Last night on NFL Live, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said that the Jets could look to trade Mark Sanchez before the season starts, provided Geno Smith looks ready to start the season as the team’s top quarterback.
“I think the Jets would love to see (Smith) grasp things right away, so that the Jets would be in a position where they could see if they could find a trade partner for Mark Sanchez down the line,” Schefter said Monday night on ESPN. “Some teams would be unwilling to take on the $8.25 million guaranteed in his contract, but there might be a team that’s willing to pay a small portion of it. To get some of that money off the Jets’ books. And the fact of the matter is, the Jets will go to camp with Sanchez. They’ll look to see at that point in time how Geno Smith fares.”
Brian Bassett, TheJetsBlog.com
It is undoubted that Schefter has sources, but it seems an odd piggyback — down to the financial components — after Brian Costello had this piece published on NY Post yesterday morning.
The Jets might cut or release Mark Sanchez before the start of the season, but if the Jets move him in any way, they are going to eat a lot of dead money. Sanchez represents a dead money figure of $17 million, of which only $8.25 million is salary — guaranteed mind you — the rest will come in the form of the ill-conceived prorated bonuses that Mike Tannenbaum gave Sanchez last offseason … totaling over $17 million should the Jets cut him this year in dead money. If the team can trade Sanchez, then they’d get a little cap relief, but only what a team would offer in buy-back salary. Since Sanchez is a former first round draft pick, some team might be willing to give up a late 2014 draft pick for him and also pay $2-3 million for him to off-set the Jets cap hits.
It stands to reason that the Jets want it to work with Geno Smith from the start, but let’s hope the Jets haven’t given up on the competition before he’s taken a snap against Garrard and Sanchez. Just two weeks ago there was talk about bringing along Geno slowly … it’s hard to believe that much has changed after rookie minicamps.
This will probably go under the radar, but the Jets have reportedly added a veteran to their offensive line.
To read more about the Jets’ interest in Peterman and our analysis of the potential move, go here.
Brian Bassett, TheJetsBlog.com
The timing of this move was a little odd, but maybe a little informative. It’s not normally a time where players are signed by teams as they are working this close to the draft. We have to assume that guard was in play for the Jets and a priority for the team on Day One & Day Two, but the fact that the Jets missed the boat on Jonathan Cooper most notably and would seem to be the reason for the timing of the move.
Brian Bassett, TheJetsBlog.com
So not done, but kind of done? Adding Ivory would be a good move and I think worth the investment, but while some of the pieces might be in place, it sounds as if the whole deal isn’t worked out.
The Jets might make the move once the second day of the draft concludes, depending on how things go, or maybe even after they’ve used their fourth rounder to prove the point to the Saints. Either way, stay tuned on this story as it sounds like there is more beneath the surface.
Here’s some of the quotes and rumors from last night. Our man Corey killed the red carpet at the ESPN The Magazine event, here’s some of what he tweeted out during his time at the IAC Building.
Reaction: There’s so many conflicting reports on this and whether the Jets are or aren’t interested. They’ve done their due diligence and if they covet Smith, then they are doing a great job of keeping it a secret. Smith might be the top QB on their board … but does he have a ranking above #13? That’s what really matters. Also, this is a good indication that the Jets interest in Nassib was not genuine.
Reaction: This is Bush’s shot. The team has signed Dawan Landry who could play strong or Big Nickel depending on who the Jets come away from the draft with. Bush could make a good free safety, so good to hear that he’s got his eyes on the starting spot. Vaccarro is a heck of a player and would fit in nicely. It’s also cool to hear that he loved his visit with the Jets.
Reaction: Patterson was linked to the Jets early on but Austin seems to have supplanted him as the top receiving prospect. There’s some concern about Patterson’s smarts, but he’s got an incredible skillset and might make a dynamic receiver in the NFL. When the Jets had just one pick in the first, using the 9th on Patterson seemed unlikely, but depending on how things fall, he might be there at 13.
