SEE YA! Defensive veterans Bart Scott (above), Calvin Pace (inset left) and Eric Smith (inset right) were three of the five players the Jets cut ties with yesterday. (AP; Jeff Zelevansky (2))
The rebuilding of the Jets began in earnest yesterday when the team cut ties with linebackers Bart Scott and Calvin Pace along with three others in an effort to fix the salary cap situation.
New general manager John Idzik cleared around $31 million in salary cap space, pushing the Jets under the projected 2013 salary cap with the moves. Scott ($7.1 million savings), Pace ($8.5 million), tackle Jason Smith ($12 million) and safety Eric Smith ($3 million) were all released by the cap-strapped team. The Jets also waived tight end/fullback Josh Baker.
All of the cuts were expected, and had been planned by previous general manager Mike Tannenbaum before he was fired on Dec. 31.
It is difficult to determine exactly how far under the cap the Jets now are because the cap numbers are murky, but they are believed to be around $6 million-$8 million under the projected 2013 cap of $121 million after being a reported $23 million over the cap before yesterday.
“Every one of these players was a major contributor to our football team,” coach Rex Ryan said in a team-issued statement.
Idzik, Ryan and members of the Jets front office and coaching staff now head to Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine where their work will continue. The Jets won’t just be looking at college prospects there. They also will be meeting with the agents for their own free agents, such as Dustin Keller, Shonn Greene and Mike DeVito.
The only other player who is expected to be released is quarterback Tim Tebow, and that should come in the next month. Other players could be released or have their contracts restructured to provide further salary cap relief.
The top item on Idzik’s to-do list is to solve the Darrelle Revis issue. The star cornerback is expected to be on the trade block, and the combine is where those trade talks will heat up as Idzik can meet with fellow GMs.
Yesterday’s cuts had nothing to do with Revis, but if the Jets do decide to trade him, they have to clear more cap space. His salary cap number goes from $9 million to $12 million if they trade him.
With or without Revis, the Jets defense is going to have a much different look next season. Pace has been a starter at outside linebacker since the team signed him in 2008. Scott came to the team a year later as Ryan’s first big acquisition and started every game until a toe injury sidelined him last year. Eric Smith has been a sometime starter since the team drafted him in 2006.
Scott, 32, had slowed down over the last two years and become a liability in pass coverage. He was scheduled to carry a $8.6 million cap figure this year. The Jets still will be hit with $1.5 million in “dead money” after releasing him.
Pace, 32, never became the impact pass rusher the Jets envisioned when they signed him, but was a reliable presence on the defense who rarely came off the field. His $11.5 million cap number doomed him. After the release, the Jets have a $3 million dead money hit.
If Scott or Pace are willing to return to the Jets for the veteran’s minimum, it seems possible they could be back. Both will seek bigger paydays as free agents, though.
The Jets cleared $3 million in salary-cap space by releasing Eric Smith, who could land with former Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine in Buffalo.
The Jets acquired Jason Smith in August from the Rams, knowing they would release him this offseason rather than pay him the $12 million his contract called for. That money is now off the Jets’ cap completely.