Jets decline Darron Lee's 5th-year option

[joewilly12]

Jets decline Darron Lee’s 5th-year option | What it means for LB’s future with team, trade value, compensatory pick

Updated 9:35 AM; Today 9:10 AM

Jets’ Mike Maccagnan explains Jachai Polite, Chuma Edoga pick

 

 

 

 

 

By Matt Stypulkoski | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Darron Lee is officially one season away from free agency.

The linebacker inched closer to the open market after word emerged early Thursday that the Jets will not exercise the fifth-year option on his contract, according to the New York Daily News. The Jets had the chance to pick up that extra year – at a set salary figure – because Lee was a first-round draft pick. General manager Mike Maccagnanselected him No. 20 overall in 2016.

But instead of adding a year to Lee’s contract, Maccagnan made it clear that he is not in the team’s future plans by turning down the option. The fact that Lee has no long-term role with the Jets comes as no surprise after the team signed C.J. Mosley in free agency, then added linebacker depth – Blake Cashman – in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Maccagnan’s decision to decline the option only made Lee’s standing on the team even more obvious.

How much salary cap space do Jets have left after 2019 NFL Draft? Analyzing cap situation entering OTAs

No. 3 pick Quinnen Williams is among six players added by New York Jets general manager Mike Maccagan via the NFL Draft.

That said, even if Lee has no real future in New York, declining his option is still an intriguing decision by Maccagnan.

Had Maccagnan picked up the option, it could have added to Lee’s value, with potential trade partners knowing they could keep him under contract for an extra year – if they want to – with very little risk involved.

The salary attached to a fifth-year option does not become fully guaranteed until the start of that league year, meaning Lee’s 2020 salary wouldn’t have become fully guaranteed until next March. So, if the Jets – or Lee’s new team – set him free any time between now and then, his 2020 salary would have come off the books anyway.

The minimal risk attached to the fifth-year option is that it the salary is guaranteed against injury. So, if the Jets picked up the option, then Lee suffered a serious injury this season that would cost him his 2020 season, the Jets – or Lee’s team at that point – would be on the hook for that money.

Effectively, by cutting Lee, the Jets are eliminating that small risk. They’re also indirectly making a statement that, even if Lee has a breakout 2019 season, they nor any other team team would be willing to pay him the large salary raise that comes with a fifth-year option. Lee is currently scheduled to cost about $3.2 million against the cap in 2019, but likely would have cost closer to $10 million in 2020, if he played on the option.

Now, if Maccagnan tries to move Lee, the rest of the league will know exactly what they’re getting: a 24-year-old linebacker and former first-round pick, who has underperformed to this point in his career, with one cheap year left on his deal.

On the flip side, declining Lee’s option could help Maccagnan extract value in a different way – through the compensatory draft pick system. If Maccagnan holds onto Lee this season and he leaves in free agency next spring, it could potentially land the Jets an extra pick in the 2021 draft.

So odds are that if Maccagnan trades Lee, any compensation he receives will have to be at least as valuable as the draft pick he could get by simply letting the linebacker walk out the door.

[dbatesman]

lol

[joewilly12]

Mike Maccagnan #1 draft pick bust so tell me why does Mike Maccagnan still have a job here. 

[pdxgreen]

Ohhh so we are all mad at Macc again? Grrrrrrr (rabble rabble rabble rabble!)

[JetFreak89]

So a 5th round draft pick with multiple surgeries has made our 1st round draft pick expendable after 4 years? Cool. 

[jetstream23]

3 minutes ago, joewilly12 said:

Mike Maccagnan #1 draft pick bust so tell me why does Mike Maccagnan still have a job here. 

The only reasons he's still here are Darnold, a manageable Cap situation, decent 1st round picks (prior to and after Lee), and some decent trades (Henry Anderson, Brandon Marshall, etc.).  Other than that....he's been atrocious in the Draft and missed on some FA deals so far (Crowell, Trumaine Johnson who is TBD).

[CTJetsFan]

No surprise. If they can't trade him, he's cheap depth and he has a year to prove what he can do in Williams' defense.

[playtowinthegame]

What is the best compensatory draft pick the Jets will/can receive for Darron Lee?

[Barkus]

He is not worth 10mil obviously. Will see if he is on the roster on opening day. He has some value as a sub-package LB, let’s see how Williams plans to use him. 

[jetstream23]

Remind me how they calculate Compensatory picks?  Would Lee be worth a 3rd, 4th, 5th?  Is it based on the fact he was a 1st round pick or does it depend how much he signs for next year?

