Jets ask DBrick to take pay cut

[BklynJetsFan85]

The Jets are working on clearing some salary cap space in hopes of getting a deal done with free agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The team approached veteran tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson last week while he was working out at the team’s facility and told him they may need his help in order to get Fitzpatrick signed, according to a source. This move has been anticipated for months.

The Jets currently have just over $500,000 in salary cap space. They have been at an impasses with Fitzpatrick for more a month over a new contract with Fitzpatrick hoping for a payday in the neighborhood of $16 million a year and the Jets offering $7 million a year.

Ferguson’s salary cap figure for 2016 is $14.1 million. It was unclear how much of a paycut the Jets would want him to take, but they are going to need to clear significant cap space to get a deal done with Fitzpatrick. Ferguson is probably just one of several moves they would have to make to create cap space for Fitzpatrick and to sign their draft picks.

Ferguson, 32, could decline the Jets’ request to take a paycut, and the team could cut him, but sources indicated he is open to a reasonable cut in pay.

The Jets drafted Ferguson with the fourth overall pick in the 2006 draft, and he has been a core member of the team since. He has missed just one snap in his entire career and that was because the team was running a trick formation.

While Ferguson’s durability has been amazing, his play has slipped in recent years. He went to three straight Pro Bowls between 2009-11, but is no longer the same player.

“Right now, D’Brickashaw is under contract and I would say is our thought is that he would be [on the roster],” Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan said last month. “But like everything else with all players, and I said this early on with free agency this year, it’s kind of a fluid free agency for us. We’re trying to make decisions that are in the best interest of the organization — both short and long term — so right now I would say he would be on our roster going forward, but we’ll see how this thing unfolds.”

[BklynJetsFan85]

Probably won't happen - from what i read they said "significant" pay cut. This could get messy, really depends what Ferguson is willing to do to help his team win or if it's a money game for him.

[Jetdawgg]

Brick has the upper hand here. If the Jets cut him they have another huge whole to fill. It is not going to be pretty. Fasten your chin straps....

[CanadienJetsFan]

Any little bit helps. This, plus a Wilkerson trade will clear up amble cap space to pay Fitz and the new draftees.

[BklynJetsFan85]

1 minute ago, Jetdawgg said:

Brick has the upper hand here. If the Jets cut him they have another huge whole to fill. It is not going to be pretty. Fasten your chin straps....

He's not elite anymore. He's still getting paid like he's elite. I don't think he has the upper hand... it depends what is important to him - like i said - winning/staying on the team or going somewhere else and taking a pay cut anyways

[Jet Nut]

18 minutes ago, BklynJetsFan85 said:

Probably won't happen - from what i read they said "significant" pay cut. This could get messy, really depends what Ferguson is willing to do to help his team win or if it's a money game for him.

He's bent over backwards helping his team out, is a model citizen and had never missed a game.

Nothing about the guy says money grab.  Unless they offer him something insulting

[BklynJetsFan85]

Just now, Jet Nut said:

He's bent over backwards helping his team out, is a model citizen and had never missed a game.

Nothing about the guy says money grab.  Unless they offer him something insulting

It's the Jets - i was thinking the last thing you said, but slightly above insulting.

[Jet Nut]

4 minutes ago, BklynJetsFan85 said:

It's the Jets - i was thinking the last thing you said, but slightly above insulting.

Actually I was only half kidding.  It's done far too often in football to the in the trenches guys.  They're the backbone of the team but are dumped on pretty regularly 

[Jetdawgg]

14 minutes ago, BklynJetsFan85 said:

He's not elite anymore. He's still getting paid like he's elite. I don't think he has the upper hand... it depends what is important to him - like i said - winning/staying on the team or going somewhere else and taking a pay cut anyways

Do you really think the Jets want any QB playing with a ? at LT? Brick knows that too. He knows that this is a business. The speed rushers can beat him now. That means 3/4 bad games. A new LT can open a larger can of worms.

[Joe Jets fan]

I would guess drop to 4 mil a year.  

Do it as a two year 4 mil with a 6 mil signing bonus.  Makes this year count 5 mil toward cap.  Leaves 5 mil cap charge next year.    

Saves a good amount. 

[King P]

Kimberley A. Martin ‏@KMart_LI  1m1 minute ago

Based on convos I've had, there's no cause/effect thing w/ Brick + Fitz. ..The #Jets were always going to ask their 32yo LT to take a payout

[Integrity28]

1 hour ago, Jetdawgg said:

Brick has the upper hand here. If the Jets cut him they have another huge whole to fill. It is not going to be pretty. Fasten your chin straps....

