Braylon Edwards – The Financials
After the jump, some FAQ about what today’s trade means for the Jets in terms of salary cap and draft picks going forward…
What is Braylon’s contract status?
He’s in the final year of his rookie contract. The Jets have not extended his contract (yet).
Why haven’t the Jets extended his contract?
As with Leon Washington, if there is no CBA agreed before March then 2010 will be uncapped and the Jets will still have control over Braylon’s rights, since he will be a restricted free agent.
Didn’t they already trade their third rounder for Lito Sheppard?
Only if certain conditions are met. If these conditions were met, the Jets would have no third rounder to trade so would have to give up their second rounder. This tells me that there is no way the conditions will be met for the Lito pick to escalate to a third rounder. In fact, I already believe that, because the 3rd rounder only applies if they sign Lito to the extension agreed at the time of the trade, which includes a $10m bonus in 2010. They can still sign him to a different extension, which is what they’ll do if they want to bring him back (this is what NO did with Vilma, so the third could be used in the Shockey trade).
Are there conditions attached to the Braylon picks?
I don’t know yet, but none have been reported so far. However, they may have similar conditions to the Lito trade, which could be another reason why the Jets haven’t extended him yet.
Can the Jets even afford to extend him?
Well, if there is a cap next year, money could be tight, but they have enough flexibility to clear room to make this move and one or two smaller ones. I wonder what his market value is right now. He was hoping for a deal earning $8m-10m per year, but I think his value has dipped below that.
Hey, Bent, I thought you said we couldn’t afford Braylon?
Yes I did – and I was right. This was back when the Jets were looking to trade a pick for him. By trading away Stuckey and Trusnik to clear some (albeit not much) cap space and by waiting until 4 games into the year so that 25% of his salary has already been paid by the Browns, the Jets can just about squeeze him in and still have the cap room to cover incentives and escalators (some of which will have already been paid, but not yet announced).
What does this mean for Leon?
Now that the Jets have used practically all of their 2009 cap space, they cannot afford to give Leon an extension that increases his 2009 cap number significantly (there were some other cap-related barriers to this too). In that respect, Tannenbaum has won, but I did think it was unlikely Keels was ever going to be able to agree an extension that kicked in until next year. That doesn’t mean they can’t still negotiate, agree and announce a contract extension that kicks in next year though.
If you have any other questions (or believe any of the information above to be inaccurate), please leave a comment below and I will answer everyone later today.
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As always, great breakdown Bent
The one thing I have liked about Tannenbaum since he became GM is that he is a master cap negotiator. I have faith he will work through his and get the team in good shape.
I think Shaun Ellis is great, one of the best (most consistent) first round picks ever. It’s that damn 12+million dollar cap consumption.
Good breakdown
Once again….. Mr T is a cap genius. He knows more about the cap than any other GM ……just go ask Bill Parcells…Those were his words
I think it was key getting a receiver in and I hope Edwards gets his career in order here. That being said…. I’m alittle worried considering he drops alot of balls And what worries me more is the constant trading of draft picks. This is going to hurt the Jets. We now have given up our 3rd, 4th (Lito Trade) and 5th. This team lacks depth and youth on both sides of the Lines. All of the good teams.. ie. Giants, Pats, Steelers, Colts… keep there picks or get more picks and there depth and quality is great Do you agree that this is going to hurt us?
we needed another WR as cotchery and keller are not gamebreakers. When Edwards is at his best he is a top 5 WR…at his worst he’s no worse than Stuckey…
Rex should whip him into shape no problem
Nice job Bent. As things stand right now we should be without a 3rd, 4th, and 5th next season. We are going to be right up against the cap now. Braylon costs about 3.5 million and we should save about 700K in the two players salaries. My site numbers are off by about 300K prior to this trade, so we should have around 1.7 or 1.6 in cap room at the end of the day. That should be enough to cover any bonus payments that may be earned by a few select players this year.
I rellay think that with Rex,Bart,Jinx etc,etc,Braylon will be on his BEST behavior!
i agree that depth is an issue, but we can get depth guys through free agency also. its not like the draft is the only place to find a depth guy.
for the first time in probably forever, we are going to be going into the draft without a major hole on the roster. with the first 2 picks, we can draft OL and NG. the 4th and 5th rounders we gave up in these trades are worth minimal value. we could always trade down a couple of slots in the 1st or 2nd round and obtain extra picks at the back end.
i really like how the team is positioned, both for 2009 and the future
He needs a little one on one timw alone in the locker room with Bart Scott and Jinx and that should straighten him out!
