Jets rank second in cap space after NFL sets salary cap at $182.5M for 2021

The NFL set the salary cap number for the 2021 season at $182.5 million, down 8 percent from last year.

The NFL has officially set the salary cap number for the 2021 season.

According to multiple reports, NFL teams were informed by the league on Wednesday that the salary cap number is $182.5 million this year. It is down 8 percent from last season when it was $198.2 million.

This year’s salary cap would have dropped to $155 million had all the COVID-19 related losses been accounted for this past season, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano. However, the NFLPA and the league negotiated last summer that the cap wouldn’t drop below $175 million.

The Jets are in a terrific spot in terms of available cap space heading into free agency next week. Including the Henry Anderson cut and Marcus Maye’s $10.612 million franchise tag, they’ll have $69.3 million to spend this offseason, according to Over The Cap. That is the second-most in the league, only behind the Jaguars, who have $73.8 million in cap space.

New York could create more room with some additional cuts. Alex Lewis, Greg Van Roten, Ryan Griffin and possibly Jamison Crowder are all candidates to be cap casualties.

With the Jets being one of the few teams with money to spend, they can be aggressive in free agency. They have holes across the board, but most notably on the offensive line, at wide receiver and edge rusher.

Free agency begins once the new league year opens at 4 p.m. ET on March 17.

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Report: Jets LB Avery Williamson agrees to restructured contract

Avery Williamson agreed to a restructured contract worth $3.5 million.

The Jets saved some money on Avery Williamson’s contract, and they did it without having to cut the linebacker.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Williamson agreed to a restructured deal worth $3.5 million with $1 million guaranteed. The contract can reach $5 million with incentives. Originally, Williamson’s 2020 base salary was worth $6.5 million.

The move saves the Jets $3.75 million in cap space. They had $31.5 million in cap space prior to the restructure.

Williamson just recently returned to practice and is primarily working with the second-team defense alongside James Burgess. He’ll see a few snaps here and there with the first-team defense, but the Jets seem to like the pairing of him and Burgess.

The 28-year-old linebacker is coming off a torn ACL that he suffered last preseason. Entering training camp, the expectation was that Williamson was going to be a cap casualty given the Jets’ depth at inside linebacker. However, when C.J. Mosley opted out due to COVID-19 concerns, it gave the Jets more of an incentive to keep Williamson.

Before the injury, Williamson was coming off the best season of his career in 2018. He recorded 116 total tackles, six pass breakups, three sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one interception in 16 games.

It remains to be seen what Williamson’s role will be with the Jets in 2020, but if he can produce even a fraction of those numbers, New York will gladly take that at a reduced cost.

Salary cap update: Where do Jets stand after Trumaine Johnson relief?

Jets Wire takes a look at Gang Green’s salary cap space after officially releasing Trumaine Johnson.

After releasing Trumaine Johnson, who was designated as a post-June 1 cut, the Jets now have just under $25 million in available cap space, according to OverTheCap.com.

While the Jets are now capable of making a free agent splash with Johnson’s contract off the books, it’s more likely that they will prioritize getting their 2020 draft class signed first. Bryce Hall was the Jets’ first rookie to agree to terms with the team, signing a four-year deal worth $3 million on Monday.

There is mutual interest between the Jets and free agent CB Logan Ryan, however, New York seems unwilling to meet his hefty price-tag of $10 million per season. At the top of the free agent class also remains Jadeveon Clowney, who is a luxury the Jets can afford at the edge rusher position, but Joe Douglas hasn’t been inclined to open up the organization’s checkbook for first-class free agents like his predecessor did. Offensive lineman Larry Warford is another top-flight player who has been linked to Gang Green.

Douglas also has to look internally. Signing Jamal Adams to an extension is an option, though not one the Jets seem to want to take this offseason.

Either way, the Jets now have the fifth-most available cap space in the NFL. That’s good news for a team that still has some holes to fill and a desire to contend in 2020.

Jets enter 2020 NFL Draft with $18.8 million in cap space

The Jets unofficially have $18.8 million in cap space entering the 2020 NFL Draft.

As the New York Jets enter the 2020 NFL Draft, they are in the top 10 in the league in available cap space.

According to Overthecap.com, the Jets have $18.8 million in cap space left after they signed a plethora of free agents this offseason. That’s good for 10th in the NFL.