Eh, they've already gone on record saying they are comfortable with Brent Qvale starting at tackle. Doesn't really inspire confidence for the fans, but Brick wasn't really anything better than average last year. The drop-off would be more in name only, than in actual performance... and I think there is still plenty of room to find a replacement.

[CrazyCarl40]

I don't think Brick has leverage at all. If the Jets flat out cut him, he's looking at having to uproot his family, go somewhere else for a significant pay cut, and most teams aren't going to pay a ton for a declining left tackle who's ability to pass protect made him as good as he was, is basically a liability now. The Jets are offering him still good money without having to move on and a starting job. No one wants to lose money, but he doesn't have much of a choice at this point. 

[Sperm Edwards]

1 hour ago, Jetdawgg said:

Do you really think the Jets want any QB playing with a ? at LT? Brick knows that too. He knows that this is a business. The speed rushers can beat him now. That means 3/4 bad games. A new LT can open a larger can of worms.

Brick at over $10M is not really better than a ? at LT. 

Denver just signed Okung, a better & younger player, for less than half Brick's salary this year (taking a potential landing spot away from Brick in the process). 

His leverage sucks. What team is going to sign him for anywhere close to his upcoming bloated $10.4M figure, with a draft in a couple of weeks? I have to believe that is too much savings for the team, to think Ferguson has any upper hand. 

[Il Mostro]

I am actually fine with cutting Brick outright if he does not agree to a drastic salary cut.  I am not down for a double digit salary or re-structuring that just kicks the money from his current deal down the road. And, face it, he is probably going to decline further this upcoming season, let alone beyond. We need younger bodies, and lots of them.  This is the right time to cut bait if he does not come at a very team friendly price. 

[jett]

Just got the espn alert, must mean they want to announce that Fitz deal 

[Gastineau Lives]

If someone had told me sometime in the past that we'd be asking anyone to take a significant pay cut so that we could re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick, I would have laugh-cried.

[Mike135]

I'd guess they come to some sort of deal that saves 4 to 5mil.  But I wouldn't mind Brick deciding Fitz isn't worth it.  Then comes out publicly supporting Geno.

[Jetsfan80]

5 minutes ago, Gastineau Lives said:

If someone had told me sometime in the past that we'd be asking anyone to take a significant pay cut so that we could re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick, I would have laugh-cried.

We were never going to pay Brick $14M this season whether we bring back Fitz or not.  

[Gastineau Lives]

Just now, Jetsfan80 said:

We were never going to pay Brick $14M this season whether we bring back Fitz or not.  

Still feels like sad sad science fiction.

[SenorGato]

1 hour ago, King P said:

Kimberley A. Martin ‏@KMart_LI  1m1 minute ago

Based on convos I've had, there's no cause/effect thing w/ Brick + Fitz. ..The #Jets were always going to ask their 32yo LT to take a payout

Why didn't they tell us this at MY imaginary deadline back on PickaPreviousDate!?!?! 

[Paradis]

If someone had told me sometime in the past that we'd be asking anyone to take a significant pay cut so that we could re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick, I would have laugh-cried.

Hahah. No sh*t.

[Jet Nut]

1 hour ago, Integrity28 said:

Eh, they've already gone on record saying they are comfortable with Brent Qvale starting at tackle. Doesn't really inspire confidence for the fans, but Brick wasn't really anything better than average last year. The drop-off would be more in name only, than in actual performance... and I think there is still plenty of room to find a replacement.

I'd bet the house no one is comfortable with the idea of Qvale starting at T for D'Brick.  

If they felt that way they would just eliminate Brick and his contract

[Sperm Edwards]

46 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

We were never going to pay Brick $14M this season whether we bring back Fitz or not.  

We already paid $4M of it in the past. What is up for debate is the $10M additional.

I want badly to believe that we wouldn't have paid him $10.4M this year with or without Fitz. Frankly, not bringing back Fitz pretty much acknowledges we're not even taking our chances seriously this year, making it even less important to bring him back at that coin.

If he gets dropped to $5M I could live with it, but only because it means we aren't going to force-feed the position in the draft, when we should be force-feeding a QB. But really it's just peeling a bandaid off slowly. We should just get it off and be done with it.

[ChuckkieB]

Brick has no leverage.  He will take whatever salary the Jets offer him and like it.  It's harsh, but its the reality of the sport.

[Jetdawgg]

22 minutes ago, ChuckkieB said:

Brick has no leverage.  He will take whatever salary the Jets offer him and like it.  It's harsh, but its the reality of the sport.

Brick has no leverage? Cut him and see those edge rushers feast on a ? At LT.  Please name the starter. Qvale is to play RT if he starts. This could be real ugly. Cutting Brick means to have to pray on Sundays. 

