, done that. Texans coach Bill O'Brien traded Fitzpatrick, a Harvard graduate, because he didn't think he was smart enough to run his offense. Imagine that.

Who looks like the smart guy now  ?

>   http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/58778/could-sam-bradford-contract-hurt-jets-negotiations-with-ryan-fitzpatrick