Free Agents: Exclusive Rights Players
We know the Jets are occupied with some other tasks right now, but here’s a quick rundown of who’s up as a free agent this year for the Jets. This list starts off with the Exclusive Rights Free Agents (ERFA), players which aren’t exactly free agents. ERFA’s have no more than two accrued seasons in the NFL and may only sign with his prior team granted that the team extends a minimum qualifying offer to the player.
Here’s a list of the Jets ERFAs …
WR Wallace Wright
Age: 24 Height: 6-1 Weight: 200
An invaluable special teamer, his tackles and coverage has been much of the reason of the team’s success the past few years on kick and punt coverage. Since he’s an exclusive rights player, there’s no reason not to keep him at very good value. What remains to be seen is whether Wright can become a help in the passing game.
LB Marques Murrell
Age: 23 Height: 6-2 Weight: 250
Brother of former Jet RB Adrian, there could be a lot of potential for this transitioning collegiate defensive lineman. Murrell saw more of a role in the second half of the season. Murrell was a decent special teamer, but might need to make more of an impact on defense to make it to the final 53 on the roster this coming year. Murrell could be a potential homegrown replacement to Free Agent LB Eric Barton. Murrell has the size and speed to play in the middle of a 3-4, or outside or down in sub packages of a 4-3. Murrell needs to work on his coverage skills to be a real benefit to this team.
WR David Clowney
Age: 23 Height: 6-0 Weight: 188
The most electric player on the team in camp and preseason, he’s not the right body-type to play effectively on special teams in a coverage/blocking role. He’s a special player as a receiver, but the Jets are logjammed at WR right now with Coles, Cotchery, Brad Smith and Chansi Stuckey. Still, there’s no reason to let him hit the free market when he could be signed to a minimum deal. He makes more sense to this team should a possession style receiver ahead of him be released …
QB Brett Ratliff
Age: 23 Height: 6-4 Weight: 235
Ratliff cemented his role as the third QB this year with his work in the preseason and should be allowed to fight for a starting job should it open up if Favre walks away from the game. Ratliff used the year to soak as much up from Brett Favre as he could, often hanging around with him on the sideline during games. Ratliff had a great preseason in 2008, and could be a guy the team grooms for a few years. Hands down more refined than Erik Ainge right now.
RATLIF ROCKS GO RATMAN
Sign all of them.
i second that, keep the foundation for the future…sign em all
Anyone have any idea what kind of deal Ratliff could expect?
Ratliff and Clowney could be valuable to this team in the future. Wright is a perenial pro- bowl special teamer. Maybe Murrall could come in to his own this season. Sign em all
Honestly enough of Brad Smith. He drops so many passes, and runs horrible routes. Stuckey is a much better receiver and needs to be worked in. He has Wes Welker / Deion Branch type skills in my opinion. Clowney is our one and only legit deep threat and therefore needs to also see some playing time at the #4 WR. Hopefully now that Mangini is gone, the Jets’ love for Brad Smith will dissipate.
I take it that he’d get your typical exclusive rights free agent deal. If I’m not mistaken, he can’t sign with another team if the Jets make him a minimum qualifying offer.
Tebow tebow tebow…he’s the only hope to break the curse enough with Farve one and done I hope!! And Barton had over 100 tackles which is what linebackers are paid to do they should sign him for another 2 years and worry about other areas of need like DB’s
1 1/2 big games in the preseason against 3rd stringers make Clowney a “special player as a receiver”? Let’s be a little more honest in our evaluations.
I agree with its time to let Brad Smith go this experiment is over i much rather see Clowney in there . And Barton I think will not be back next season. Also I have a funny feeling that whoever gets the HC job is going to convert this Defense back to 4-3 Especially if its Spagnuolo maybe we can get something out of Gholston
Tebow is going to be an awful NFL QB, doesn’t run a pro style offense in college, and he would get his head smashed in if he thinks he can run every other play in the pros.
Let Barton walk, going to be too expensive to keep, plus he cannot cover a TE to save his life and commits too many stupid penalties. They can draft another ILB or find a cheaper alternative in FA.
I would hope the Jets to sign Ratliff to a 2-3 year deal probably for a mil a season, just a guess or is that too cheap.