With the limited # of picks we could have issues, BUT Look at the fact that we’ve got our skill posititions covered for, hopefully, years to come. With our limited picks we can go out and get the best NT/G/LB and BOOM!
By the way can someone give some love to “The Crazy One” Dwight Lowery!!!
We all know Revis is shutdown. So does every quarterback. So they all look Lowerys way and ummmm excuse me, how is our pass defense WITHOUT Sheppard? I’m not saying, I’m just saying how about the Sophmore everyone hated on last year?
What round was he again? Was it the magic round? #4.
The goal of the draft is to get NFL caliber players. Hoarding picks only makes sense if those drafts yield NFL caliber players. If you analyze the drafts of the Giants, Steelers, Pats and Colts over the past 3 years, I am wondering what the count is on their drafting bona fide NFL starters? The Jets have drafted starters like Revis, Harris, Sanchez, Keller, Stuckey and Lowery all with limited picks (and Shonn Greene may be productive this year, too). I’m all for depth, but the funny thing about depth is that you don’t know how good it is until you have to use it. How good are Hunter, Turner and Slauson? I don’t know because they haven’t played enough. On the DL, how good is Pitoitua or Greene? One thing that I’ve noticed, I thought Pouha was not an NFL player, but in Rex’s system, he’s actually serviceable. DeVito is solid. So, maybe the DL depth is better than we thought? I just don’t get all the hue and cry about trading draft picks, especially when they’re used to obtain a player better than you couldn’t draft, like Edwards, who was the 3rd pick of the 2005 draft. Let’s say the Jets pick 20th next year, a 1st, 3rd, 5th and a couple of okay players to move up to the no. 3 slot would be a steal. The Jets just did the same thing, but retained the 1st round pick.
I agree about the panic over draft picks. IMO having multiple picks deep into a draft is most valuable in two scenarios: when you have a very bad team rebuilding from scratch, or when you have a well-stocked contender piling up depth. The Jets just got closer to becoming the latter and I could see them trading out of the first round and regaining multiple picks in the next couple of years if that seems like the way to get the best value.
Bent,
I was wondering if you could comment for a second on Faneca, Woody and Ellis. All three of these guys have fairly large contracts. Faneca and Woody were brought in last year. How much of the money is guaranteed going forward? What type of cap flexibility could the Jets create in the next two seasons with these three players? Aside from a future nose tackle, these seem like the biggest holes that may need to be filled in the coming years. Just wondering if you could provide some info.
So what picks do we actually possibly have next year? We NEED depth after this years draft. We can’t have a shallow draft class two years in a row.
the draft can be a crap shoot, look at VG- hopefully he will start looking average sometime soon, but who knows. I really feel we have excellent depth on this team right now, and too many of you guys are haters on guys you dont know enough about cause they havent played.
DE- Ropati- he added 20 lbs this past year 290-310 at 6′8″, when he played in preseason and the first game- he looked pretty good to me- undrafted guy 2nd year. Devitto- undrafted i believe and he will probably be our starting DE when Douglas leaves the Jets. DT- Pouha and Green both looked good in preseason and Pouha has played a good amount so far- holding his own pretty well. LB- Westerman- undrafted, 1st year- already looks better than VG- and he plays ILB and OLB, VG will hopefully start producing sometime when he gets more comfortable with this new system, and all u haters on B. thomas- he is a solid OLB, but not a star or stud. Secondary- we havent missed a beat with lito and strickland out, eric smith is looking amazing too.
OL- I really like Turner- plays guard and center, Hunter- we might found out about real soon, and they drafted the Callahans boy in Slauson.- by the way anyone notice Carl Nicks against the saints- 340lb starting guard for them- a guy some of us were begging for 2 drafts ago, but we picked Ainge instead that round. We are set at WR, TE, possibly pick up a blocking TE in the draft rather than paying 1.2mil for a veteran, RB- Greene and Leon look good, hopefully Greene can stay healthy- we will find out about him as the season moves on.
So where are our big depth concerns? We have done a great job over the last couple of years finding good players in the undrafted part of the draft!