However, this number is not entirely accurate because the Jets haven’t officially announced the contracts of three players that have been signed. They include quarterback David Fales, cornerback Arthur Maulet and outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Jenkins signed a one-year deal worth $5 million, which would bring the Jets down to $13.8 million in cap space. New York will also clear $8 million in cap space after June 1 thanks to Trumaine Johnson’s departure and the NFL’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Joe Douglas could still make some changes to the roster, too. Brian Winters could be cut at any moment, especially if the Jets add more linemen in the draft. Another interesting player to keep an eye out for is Avery Williamson. Coming off an ACL injury, the Jets could look to trade him or outright cut him and save $6.5 million.

At the moment, the Jets have eight draft picks on hand, so a good chunk of that remaining cap will go to rookies. New York could also accumulate more draft picks by trading down from the 11th overall pick, which would mean even more money toward the cap.

However, with Douglas likely interested in a few free agents after the draft, expect New York to free up some funds.

Jets release CB Darryl Roberts, clear $6 million in cap space

The Jets have released cornerback Darryl Roberts after four seasons.

The Jets have released yet another one of their 2019 starting cornerbacks.

The team announced on Saturday that it has officially released cornerback Darryl Roberts after four seasons with the Jets. Roberts had a $2 million guarantee on Sunday, so the Jets had to make a decision before then. By cutting him, the team cleared $6 million in cap space.

Roberts joined the Jets in 2016 after spending one season with the Patriots, the team he was originally drafted by in 2015 out of Marshall. He impressed in a limited role in 2016 and 2017 with 56 total tackles, 14 pass breakups and one interception.

Roberts earned more of a solidified role in the Jets secondary in 2018 when he started 10 games. He played well once again with 41 total tackles, seven pass breakups and one interception.

Last March, Roberts was rewarded for his efforts with a three-year, $18 million contract extension with the Jets. However, Roberts struggled as a starter in 2019, recording 58 total tackles, six pass defenses and one interception. The biggest knock on his style of play was his awareness for finding the football. He’d always seemed to be in position to make a play, but couldn’t locate the football.

Now the Jets have to replace two starting cornerbacks with Roberts and Trumaine Johnson off the roster. Bless Austin could be in line for a starting gig, but the Jets will have to explore external options in order to shore up the cornerback room.

New CBA allows Jets to divide Trumaine Johnson’s dead cap hit over 2 years

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, the Jets can divide Trumaine Johnson’s dead cap hit over two seasons.

The Jets were waiting for a new collective bargaining agreement to be passed before cutting ties with Trumaine Johnson. Now that that’s happened, Gang Green stands to benefit from Johnson’s imminent release.

The NFLPA voted on the proposed CBA by the NFL and voted 1019-959 in favor of ratifying the deal. Under the agreement, there will be a 17-game regular season, an expanded playoff field, an increase in players’ revenue share, former player benefits and a 10-year labor peace.

A new collective bargaining agreement also clarifies the Jets’ situation with Johnson. With a new CBA in place, the Jets can designate Johnson as a post-June 1 cut, which allows them to divide his $12 million dead cap hit over two seasons.

In 2020, the cornerback’s dead cap hit will be $4 million, while in 2021 it will be $8 million. Under the previous CBA, the Jets would’ve been responsible for Johnson’s entire $12 million charge in 2020.

Now the Jets will have an extra $8 million in cap space for this upcoming free agency period, which officially begins on Wednesday. The league’s tampering window opens at noon on Monday.

Johnson’s Jets career was an utter disaster. He played 17 games over two seasons and only made the secondary worse. Johnson had 57 total tackles, seven pass defenses, five interceptions and one touchdown in two seasons with Gang Green.

Signing Johnson to a five-year deal worth $72.5 million was one of the worst contracts in Jets history. Now his time in New York will come to an end in a matter of days.

Jets release S Blake Countess, save $1.2 million in cap space

The Jets have released Blake Countess and saved $1.2 million in cap space.

The Jets saved a little money on Wednesday, releasing safety Blake Countess. In doing so, the team cleared $1.2 million in cap space, per OverTheCap.

Countess was signed by the Jets in October and was active for six games. However, he didn’t record any statistics in 2019.

Countess was a sixth-round pick by the Eagles in 2016 out of Auburn. He didn’t play any games with the Eagles, though, as he was cut before the start of the 2016 season. The Rams picked him up after that; he was in Los Angeles for three seasons.

As a Ram, Countess had 54 total tackles, three pass defenses, two interceptions and one sack in 37 total games. He made one more stop in Philadelphia before coming to the Jets in 2019.

Joe Douglas hints that Brian Winters could survive cap cuts

Joe Douglas hinted at the NFL Combine that Brian Winters could avoid being cut by the Jets.