[Sperm Edwards]

14 minutes ago, Jetdawgg said:

Brick has no leverage? Cut him and see those edge rushers feast on a ? At LT.  Please name the starter. Qvale is to play RT if he starts. This could be real ugly. Cutting Brick means to have to pray on Sundays. 

They have those concerns with him as well. You realize he was ranked as one of the 10 worst tackles (out of like 75) in the NFL last year, right? There weren't even 5 tackles who gave up as many hits/pressures as Ferguson last season, even with a QB who gets rid of the ball fast, with relatively few 7-step drops, and the team being only middle of the pack in pass attempts anyway. And that's in pass blocking, which he's better at than run blocking.

In all honesty we should have already signed someone else, but he's nothing like the player he was so it would be no great loss (nor necessarily a loss at all). 

[papz187]

I will always be a fan of Brick and appreciate the consistency he brought to the LT position for the past decade as a Jet, but it has been pretty clear he is not playing at the same level he was a couple years ago, nevermind back in 09/10 when he was handling guys like Freeney 1 on 1 for the majority of the snaps in important playoff games.

My best case scenario is we agree to a reasonable paycut (whatever number that is), draft his future replacement fairly high in the draft (first 3 rounds) and groom the rookie by having him learn from one of the most consistent, reliable, talented LTs the NFL has seen in the past 10 years.

Sent from my SM-N915T using Tapatalk

[Mainejet]

This is just buttoning up the team before the draft. The Jets planned all along on having Fitz as their QB and I think that is a great decision and a wise one. Fitz is the BEST QB for the Jets in the short term. There are no other options. I'm also very happy to see Brick playing along. He showed his true colors with this move. But there again, we always knew Brick was a great guy.

[Jetdawgg]

6 hours ago, Sperm Edwards said:

They have those concerns with him as well. You realize he was ranked as one of the 10 worst tackles (out of like 75) in the NFL last year, right? There weren't even 5 tackles who gave up as many hits/pressures as Ferguson last season, even with a QB who gets rid of the ball fast, with relatively few 7-step drops, and the team being only middle of the pack in pass attempts anyway. And that's in pass blocking, which he's better at than run blocking.

In all honesty we should have already signed someone else, but he's nothing like the player he was so it would be no great loss (nor necessarily a loss at all). 

Those rankings are meaningless and good internet fodder at best. Fitz had the best season a Jets QB has had in decades. 2 thousand yard WR's and a thousand yard RB. The OL had to do something right. In particular the LT. I think the Jets have to be very reasonable here. I am sure that Brick knows the value he has to the team and to the NY Jets organization. 

A 10 year day 1 starter. Not his fault they the organization wasted his talents and have no SB to show for it.

[Ohio State NY Jets fan]

Brick is in line for a couple of fully guaranteed years, he should retire a Jet

[PatsFanTX]

Not his fault they the organization wasted his talents and have no SB to show for it.

How did the Jets waste Brick's talent?

[32EBoozer]

9 hours ago, Sperm Edwards said:

Brick at over $10M is not really better than a ? at LT. 

Denver just signed Okung, a better & younger player, for less than half Brick's salary this year (taking a potential landing spot away from Brick in the process). 

His leverage sucks. What team is going to sign him for anywhere close to his upcoming bloated $10.4M figure, with a draft in a couple of weeks? I have to believe that is too much savings for the team, to think Ferguson has any upper hand. 

Another team only have to sign him to about a $6,5m deal....

Add that to the money he'll get as he walks out the door ($3.72m I think) and he's at his $10m salary

I think that's correct. Either way His number must come down into the $6m range. 

Staley in the 1st if Jets/Chi trade happens... although he may be gone by then

 

[Integrity28]

8 hours ago, Jet Nut said:

I'd bet the house no one is comfortable with the idea of Qvale starting at T for D'Brick.  

If they felt that way they would just eliminate Brick and his contract

I know, but it's more fun to stir the pot... 

[Jetsfan80]

1 hour ago, Jetdawgg said:

Those rankings are meaningless and good internet fodder at best. Fitz had the best season a Jets QB has had in decades. 2 thousand yard WR's and a thousand yard RB. The OL had to do something right. In particular the LT. I think the Jets have to be very reasonable here. I am sure that Brick knows the value he has to the team and to the NY Jets organization. 

A 10 year day 1 starter. Not his fault they the organization wasted his talents and have no SB to show for it.

James Carpenter had a career year.  Mangold did fine.  Brick did not, and in no way can justify the money we're paying him.  Sperm explained very clearly why those numbers are not "meaningless".