I have major concerns about Edwards as a player. Especially a receiver who is known for DROPPED PASSES…
I think we are giving up too many draft picks as we have always found good players late in the draft
chansi stuckey – 7th round
leon washington – 4th round
dwight lowery – 4th round
kerry rhodes – 4th round
eric smith – 3rd round
brad smith – 4th round
drew coleman – 6th round
sione pouha – 3rd round
jerricho cotchery – 4th round
erik coleman(atlanta falcons) – 5th round
derrck ward (tampa bay) – 7th round
To say that these picks don’t matter is crazy…Braylon better get his act together when he gets here…cause I’m not sure about this kid…I would have preferred to wait until the offseason and tried to sign Vincent Jackson so we didn’t have to give up ANY picks.
Where the Jets haven’t done so well is in the earlier rounds (Gholston, Clemens) Having said that, a trade for a first rounder that ’s already proven his elite NFL ability (2007) makes good sense if he comes cheaply. With viable starters across the roster, the Jets now leave themselves the option of trading out of the risky and expensive top of the draft to recoup those later picks they’ve been successful with.
go jets…..
All I can say in Tanny I Trust…..
The Jets will be fine draft wise and they got a WR threat that will allow them to start pounding the ball without 8 in the box …..
Good Job!
I wish we could have kept stuckey as a slot guy but Im
not gonna get all greedy about it…
I can see Gholston getting traded next ..I’m surprised he didn’t go in the Edwards trade to clear up salary cap next year to resign Washington and Edwards…
Well… Braylon Edwards wanted out of Cleveland. That was for certain. The last two years he has looked horrible. He has dropped a lot of passes. All this being said, his talent is undeniable. The Jets have a good core of leaders who will demand they get the best of him on the field. Rex Ryan being the most important one there. I don’t think Ryan would’ve signed off on this trade if he did not think that he could coach him. If we get the best of him, this is an excellent trade and changes the entire dynamic of the offense. If we get the version we’ve seen recently, we just gave up a good player in Stuckey and some draft picks for a guy who acts like a child when things go wrong.
Just one more thing… can we STOP harping on Gholston? For all intents and purposes this is his rookie season. He was a project when we picked him, whether anyone wants to believe it or not. He’s shown signs this season. Now we need to see the next step. You have to crawl before you can walk.
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GANGREEN – Trading Gholston is highly unlikely in the next few years because it would give the Jets a big cap hit. It’s impossible this year with no cap room. Note: even if there’s no cap, the cap hit will still apply in the next capped season.
someguy – I believe we have 1,2,6 and 7 still (very similar to the Revis-Harris-Bender-Stuckey draft), but might get more picks by trading veterans to clear cap room, perhaps. Also, as things stand, they have lost more FAs than they brought in, so may qualify for some compensatory picks (it depends how the FAs perform though).
RJ – You correctly note that the Pats are always lauded for acquiring multiple picks, but I’ve been wondering lately if the jury is out on that being the best method. By having a bunch of second and third rounders, many of these players are falling short of being stars and it is (at last) starting to maybe have an effect. If the Jets are going to convert Ratty, Elam, Stuckey and Trusnik (total cost = one seventh rounder) into value via trade, then they cannot be criticized for wasting picks. These pickups have effectively preserved 4 mid rounders for them.
Ilan – All three are guys they could theoretically move or restructure next year to save money. Ellis will be in the last year of his deal anyway and Woody’s contract really wasn’t that big (only $9m guaranteed). Even Faneca can be released with too big of a hit. It will depend how all three fare this year as to whether they look to replace them. Another guy to add to that list is TJ and of course Lito.
Nobody asked this but – The timing of the Crabtree deal is irrelevant and the fact he’s signed may not help the Jets out of the tampering charge. When the 49ers were accused of tampering on Lance Briggs, they were still charged, even though he still re-signed with the Bears and the Niners never even pursued him. I think that (if there’s enough proof) the league could still come down pretty hard on the Jets, who could, in theory, lose anything up to the rest of their 2010 draft. Maybe the fact that Crabtree signed will reduce the punishment, but I don’t necessarily see why it should.
A year ago we were looking at a team with laughable QB prospects, holes at WR, and no legitimate replacement for Thomas Jones. We had a coach with little brother syndrome. Holes in the D and questionable line depth on both sides. No punter and a huge bust of a kicker.
Give Mr. T some credit here folks. This team now has all the pieces for a serious playoff run this year and in the future. We now have a coach that players want to run through walls for. A franchise QB who is barely old enough to drink and is more than holding his own. One of the best RB’s in the league in Leon and a potential big back of the future in Shonne. A legitimate TE threat in Keller. One of the most underrated WR’s in Cotch. And now a big catch tremendously talented #1 WR threat. And don’t get me started on the defense. Bart, Jenkins, Ellis, Pace, Harris, Revis… that’s just nasty.
