Jets decline Darron Lee's 5th-year option

[BurnleyJet]

He always seemed to bend to Bowles requests. Lee was never a fit for a 3-4 D.

He’s small soft and never looked like a football player. I hope we move him for a    conditional pick before the season.

It was clear during his PED band Hewitt  looked 10 times the player Lee was. 

Don't let the door hit you in your bony ass on the way out!

[GreenFish]

Jets should trade him for a 4th round pick. We’re likely not getting a comp pick if we lose him since we are likely going to be active in FA next year. We have enough players at LB. Hewitt is fine as the #3 LB. and we also have Wint and now Cashman. Get something while you can. If we can get a CB or C that would be even better.

[sec101row23]

4 minutes ago, GreenFish said:

Jets should trade him for a 4th round pick. We’re likely not getting a comp pick if we lose him since we are likely going to be active in FA next year. We have enough players at LB. Hewitt is fine as the #3 LB. and we also have Wint and now Cashman. Get something while you can. If we can get a CB or C that would be even better.

It doesn’t even really matter how active the Jets are in free agency next year.   Lee’s contract wouldn’t warrant a comp pick anyway.  No one is signing him to significant money.   

[JoeWillieWhiteShoesHOF]

3 hours ago, Fantasy Island said:

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

Let’s be more precise...an Inside LB will be drafted, you know the kind that can rarely make a game changing play.

[JoeWillieWhiteShoesHOF]

15 minutes ago, BurnleyJet said:

He always seemed to bend to Bowles requests. Lee was never a fit for a 3-4 D.

He’s small soft and never looked like a football player. I hope we move him for a constitutional pick before the season.

It was clear during his PED band Hewitt  looked 10 times the player Lee was. 

Don't let the door hit you in your bony ass on the way out!

I agree, the pick had Bowles fingerprints all over it, as Lee would have been Bowle’s Buchanan type starter he had in AZ.  Biggest problem for Bowles was that everyone on his D wasn’t All Pro like they were in AZ which meant he would actually have to really coach and make adjustments working for the Jets, of which he can do neither.

Any Fantasy football players out there, when in a pinch just add players going against Tampa this year.

[#27TheDominator]

2 hours ago, Philc1 said:

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

Gase?  You think his opinion on Lee matters?  I think if Gase had any hand in the D, they wouldn't have been able to force Gregg Williams on him.  I'd believe that Williams wants no part of Lee. 

14 minutes ago, GreenFish said:

Jets should trade him for a 4th round pick. We’re likely not getting a comp pick if we lose him since we are likely going to be active in FA next year. We have enough players at LB. Hewitt is fine as the #3 LB. and we also have Wint and now Cashman. Get something while you can. If we can get a CB or C that would be even better.

Do you think that somebody is going to offer a 4th or useful CB or C?  I think if we were offered a 4th in the 2019 draft he'd be gone already.

[JoeWillieWhiteShoesHOF]

2 hours ago, jetstream23 said:

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.

Henry Anderson is better than Leo...let him walk.

[56mehl56]

4 hours ago, joewilly12 said:

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

 Jack Conklin , Josh Doctson, Robert Nkemdiche, Laquon Treadwell were just not extended either , Conklin was drafted #8 Doctson #22 , Treadwell #23, Nkemdiche #29 

I guess their GM's should be fired also .

[dbatesman]

2 minutes ago, 56mehl56 said:

 Jack Conklin , Josh Doctson, Robert Nkemdiche, Laquon Treadwell were just not extended either , Conklin was drafted #8 Doctson #22 , Treadwell #23, Nkemdiche #29 

I guess their GM's should be fired also .

Well, one of those GMs just fired a coach after one season and traded last year's first-round QB for pennies on the dollar so he could take another one this year, and another is a sock puppet for the worst owner in sports, so uh

[Beerfish]

38 minutes ago, Jetster said:

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.

The narrative of all the people who thought this guy could play and bleated incessantly about how he was a good pick a good player yada yada yada.  Now the narrative is 'oh the draft was lousy who else would we have picked!'