[jeremy2020]

Mac actually tacitly admitted he picked a bust? Welp, it was nice knowing you all. World is ending. 

[Sarge4Tide]

[playtowinthegame]

6 minutes ago, jetstream23 said:

Remind me how they calculate Compensatory picks?  Would Lee be worth a 3rd, 4th, 5th?  Is it based on the fact he was a 1st round pick or does it depend how much he signs for next year?

Best case scenario might be to trade him now for another player who's in need of a change of scenery. 

[rex-n-effect]

Lee has not played enough good years to lock in a longer contract. Let him perform to earn an extension or become a comp pick. 

 

[rangerous]

this doesn't appear to be a problem.  if lee plays lights out then he will be compensated by some team, maybe even the jets.  by not exercising the option they are basically telling him to put up or shut up.  lee hasn't been totally bad just not as good as his draft position says.  but even a guy like farrior wasn't really good until he went to the steelers so it's not like the jets have been so good that lee's play was better.

[Fantasy Island]

Just means Mac is drafting a LB next year with the first overall pick.

[#27TheDominator]

24 minutes ago, jetstream23 said:

Remind me how they calculate Compensatory picks?  Would Lee be worth a 3rd, 4th, 5th?  Is it based on the fact he was a 1st round pick or does it depend how much he signs for next year?

The fact he was a 1st rounder is irrelevant.  It is a "secret" formula based on contract, playing time and postseason honors.  Trouble is that we will still probably be buyers, so I'm not sure we are going to net anybody.  I think smart teams often rotate years on.  One year buyers, next year sellers.  If we let Lee and Williams walk and are careful to target non-qualifying FAs, we can net a couple of extra 3rds.

[Dcat]

43 minutes ago, playtowinthegame said:

What is the best compensatory draft pick the Jets will/can receive for Darron Lee?

1:  the Comp pick, if any, would be for 2021, not 2020. 2: the comp pick round will depend on how much he gets in UFA compared to other UFA's.  3: The Jets get nothing if next spring they acquire a greater number of Qualified UFA's than they lose.

My guess is Lee will get a cheap 2 year contract or a one year prove it type.  If we don't pick up more free agents, I'd guess we get a 6th.  Perhaps a 5th.  If some team is willing to give Lee too much money, then maybe even a 4th, but I seriously doubt it.

[Integrity28]

Another notch in Macc’s belt. Extend this man!!!!

[jetstream23]

54 minutes ago, #27TheDominator said:

The fact he was a 1st rounder is irrelevant.  It is a "secret" formula based on contract, playing time and postseason honors.  Trouble is that we will still probably be buyers, so I'm not sure we are going to net anybody.  I think smart teams often rotate years on.  One year buyers, next year sellers.  If we let Lee and Williams walk and are careful to target non-qualifying FAs, we can net a couple of extra 3rds.

I don't think we'll let Leo walk.  I actually think there's a 40% chance he gets resigned before September but that's purely a guess.  As for Lee, letting him walk for a 4th round Comp pick would be fine IMO.

[slats]

1 hour ago, playtowinthegame said:

Best case scenario might be to trade him now for another player who's in need of a change of scenery. 

Easily the best case. Sure, it might not work, but I'd rather have a player for him this year than (most likely) a very late 5th round pick in 2021. 

51 minutes ago, #27TheDominator said:

The fact he was a 1st rounder is irrelevant.  It is a "secret" formula based on contract, playing time and postseason honors.  Trouble is that we will still probably be buyers, so I'm not sure we are going to net anybody.  I think smart teams often rotate years on.  One year buyers, next year sellers.  If we let Lee and Williams walk and are careful to target non-qualifying FAs, we can net a couple of extra 3rds.

If they let Williams walk, they 100% have to play free agency smart to make sure they get the third round pick he's certain to generate. Have Robby Anderson potentially in that mix, too. Add Lee, and that's potentially three comp picks fifth round and up. They can't leave it to chance, they'd have to plan to sign three fewer guys than they lose. So maybe one or two big splashes, then keep it to cut players and signings after they count in the equation. 

[CrazyCarl40]

1 hour ago, JetFreak89 said:

So a 5th round draft pick with multiple surgeries has made our 1st round draft pick expendable after 4 years? Cool. 

That and they dumped a ton of money into Mosley and Williamson, because Macc can’t draft to save his life. 