We are set for the season and the future. Great time to be a Jets fan.
This offseason all Mr T needs to do is sign Leon and Edwards to long term deals. With no major holes to fill in the draft, trade that first pick for another 2nd and a 3rd. Get some line depth, a NG, maybe a kicker. And go to war. Love it.
For all the MR T bashers out there it is time to give this guy his due. I mean all he has done is improve the talent on this team. I have been a fan for 20 years and this is the most talented Jets team outside of maybe 98 that I have seen. You don’t just build teams through the draft. You build them through all three phases. Plus the Jets could always recoup picks next year by trading down in the draft so nothing can ever be judged on just a particular deal.
The Tannenbaum haters are MIA. Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Where is Igs?
Great trade for the Jets, the upside is through the roof.
This should free up Keller, Cotchery and the running game.
My only concern,
And I suppose this is my question for Bent;
How do the Jets manage to re-sign all of their young talent?
Leon, Edwards, Ferguson, Mangold, Harris and Revis.
Ferguson will probably command top 5 LT money which should be a hefty contract.
Revis will become the highest paid corner in NFL history.
Where will this money come from?
I dont want to be the guy to keep saying ” I told you so”, but after all the debating back and forth over Revis, its finally time for me to say I TOLD YOU SO!!!! Not directed at anyone imparticular, but he has proven to be the best corner in the NFL, top 3 at worst, if you want to get technical.
I LOVE The Jets
The Jets have also worked very hard to find undrafted free agents, castoff players and practice squad players to develop for depth. See Ratliff, Turner, Devito, Trusnik, Elam, Clowney, Carroll, etc. This gives them a lot more flexibility in how to use their mid-round picks. It seems to me that they realized a couple of years ago that the team really needed to upgrade the talent at the key positions and get some guys with elite skills. Then they targeted the specific guys they wanted. They signed key FAs and in the draft they traded up for Revis, they traded up for Harris, they traded up for Keller, they traded up for Sanchez, they traded up for Shonne Green, etc. In those trades they gave up a lot of 3-6 round picks but so what. They have found other ways to get the depth players for the roster. Of course the Edwards trade has risks but what big move doesn’t. Think about what the roster looked like 2 or 3 years ago (or even just at the end of last season) and look at it now. The transformation has been pretty incredible. And all of it was done while staying under the salary cap. If you look at the big picture, it’s hard to be too critical. They have made a lot more good moves than bad ones.
Does this mean the T. Jones will not be a Jet next year? He seems to be the most likely to go in order to make room to keep Edwards.
Has anyone raised the possibility the Jets gave up too much? Not in the sense that trading a special team star and a decent, but no longer important WR in Stuckey compares in value to a top 10 receiver when focused + picks. The issue is how desperate was Mangini to rid himself of this perpetual malcontent and underachiever. These deals frequently come down to poker and while Mr. T is good, I’m not sure he doesn’t give more than he has to. It never seems that Belichek gives squat for guys who produce. If you give up a 3 & a 5 also, get back a 6. Funny guys show up in the 6th round – just a thought
Sorry but I do not like this trade
Jesus Revis,
No need to get technical bro, he is the best in the business, hands down. He is the Second Coming
You said it from Day One and not only have you convinced me, but I am now an devoted apostle and follower.
Lance, Lance, Lance, Lance….
Would you care to elaborate? Unless you know something I dont know, it seems like you are suffering from beaten Jet fan syndrome
IN JETS I TRUST
JR – By the time they have to pay those guys, some other big contracts (Faneca, Woody, Jenkins, Thomas, Ellis etc) will be coming to an end, so the tricky part is not resigning all our talent…it’s replacing those guys with cheaper talent. This could be with draft picks yet to be made, but some of the holes could be filled by guys like Turner, DeVito, Westerman, Pitoitua, Slauson.
The contracts are staggered in such a way that I don’t see a particular year where they’re likely to run out of money. The uncapped year (if it happens) may enable them to clear some more space by advancing salary. If it’s possible, you know they’ll be all over it.
Of the players you named Jenkins is the one i’m worried about replacing. Its not easy finding a guy who does what he does. Time to start drafting big NT’s….
Eddie,
In Revis We Trust
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