Reaction: Warmack would take the Jets interior line to warp speed. He’s on the larger side, but his speed and athleticism (and losing a little weight) would help him fit right into the Jets scheme.
Reaction: Signing Goodson took some of the wind out of the sails of interest in Bernard. Gio might be the best playmaker at the tailback spot in this class and is an open-field threat … but would he fit the Jets current or projected (assuming Chris Ivory trade happens) makeup?
Rumors
Reaction: There’s been an undercurrent that the Jets might be interested in Manuel. It sounds to me as if Manuel is saying that this would be at the top of the second. If the Jets are serious about adding EJ Manuel, then they might have to maneuver in front of some teams.
Reaction: We like hearing that. Eifert might be a nice tight end, but there’s just too much value to be had at the start of the second and third rounds. Ertz, McDonald, Kelce are all good prospects in their own right and not that far behind Eifert’s abilities.
https://twitter.com/JasonColeYahoo/status/327230333860847618
Reaction: Now this is interesting because the Browns have been the one top ten team routinely linked with CB Dee Milliner. Will whoever trades back with the Browns then take Milliner? Maybe not, but it also means that Milliner might more easily slide to the ninth pick and other teams might want to trade up to draft him.
Reaction: There’s a real bottleneck in the top ten when it comes to tackles and guards. It’s really hard to gauge how serious
Brian Bassett, TheJetsBlog.com
Grain of salt taken. Ivory is on the block but it sounds like the Jets are in a familiar place … a staring contest with another team on compensation. We’ll see who blinks first.
Ivory is a proven veteran and would fit the Jets current back-by-committee with a punishing running style that would pair nicely with Mike Goodson and Bilal Powell.
On Total Access Sunday, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that despite their attention to the Darrelle Revis trade on Sunday, the Jets remain interested in trading their fifth-round draft pick for Saints running back Chris Ivory.
Brian Bassett, TheJetsBlog.com
There’s no rush to do the deal prior to Thursday, so this could happen as late as Friday or Saturday. The Jets are looking to trade their fifth round pick for Ivory, but the Saints might stand firm for the Jets fourth rounder. It’s unlikely that Ivory will see much time on the field with the backfield the Saints have and as far as we know there are no other bidders. We’ll see if the Jets can stand strong to get Ivory with the 5th rounder or not.
Rumor from Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times is that the Bucs might not have the stomach to make the Darrelle Revis trade as they still see the draft pick compensation as too high.
The Bucs may pass on a chance to trade for Darrelle Revis if the Jets continue to insist on three draft picks for the Pro Bowl cornerback.
The Jets reportedly have asked for the Bucs’ 13th overall pick in the NFL draft April 25, as well as selections in the third and fifth rounds. It’s not clear whether one, both or neither of those later picks could come in 2014.
Brian Bassett, TheJetsBlog.com
Officially, it’s unclear whether or not the Bucs are willing to trade their 2013 first rounder, but Stroud writes in his article that the Bucs
are willing to part with their first-round pick as well as an additional pick, but says nothing of what years those other picks would reside or whether it’s the 5th rounder or the 3rd rounder that they are OK with.
At the present time, Tampa Bay looks like the only team interested in trading. The fact that they aren’t competing is why the Bucs have been hesitant to meet the Jets demands. The Browns are the only other team with a comparable amount of cap space and the Browns have expressed no interest.
John Idzik had stated that he was happy with Revis’ progress on his knee rehab, but the Bucs are going to want to get their doctors to look at Revis before they would agree to any trade. With the draft just eight days away, the window to trade Revis before the draft is steadily shrinking.
Accusations are now flying that the Bucs might have committed tampering by already reaching parameters of a deal with Revis’s representatives.
Per Mike Florio at PFT.
It’s an open secret in league and media circles that the Bucs will pay Revis the deal he wants, worth $15 million or more. Some league insiders believe that the Buccaneers and agents Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, who worked together to bring Vincent Jackson to Tampa last year, have worked out the parameters of the contract Revis would receive. Absent express permission from the Jets, that could amount to a clear case of tampering.