Off topic…….I was critical of coles when he bashed the Favre trade……looks like he isn’t the only player who feels that way now…….That being said i think he still needs to be traded for a draft pick next year and maybe cotchery too……I’d love to see ratliff with this receiver set: outside marcuse henry and david clowney, stuckey in the slot and keller at tight end….If that becomes a reality i’d be happy……Oh and to all the favre lovers out there that say this team was 4-12 last year without him…..guess what …we were 10-6 without him the year before that. I think tanwoody is hoping he will retire so they don’t have to go through a controversial trade or release of the old guy…..GO BACK TO MISSISSIPPI AND STAY THERE!!!!
Trade Cotchery? Starting lineup of Ratliff, Henry, Clowney, and Stuckey.
Might as well be the youngest least experienced offense in the league. The team would be 2-14 at best next season. Your a moron
Alon, I hope Brad Smith experiment has come to an end. Westoff will lobby to keep him on special teams, the next question is whether the next OC see value in a WildCat offense…
vbsiena24;
How about trade coles?
Keep Cotchery, use Clowney more let Stuckey and Smith battle in training camp and use more keller next year.
Just like the patriots did in 2001. Ratliff would have an experienced group with the offensive line, Baker, Jones, and washington and following the play calls in the offensive system rather than improvising and trying to fling it!!!
I think Cotchery played with more damage in his shoulder than we think!
Lowery will be the starting again opposite of Revis in 2009!
If the Jets get rid of any of these guys i won’t be happy
and Tebow is going to be a [retty bad qb in the Pro’s he runs the Alex Smith offesnse and we know how that went. he just flat wont be a good qb.
I’ve already outlined how scarce cap space will be next season.
Trade Coles and you still have $7m going up against the cap because that was guaranteed (unless there is some way Coles can un-guarantee this money if the Jets facilitate a trade for him, but such a clause would have to already be in his contract and is pretty unusual).
Trade Cotchery and you get a $6.7m cap hit, so although you save the $3.7m that you would have had to pay him, this uses up a net of $3m of that valuable cap space.
Bottom line: I can’t see either happening, unless the Coles disclaimer mentioned above applies.
We should stick to the secondary in the draft. I’d like to see either Vontae Davis or William Moore in a Jets jersey next season. Also, if Tebow does decide to leave for the NFL, I wouldn’t mind picking him up in a later round. He has a winners mentality and is a natural born leader. I know he doesn’t play in a pro style offense, but he has a great work ethic and spends hours upon hours watching game film.
Re: Tebow – unless he can find a team that runs some version of the option (or wildcat?) offense, I agree he isn’t a great QB prospect (which is exactly how I felt about Vince Young.
However, he has all the tools to be a phenomenal football player. I wouldn’t draft him in the first round but he could be a tremenous utility player (FB, H-Back, Option QB, short yardage back).
It would be a bit of a luxury pick even in the second round, but I can see him making a massive contribution on a team like *shudder* the Pats.
Bent, I completely agree. I wouldn’t mind grabbing him in the 2nd round.
I think Clowney has speed which the other 4 JETS receivers do not have. And I would resign him.
I am disappointed Cowher has decided to remain retired. Is he looking at Giants job next year? Carolina is solid with Fox wich is his dream job.
So now the Jets are on to Plan B.
yeah bo……….i think your waaaay ahead of yourself with the tim tebow talk, he definately doesnt have the mechanics and accuracy to as it is to be good in the nfl. scouts dont even see him a s a qb, but more like a te or wr, but whos to say if his hard work wont pay off. but i dont think you would want to wish his arrival on the jets…….bad thinking
We cannot afford to lose them. They know too much….
Wallace Wright should have been thrown to more. He doesn’t get any credit for his receiving skillz.
I expected more outta Murrell, but OLB had much depth this season. Plus, he played in Gholston’s 1st round shadow.
Clowney had no freakin’ opportunities.
Ratliff is essential to 2009’s roster, whether it be as Clemens’ back-up, or PERHAPS a starter.
Plus, anyone we lose somehow lands in New England.
sign all of them, cut Barton and Thomas. Trade coles.
Hire Marty Schottenheimer (get us to the playoffs and then we’ll worry)
Cut Brett Favre
Keep Ratliff (the good Brett).
Draft -Taylor Mays , Free Safety from USC 1st round.
Draft -Tyson Jackson, Defensive End, LSU 2nd round
Draft -Antonio Coleman, Defensive End/OLB, Auburn 3rd Round
Draft-Tyrell Sutton RB, Northwestern 4th Round
Draft- Ramses Barden WR, Cal Poly-SLO 5th Round ( 6′-6″)
Sign Free Agent T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR
Sign FA Terrell Suggs DE,
Sign FA Dunta Robinson, DB,
Cut or trade (Ha!) Coles
Cut Sean Ellis
Cut Kenyon Coleman
Cut Chris Baker, the slowest TE in NFL history.
