Just days after Jay Feely, who has been a clutch, reliable kicker for the Jets for the last two years, signed a free agent contract with the Cardinals, expect the Jets to replace him with Neil Rackers — whom Feely replaced in Arizona.
Rackers is due to visit the Jets tomorrow and, based on a few factors, it would be an upset if he doesn’t sign with the Jets by tomorrow or Wednesday.
First, when Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum targets a player, he usually consummates the deal.
Second, because of the “final four” free agency rule with no current collective bargaining agreement in place, Rackers knows exactly what the Jets can offer him — about $1.5 million per year.
Because Feely is the first unrestricted free agent the Jets have lost, the maximum they can sign Rackers (or anyone else) for right now is the cost of the first year of Feely’s contract with the Cardinals, which is believed to be $1.5 million. So why would Rackers visit the Jets if he thought he could get more money than that?
Third, the free agent market, particularly for kickers (outside of the huge contract the Raiders gave Sebastian Janikowski) hasn’t exactly been fertile. So, with the draft fast approaching, it’s likely Rackers would like to secure himself with a team.
Also, don’t forget the lure of Jets special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff, regarded by almost everyone as one of the best coaches in the business, and the fact that the Jets are coming off an appearance in the AFC Championship last season.
Seemingly lost in all of this is former Cowboys kicker Nick Folk, whom the Jets signed to a veteran’s minimum contract in February before Feely fled to Arizona. It seems Folk, who has been erratic in his career, was signed as insurance in case Feely didn’t return or another better option wasn’t available.
Folk was voted into the Pro Bowl in 2008 (20-of-22 on field goal attempts), but was inconsistent last season (18-of-28), making him a potential liability as a replacement for a kicker who has been so solid for the Jets the last two years.
As for Rackers, who like Feely will be 34 at the start of the season, he was 41-of-45 on field goal attempts for the Cardinals the last two seasons. Feely was 54-of-64 for the Jets.
If for some reason, Rackers isn’t signed, the other available free agents other than Folk are not great. Those options are the Bengals’ Shayne Graham, who had a poor game against the Jets in the wild-card game, or Matt Stover, who kicked with the Ravens when Rex Ryan coached in Baltimore.
What makes this musical chairs game with kickers the Jets are playing so curious is how good Feely has been for them. Why change a good thing?
Feely, according to those who know him, wasn’t seeking a big raise. In fact, he ended up signing with the Cardinals for only slightly more than he made last year.
When the free agency period began and Feely wasn’t re-signed, Ryan, Westhoff and others on the team called him to tell him they want things to work out so he stays with the team.
The only person who seemed to not be on board with that was Tannenbaum, who was given the chance to match the Cardinals’ offer and declined.