 

[GreenFish]

24 minutes ago, sec101row23 said:

It doesn’t even really matter how active the Jets are in free agency next year.   Lee’s contract wouldn’t warrant a comp pick anyway.  No one is signing him to significant money.   

I don’t know about that. Lee is not great but he is better than say Mark Barron who got a 2 year $12 Million deal. If Lee gets something like that, he will qualify for a 5th or 6th round comp pick. 

[Beerfish]

9 minutes ago, 56mehl56 said:

 Jack Conklin , Josh Doctson, Robert Nkemdiche, Laquon Treadwell were just not extended either , Conklin was drafted #8 Doctson #22 , Treadwell #23, Nkemdiche #29 

I guess their GM's should be fired also .

You actually think that people want mac fire because of one terrible pick? 

Re Lee.  He was a bad pick from day one, much like Hackenburg..  He did not fit our scheme the day he was drafted.  ILBs of his ilk are not valued at 1-21 (The guy we just drafted in this draft is a harder nose version of Lee)

Mac not only makes terrible picks, he also makes terrible picks of players in low priority positions.

We just signed an ILB for big money in FA, why was he available?  Position priority.  There were safeties up the ying yang available in fa, why?  Position priority.

 

[Miss Lonelyhearts]

13 minutes ago, #27TheDominator said:

Gase?  You think his opinion on Lee matters?  I think if Gase had any hand in the D, they wouldn't have been able to force Gregg Williams on him.  I'd believe that Williams wants no part of Lee. 

Yeah? I'd have thought Williamson would be the square peg there. Obviously it's kind of hard to attribute because who isn't gonna say no to Lee at 10M?

[Ex-Rex]

4 hours ago, joewilly12 said:

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

Looks like many of Mac first round picks don't pan out. I don't think Leonard Williams is long for the Jets either which would mean that BOTH of his first first round picks have not panned out. Not a very good way to rebuild a team. 

[GreenFish]

18 minutes ago, #27TheDominator said:

Gase?  You think his opinion on Lee matters?  I think if Gase had any hand in the D, they wouldn't have been able to force Gregg Williams on him.  I'd believe that Williams wants no part of Lee. 

Do you think that somebody is going to offer a 4th or useful CB or C?  I think if we were offered a 4th in the 2019 draft he'd be gone already.

Right. A 4th might be a bit rich. Probably a 5th would be more reasonable. Philly tried to trade for him. I would take a 5th and call it a day. We have other players that can fill in that spot. 

[choon328]

Lee has very little draft pick value to another team bc of his play and he's a free agent after the year. At best they may be able to get a 6th round pick for him. It's more likely that he's traded to acquire another player that is on the last year of his deal as well.

The Eagles were interested during the draft and I could see a swap of Lee for Algholor. Especially if the Jets decide to move on from Anderson. I know, they don't play the same position but Algholor would have more value in a Gase system than Anderson anyway and I think you could get a 2020 2nd or 3rd round pick in return for Anderson.

 

I would look at a team who has an expensive veteran CB or Center available as well.

If I'm the GM I contact the Packers and find out what it would take to get Corey Linsley in a trade after they drafted a Center in the 2nd round. He's 27, rated the #6 Center last year and has a big cap number in 2020. Green Bay could use another WR.

Send Lee to Philly for Algholor then...

Trade Anderson and a 2020 5th round pick to the Packers for Linsley. That solves your offensive line problems and adds another slot weapon for Darnold.

[sec101row23]

8 minutes ago, GreenFish said:

I don’t know about that. Lee is not great but he is better than say Mark Barron who got a 2 year $12 Million deal. If Lee gets something like that, he will qualify for a 5th or 6th round comp pick. 

$6 million a year for Lee??   

[joewilly12]

32 minutes ago, 56mehl56 said:

 Jack Conklin , Josh Doctson, Robert Nkemdiche, Laquon Treadwell were just not extended either , Conklin was drafted #8 Doctson #22 , Treadwell #23, Nkemdiche #29 

I guess their GM's should be fired also .

This is year 5 of Mike Maccagnan draft day failures and not making the playoffs are enough validity in judging a GM. 