Cut David Barret
Do Not Resign Eric Barton, he’ll be too expensive
Trade Jerricho Cotchery
Start Stuckey & Houshmandzadeh at wideouts with Clowney the #3.
Experiment putting Dwight Lowery at Safety.
Give more playing time to:
S-James Ihhedigbo (and not just ST)
LB-Marques Murrell
LB-Jason Trusnik
LB Kenyon Cummings (was 100X better than Gholston in preseason)
Read the riot act to Kerry Rhodes, who only arm tackles and moves backwards when running backs are in his face (see Marshawn Lynch).
Since he decided to be an actor, he is definitely protecting his good looks.
What a waste of talent. He should be All-Pro every year!
From GreenRewind.com
Bruce, the Jets cannot cut or trade Coles, his contract is guaranteed! Houshmanzadeh is another Cotchery or Coles, we need someone with speed. Again if you trade Cotchery it will hit the Jets hard against the cap. Pretty much your scenario will not work.
I wouldn’t put too much stock in preseason play, but it would be nice to have Clowney and Ratliff back if it doesn’t cost much. Also, if the Jets are pressed for cap room, I think it might be about time to consider releasing Shawn Ellis. He’s been a great player for us and I’m not knocking him, but sometimes it’s just better for both parties to move on and that seems to be the case with him right now. A lot will depend on whether our new coach runs a 4-3 of 3-4 though, because if we switch to the 4-3 Bryan Thomas and Calvin Pace could be gone.
looking ahead to the draft I think it’s clear taht the jets have two issues. qb and secondary. a lot of analysts have had the jets drafting a cb. however, if tannebaum was smart and a good drafter he woudl nost hesitate to take taylor mays. he may drop that far and is an absolute stud and prob teh best db this side of malcolm jenkins. it is clear that we dont have a viable option at fs and taylor mays is a laron landry type safety. fast, HUGE and smart. he is the exact type of player we need to line up next to kerry. i just hope they get him.
After reading this, I would have to say keep all of these guys and ax others come the 53 cut down.
we can talk all we want the bottom line is we are all cursed for being Jet fans and its such a shame, it could not of been scripted better with Chad beating us and Brett playing no better than I would. On top of that Tannenbaum is clueless and scared of his own shadow Im sure we are in for a head scratcher choice for head coach and I’m sure the draft will also be a train wreck so we can all look forward to a team full of pro bowlers ( we had the most going this year ) and a 8-8 record next year… We can all wonder how it would of played out if Chad stayed… probably would of been playing the Giants in the super bowl with us winning..but that’s just not the Jets way
Ratliff is essential. I think the front office acknowledges that.
He resembles a young Jon Kitna in that picture by the way…
Alright Wallace Wright needs to be resigned badly, he’ll take the minimum and he is an unsung hero on the team as he easily could of been a Pro Bowler at Special Teamer this year, they can let Brad Smith go as the highlight of his well hyped season was grabbing an onside kick during the 49ers game, Ratliff will be resigned as he looked 10 times better than Kellen did during preseason, and they will resign Clowney, but yes lets not make him out to be the next Jerry Rice just yet
by the way, Coles will be on the team next year, but his play was poor at the end of the year as sometimes it looks like he is only trying to draw a flag for pass interference rather than make a catch
the jets need a lot of secondary help. Draft guys like vonte davis illinois or dre moore from vandy. They also are going to need to draft a running back soon, wiht thomas jones turning 32 soon. I was thinking Javon Ringer from Michigan State. But you guys are getting way ahead of yourselves. Lets focus on getting a coach, before we start cutting our two best recivers.
Sign them all. I say we draft graham harrell in the second round this year and have a battle with him clemens and ratliff for the starting job.
DRAFT
Round 1-Knowshon Moreno-Georgia RB
Round 2- Tyson Jackson-LSU DE
Round 3- Graham Harrell-Texas Tech QB
Round 4- Jordan Shipley- Texas WR
Round 5- Scott McKillop- Pitt LB
Round 6- AQ Shipley- Penn State OC
Round 7- Ryan Palmer- Texas CB
FREE AGENTS
Sign- Terrell Suggs
Sign- T.J. Houshmandzadeh
Cut- Kenyon Coleman
Trade- Coles and Shaun Ellis and a draft Pick For a #1 Wide reciever