Brian Winters’ name has come up as a potential cap casualty for the Jets this offseason, but the team may have other ideas.

Winters is scheduled to make $7.2 million in 2020, but none of it is guaranteed. That allows the Jets to cut Winters from the roster without taking on any dead cap. However, Winters is the only starter on the offensive line under contract next season and Joe Douglas hinted that he could return.

“We haven’t made any decisions in terms of releasing anyone yet,” Douglas told reporters at the NFL combine. “We plan on making those decisions, but again, with Brian, special case because he’s the only returning starter. We’re not looking to leave ourselves even more of a hole.”

This could just be Douglas keeping his cards close to the vest in case his quest to rebuild the line doesn’t go exactly as planned this offseason. However, Winters has been a career-long Jet and he has a toughness to him that Douglas appreciates in the trenches.

However, the Jets could put Winters’ money to good use in free agency should they part with him. They’re projected to be in the $50 million range in terms of cap space, but if they cut Winters, they could increase it even more.

Douglas is going to have to consider that Winters is coming off an injured season, too. He played through a shoulder injury for nine games before undergoing surgery.

“[He is] a guy that just battled, battled his tail off all year after injuring his shoulder in the preseason and fighting through,” Douglas said. “And you’re going to be hard-pressed to find a better teammate, a tougher guy than Brian Winters. … I’ve heard a lot of optimism and positives about his rehab. So again, seeing him around the locker room, you know, it’s always good to see Brian. He’s got a big smile on his face and he’s an outstanding Jet.”

5 potential veteran cuts that would give Jets more cap space

Here are five potential veteran cuts for the Jets during the offseason.

With the offseason nearing, the Jets are going to have to make some important roster decisions with their veteran players.

There’s going to be a lot of turnover with Joe Douglas in his first season as general manager. Most of the players currently on the roster were not brought in by Douglas, but by Mike Maccagnan. So it won’t be hard for him to move on from some of them since they aren’t his guys. The Jets are projected to have about $60 million in cap space to begin, but they could get close to $80 million with some significant cuts.

With that being said, let’s take a look at a few potential veteran cuts for the Jets this offseason. The first one is a no-doubter…

Trumaine Johnson

Trumaine Johnson has made the decision for the Jets to move on from him an easy one with his efforts over the last two seasons.

Johnson was signed to a mega five-year, $72.5 million deal in 2018 by Mike Maccagnan and has been a waste ever since. Johnson’s play on the field has been dismal, as opposing wide receivers burn him constantly. He can’t defend the deep ball, nor can he stick with anyone on a crossing route. In two seasons, Johnson had 57 total tackles, seven pass defenses, five interceptions and a touchdown.

When the Jets do cut him, they’ll take a dead cap hit of $12 million but will also save $3 million. At this point, the dead cap hit is worth not having Johnson around any longer.

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What another NFL salary cap spike means for the Jets

The NFL cap number is projected to be in the range of $196.8-$201.2 million for the 2020 season.

NFL teams will be able to spend a lot more money for the 2020 league year.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the NFL informed teams that the 2020 salary cap is expected to be in the range of $196 million to a little over $201 million. This marks the seventh consecutive season in which the cap is projected to climb more than $10 million per team over a year.

Since 2011, the cap number has increased by 65 percent and $76 million per team. The total projected player costs for the 2020 season will be more than $7.7 billion.

As for what that means for the Jets, they have 40 players under contract for the 2020 season, according to Over The Cap. They have $147,098,220 million committed to those players. Based on a projected salary cap number of $200 million, the Jets will have $52,901,780 in cap space for 2020.

However, this number isn’t set in stone for 2020, as the Jets can create more cap space through cuts and trades. One of the first players that will be cut after the season is Trumaine Johnson. The Jets will take a $12 million dead cap hit, but will save $3 million. Meanwhile, Brian Winters has no guaranteed money left on his deal, meaning the Jets will save his entire $7 million salary if they cut him as expected.

In terms of trades, the Jets could possibly deal both Le’Veon Bell and Jamal Adams in the offseason. If the Jets can find a trade partner to take most if not all of Bell’s remaining contract, they’d be in line to save a lot of money. The Jets would save a few million by trading Adams as well.

New York is also going to try and retain some of its upcoming free agents too, so that will cut into cap space, as will the draft. Overall, the rise in the NFL salary cap number for 2020 will be beneficial for Joe Douglas when he gets his first crack at free agency.