’17 season is price for ’18 cap space
With the Jets’ 2017 already looking like one long preseason, Jets fans can start dreaming about next offseason.
People have called the Jets a “rebuilding” team, but so far it mostly has been about tearing the roster down, aside from the team’s draft picks. Next offseason, the Jets truly can begin rebuilding.
With all of the moves they have made this offseason, the Jets are going to have plenty of money to spend in 2018. They already are projected to have about $67 million in cap space next year, according to overthecap.com. That does not count the carryover from 2017 and any salary-cap cuts they make next winter. It is easy to envision the Jets having between $80 million-$90 million in cap space.
That will have fans dreaming of a massive spending spree, but general manager Mike Maccagnan repeatedly has stated his philosophy of building through the draft, so it will be interesting how active the Jets are in free agency. With that much money, you have to assume they will be somewhat big spenders.
The Jets also figure to have a top draft pick, and they are expected to target one of the top quarterbacks in the draft to spark a turnaround.
The Jets’ current salarycap situation is interesting. They currently have about $16 million in space, per Over The Cap, but they have yet to sign top pick Jamal Adams, which will cut that number down by about $4 million.
Owner Woody Johnson is saving a lot of money this season after the moves this offseason. The Jets cut about $68 million in payroll. Their projected payroll for this season is about $124 million after they cut the roster to 53 players. That pales in comparison to the $155 million and $171 million the payroll was at the past two seasons.
All of the cuts have left the Jets with about $17.5 million in dead money, which is the secondmost in t he NFL behind the Ravens. Of their 10 biggest cap hits this year, two belong to players no longer on the team — Darrelle Revis ($6 million) and Ryan Fitzpatrick ($5 million).
The largest remaining salary- cap number belongs to Muhammad Wilkerson at $18 million after he signed his five-year, $86 million deal last summer. He is followed by Buster Skrine ($8.5 million), Sheldon Richardson ($8 million), Brian Winters ($8 million), James Carpenter ($6.8 million), Josh McCown ($6.5 million), Revis, then four players at $5 million — Leonard Williams, Matt Forte, Kelvin Bechum and Fitzpatrick.
Most of that dead money will be cleared after this year. They are projected to have just $2.8 million in dead money next year.
The 2017 season will be a painful one for Jets fans, but next offseason looks like it will be an exciting one— between gobs of salary-cap space and a top draft pick.
The Jets released WR Quinton Patton from injured reserve with an injury settlement.