So you use 4 players 4 teams as examples that leaves 28 other NFL teams that doing something right. 

[joewilly12]

12 minutes ago, Ex-Rex said:

Looks like many of Mac first round picks don't pan out. I don't think Leonard Williams is long for the Jets either which would mean that BOTH of his first first round picks have not panned out. Not a very good way to rebuild a team. 

Correct especially considering these picks were very low first round selections. 

Im not giving up on Leonard Williams surround him with decent players he excels. 

[jetstream23]

32 minutes ago, 56mehl56 said:

 Jack Conklin , Josh Doctson, Robert Nkemdiche, Laquon Treadwell were just not extended either , Conklin was drafted #8 Doctson #22 , Treadwell #23, Nkemdiche #29 

I guess their GM's should be fired also .

Let's be clear about Lee too.  He's not horrible, he's just a borderline starter who is upgradeable (and was just upgraded with Mosely!).  It's a miss in terms of a late 1st round pick.  If he went in Round 4 he'd probably be considered in the same regard as someone like Jenkins is....pretty good/average, but not very good and certainly not great.  Darron Lee is the Brian Winters of the defense.  He's not a bust and can start in the NFL but I think you're always looking to upgrade him.

[joenamathwouldn'tcry]

40 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

The narrative of all the people who thought this guy could play and bleated incessantly about how he was a good pick a good player yada yada yada.  Now the narrative is 'oh the draft was lousy who else would we have picked!'

 

Fish, saying that a player doesn't suck and is conceivably useful if used properly, in a proper defense, with proper coaching, is a long way from saying he is a good player or a good pick.

  The "narrative" that he was the twentieth pick in a weak draft has been around for quite some time, and is an accurate description of his worth, projected draft position, and the caliber of players who were drafted after him.

The fact of the matter is that Darron Lee is an average linebacker, who is not great, nor useless.  If he had not been suspended twice, and used properly, we might not be having this conversation.  His "character issues" are just as much a reason for the lack of a tender, as is his performance or lack thereof.  Add the free agent signings, draft and the new coaching staff, with a different defensive style, and player profile, and there you go.  Darron Lee will be playing in the league this year, next and for the foreseeable future.  He will not be out of football any time soon, as have many other "true busts".

Your "narrative" is  inaccurate revisionist history.

By the way, the reason why Moseley was available to us had nothing to do with "positional priority".  He was available because of money.  The Ravens were in salary cap hell and blew up the defense.  Terrell Suggs and Za'Darius Smith were "sacrificed" also.  More "positional priority".  I don't think so.  It's called salary cap problems.  Every team goes though them at some point.

     On Mosley: “Even though C.J. was only here five years, he’ll go down as one of our best defenders ever. Four Pro Bowls in five years – let’s start with that. We wanted to keep him, but there’s a business side of football, and these things happen with every team. Historically, we’re tough, aggressive and smart on defense. C.J. was all of that.”  

Those were Ozzie Newsome's comments on losing Moseley.  Seems to me like they weren't thrilled about losing him.

[56mehl56]

22 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

You actually think that people want mac fire because of one terrible pick? 

Re Lee.  He was a bad pick from day one, much like Hackenburg..  He did not fit our scheme the day he was drafted.  ILBs of his ilk are not valued at 1-21 (The guy we just drafted in this draft is a harder nose version of Lee)

Mac not only makes terrible picks, he also makes terrible picks of players in low priority positions.

We just signed an ILB for big money in FA, why was he available?  Position priority.  There were safeties up the ying yang available in fa, why?  Position priority.

 

My point was to illustrate that Mac is far from alone in not hitting on draft picks consistently. Outside of a few top picks the draft is a crap shoot. People here spend far too much time blaming the GM/draft when we should be blaming the ability of our coaching staffs to help develop some of these picks.  Roster construction and high/low priority positions mean diddly squat if you have a coaching staff incapable of utilizing the players to their strengths or helping to put players in a position to succeed.

[56mehl56]

12 minutes ago, joewilly12 said:

This is year 5 of Mike Maccagnan draft day failures and not making the playoffs are enough validity in judging a GM. 