Brian Bassett, TheJetsBlog.com
Tampering is a common occurrence in the NFL, and is a pet peeve of PFT. They harp on this topic all the time. But is this an example of biting the hand that feeds PFT? The guy who two days ago was reporting that the compensatory hang-ups were squarely on the Jets side (gee where did that come from?) and who has seemingly waged a shadow war for the sides aligned against the Jets … now writes this? What gives?
No announcement has been made about the Jets allowing Schwartz and Feinsod openly speak with the Bucs, but based on some of the developments that PFT has posted, it is not much of a leap to assume that PFT would know had there been such an authorization. Even if the Jets haven’t authorized it, it is safe to assume that some backdoor or coded conversations have taken place between the agency and Tampa Bay to keep the team interested all this time.
It’s possible that there is around $5-6 million worth of “found money” up for grabs in 2013 (as opposed to waiting until 2014) for the player and the agency. Could the slight risk of getting slapped for tampering outweigh the multi-million dollar reward for pressuring a deal?
In some weird way, I’m tempted to ask if this another gambit. Is someone behind the scenes playing with fire to (yet again) create urgency on the Jets part?
Would publicly voiced concerns about tampering (which will spread all over the web and news from PFT) give the league office an opportunity to start digging into the matter? Would such an investigation potentially impede a transaction between the teams due to an ongoing investigation? Would fear of the deal falling apart be another dirty tactic to get the Jets to cave in?
It’s risky, but they’ve tried everything else so far … why not try this?
According to NY Post writer Brian Costello, Tim Tebow will be in New Jersey for the team workouts a week from today.
Brian Bassett, TheJetsBlog.com
The Jets are doggedly trying to get cap relief from Tebow is the only explanation I can come up with on why he is still with the team. We’re sure the Jets are doing everything they can to trade Tebow (and I wouldn’t be shocked if he was some sort of throw-in in a Revis trade) but it seems highly unlikely that any team will suddenly become interested.
Tebow is under contract with the team and it is his makeup that he would attend any workouts like this, depsite his unstable status.
It is unclear whether or not press will get access to the players during these workouts next week. I’m sure the lead-up to the draft will be substantially bumpier if they do.
Not much of an update in the Revis storyline, but here’s what Rapoport heard recently.
Brian Bassett, TheJetsBlog.com
I’m going to gloss over the use of the word “optimistic” in this report as it is just the words of someone close to him and not Revis himself. I don’t know what his emotional state is regarding being with or not with the Jets, and so it’s not worth assuming where he might be on the matter.
When the Jets cap space number was released by the NLFPA just a few days ago, there was some outcry on the team not using more of the space as they are currently sitting with around $12.5 million. But remember that the Jets will need more than $13 million just to move him as the trade will accelerate some of his guaranteed numbers.
I still think there’s time for a deal to be done with a team like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but I also think that this saggy off-season has provided a framework for the Jets to strike a potential long term deal with their star — provided both sides are willing, and that seems like a big provision.
Those trying to force a move made it seem as if the Doomsday Clock on a Revis trade was ticking close to midnight just a few weeks ago, but the urgency was never acted on. And so it sounds as if the sticking point was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2013 first-rounder. While there was a flurry of free agency, the deal never came. The market for cornerbacks has proven to be a weak one. Aso got $3 million. Brent Grimes got $5.5 on a one-year and the Bucs are still without starter ready talent at the spot in a very pass happy division.
There’s still plenty of time, but my first hope is that the market will prove what’s reasonable between the teams and Woody Johnson will back off his apparent all-or-none stand with the Jets cornerback. But should a deal go down, it will likely be on draft night because there’s no reason to do it in the intermediary. The Bucs will have to determine if they are willing to use their 13th pick on Xavier Rhodes as Milliner will be long gone by the time the 13th pick comes.
But wouldn’t it be ironic if Milliner somehow slides to #9? Then what would the Bucs do?