[Spoot-Face]

[Beerfish]

The naysayers and doomsayers chock up another mark on their wall of victory!

The happy happy joy club goes down to defeat once again!

Down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier!

(Will patiently wait for the happy happy club rep to give me my medicine in the way of a lengthy 'some of us want the jets to win why are you guys always cheering against the jets, sad puppy eyes post.)

[#27TheDominator]

The idea that the Jets are going to get comp picks is probably pretty far fetched.  Maccagnan has not prioritized them.  IIRC, the only one we have ever gotten during his tenure is a 3rd for Snacks Harrison.   That year we lost Snacks, Ivory and Demario Davis.  Starting DT, RB and ILB qualifying at 3rd, 5th and 7th round levels.  Ivory and Davis were cancelled out by the signings of McClendon and Matt Forte, both at 6th round level.  I believe that it would not have been difficult to find similar players that would not have qualified if this was even a minor priority.

[Philc1]

2 hours ago, joewilly12 said:

Mike Maccagnan #1 draft pick bust so tell me why does Mike Maccagnan still have a job here. 

The Johnson Bros are negligent

[Philc1]

1 hour ago, jeremy2020 said:

Mac actually tacitly admitted he picked a bust? Welp, it was nice knowing you all. World is ending. 

I think Gase is pushing a lot of stuff now and this is where the heat between he and Mac is coming from there’s more to it than Gase pointing out Bell is a spoiled b-tch 

 

Gase wants no part of Lee he stinks

[#27TheDominator]

31 minutes ago, slats said:

Easily the best case. Sure, it might not work, but I'd rather have a player for him this year than (most likely) a very late 5th round pick in 2021. 

If they let Williams walk, they 100% have to play free agency smart to make sure they get the third round pick he's certain to generate. Have Robby Anderson potentially in that mix, too. Add Lee, and that's potentially three comp picks fifth round and up. They can't leave it to chance, they'd have to plan to sign three fewer guys than they lose. So maybe one or two big splashes, then keep it to cut players and signings after they count in the equation. 

Yes, and I can't see that happening. It is potentially  a reason to tag a guy like Williams with the franchise tag, or exercise the 5th year option on guys so that they leave the year you are "losing" free agents.  That allows you to control when guys leave, but it would have to be a guy with legit value, that you maybe don't feel is worth quite the price of a long term deal.  Williams fits this in my view.  I like the player, but I am not sure that I will like the price tag.  Keeping him around an extra year at a slightly overblown figure would be worthwhile for an extra mid-round pick.   

[Patriot Killa]

2 hours ago, playtowinthegame said:

What is the best compensatory draft pick the Jets will/can receive for Darron Lee?

3rd round pick but we won’t get that.i doubt he signs with another team for the amount of money that it takes to be compensated a 3rd round pick.

[BROOKLYN JET]

Here we go round the mulberry bush...

[Joe W. Namath]

Seamstress for the band

[JetFreak89]

56 minutes ago, slats said:

Easily the best case. Sure, it might not work, but I'd rather have a player for him this year than (most likely) a very late 5th round pick in 2021. 

If they let Williams walk, they 100% have to play free agency smart to make sure they get the third round pick he's certain to generate. Have Robby Anderson potentially in that mix, too. Add Lee, and that's potentially three comp picks fifth round and up. They can't leave it to chance, they'd have to plan to sign three fewer guys than they lose. So maybe one or two big splashes, then keep it to cut players and signings after they count in the equation. 

Only issue with this is if Mosely or Williamson misses significant time. Taking emotion out of it, Lee is a solid backup and if we end up trading him for a 5th string CB it could come back to bite us. 

[Larz]

Neurosis engage!!!

[Warfish]

2 hours ago, Fantasy Island said:

Just means Mac is drafting a LB next year with the first overall pick.

Nope.

CB with the 1st, LB with the second, D-Line with the third, if I had to predict today.

[Jetster]

1 hour ago, Beerfish said:

The naysayers and doomsayers chock up another mark on their wall of victory!

The happy happy joy club goes down to defeat once again!

Down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier!

(Will patiently wait for the happy happy club rep to give me my medicine in the way of a lengthy 'some of us want the jets to win why are you guys always cheering against the jets, sad puppy eyes post.)

He was the 20th pick overall in a crappy draft. Who did we miss after we picked him? Bowles wanted his Buchanan & got a guy that in hindsight should have been a 5th rounder. He's playing for his pro football life in 2019 if he's not traded. Always good to have a few of those running through brick walls.