So you use 4 players 4 teams as examples that leaves 28 other NFL teams that doing something right. 

This were guys just not tendered TODAY !!!!

[joewilly12]

Just now, 56mehl56 said:

This were guys just not tendered TODAY !!!!

Ok and you used that in our discussion TODAY!!!!

[56mehl56]

24 minutes ago, choon328 said:

Lee has very little draft pick value to another team bc of his play and he's a free agent after the year. At best they may be able to get a 6th round pick for him. It's more likely that he's traded to acquire another player that is on the last year of his deal as well.

The Eagles were interested during the draft and I could see a swap of Lee for Algholor. Especially if the Jets decide to move on from Anderson. I know, they don't play the same position but Algholor would have more value in a Gase system than Anderson anyway and I think you could get a 2020 2nd or 3rd round pick in return for Anderson.

 

I would look at a team who has an expensive veteran CB or Center available as well.

If I'm the GM I contact the Packers and find out what it would take to get Corey Linsley in a trade after they drafted a Center in the 2nd round. He's 27, rated the #6 Center last year and has a big cap number in 2020. Green Bay could use another WR.

Send Lee to Philly for Algholor then...

Trade Anderson and a 2020 5th round pick to the Packers for Linsley. That solves your offensive line problems and adds another slot weapon for Darnold.

Why - Agholor stinks also - we have a much better slot man in Crowder. 

[joewilly12]

Just now, 56mehl56 said:

Why - Agholor stinks also - we have a much better slot man in Crowder. 

Agree 

[56mehl56]

7 minutes ago, 56mehl56 said:

This were guys just not tendered TODAY !!!!

What i meant is this is just 4 examples today. If i went back to the previous 5 drafts I'm sure I could find about 5-10 per year that were considered 1st round busts. Mac isn't alone in drafting "poorly" and  I'll make a bold statement that if you average in 5 years of drafts every team will have at minimum 2-3 1st round busts . 

[joewilly12]

Just now, 56mehl56 said:

What i meant is this is just 4 examples today. If i went back to the previous 5 drafts I'm sure I could find about 5-10 per year that were considered 1st round busts. Mac isn't alone in drafting "poorly" and  I'll make a bold statement that if you average in 5 years of drafts every will have at minimum 2-3 1st round busts . 

Agree but its not only the 1st round its the entire draft.

In year 5 of being GM most players you drafted in year 1 should be helping your team win we shouldn't be discussing cutting another draft selection  and replacing them year to year. 

[#27TheDominator]

Most people around here probably consider me anti-Maccagnan, but I don't see how this is a knock on him.  We have all seen Darron Lee play.  My GM deciding to give him a guaranteed $10M for one season would be grounds for firing.  This was the correct move and it is obvious.

[choon328]

12 minutes ago, 56mehl56 said:

Why - Agholor stinks also - we have a much better slot man in Crowder. 

The past 2 years he's averaged 63 rec, 650 yards and 6 TD's from the slot. People want to pay Anderson big time money for similar numbers. He would be very good depth behind Crowder that the Jets currently don't have. 

You do need depth in case of injury. Remember last year when WR's went down and the players that the Jets were playing at WR? It would be nice to have some depth in case of the same scenario playing out instead of leaving Darnold high and dry again.

[Jetsfan80]

5 hours ago, joewilly12 said:

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.

 

Big Maccccccc

[Jetsfan80]

Big (but easy) decision regarding a Tiny Linebacker. 

[Jetsfan80]

5 hours ago, JetFreak89 said:

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

I don't think that was the reason this happened.  More like we have 5 LB's already on the roster that are all better than Darron Lee.  Including Jachai Polite and Jamal Adams. 

A secondary reason being that only Todd Bowles thinks you need a Deone Buchanon to make a defense operate successfully in 2019.  Shame on Macc for catering to a HC on such an important draft pick. 

[Jetsfan80]

5 hours ago, playtowinthegame said:

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

A tiny one. 

[jack48]

5 hours ago, Sarge4Tide said:

Grandpa?