Brian Costello

Brian Costello

NFL

Jets offseason primer: Out of salary cap hell

The Jets entered last offseason with a new general manager, very little cap room and a question about trading their best player.

A lot has changed in a year. General manager John Idzik now has a full year in the job, the Jets are going to have a ton of salary cap room and Darrelle Revis is in Tampa. The rebuilding year is over. Now, it is time to see if Idzik can bolster the Jets roster to the point where they are a playoff team again after missing the postseason for three straight years.

A look at what awaits the Jets:

NOTABLE FREE AGENTS

The Jets have 17 free agents, but many of them are not major players. Tackle Austin Howard and tight end Jeff Cumberland are two young players that showed enough this season that they should be re-signed. Guard Willie Colon is an interesting case. He will be 31 this offseason and reportedly suffered a torn biceps Sunday that will require surgery. Colon had a decent season for the Jets, but he came to the team with injury concerns and will the club balk if he wants more than a one-year deal? Kicker Nick Folk hit 33-of-35 field goals and is hoping for a long-term deal. Veteran linebacker Calvin Pace had 10 sacks and wants to keep playing. If the price is right, it might make sense to bring him back. Safety Ed Reed finished with three interceptions, but it’s hard to imagine the Jets bringing him back.

POSSIBLE CUTS

Some familiar faces may be gone in the next few months. QB Mark Sanchez, WR Santonio Holmes and CB Antonio Cromartie all may be salary cap casualties. Sanchez is scheduled to count $13.1 million against the cap. There is no way the Jets are keeping him at that price. They likely will cut Sanchez before a $2 million roster bonus is due in March. Both sides will benefit from a fresh start, making the chances of a Sanchez return very slim.

The Jets would have dumped Holmes two years ago if he did not have a ton of guaranteed money coming to him. Now, that is over. They will save $8.25 million by cutting Holmes.

Cromartie is an interesting decision for the Jets. He is going to be 30 this offeseason, has a hip that might need surgery and showed a decline in skills last year, perhaps because of the injury. His cap number is a whopping $14.9 million. The Jets could restructure his deal, but that would require adding some years, something they may not want to do. They also could cut Cromartie and let him see what he can get as a free agent before deciding whether to bring him back for a price the market dictates.

SALARY CAP

The Jets had very little money to spend last year, but this year they are expected to be around $40 million under the cap if they cut Sanchez and Holmes, as expected. They had $23 million in dead money this season, but that drops to around $48,000 with Revis, Tim Tebow and Bart Scott coming off the books.

CAUGHT IN THE DRAFT

The Jets have the 18th pick in May’s draft and there is little doubt they need to find some playmakers on offense. Will they be able to get a top receiver at 18 or will players like Clemson’s Sammy Watkins, USC’s Marqise Lee and Texas A&M’s Mike Evans require the Jets to think about moving up?

At the moment, the Jets have eight draft picks, including the one they received from the Buccaneers in the Revis deal. That pick will be a third-rounder if Revis is on the Tampa Bay roster in mid-March. It will be a fourth-rounder if the Bucs unexpectedly cut Revis.

The Jets also could get two more compensatory draft picks based on free agents they lost last year. The possibility of 10 picks should allow Idzik to address some areas of need and build some depth.

FREE AGENT TARGETS

Idzik has money to spend, but will he spend it? When he was introduced last year, Idzik stressed his belief in building a team through the draft. The Jets have not gone on a free agency spending spree since 2008.

The first question is going to be whether they sign a quarterback. Jay Cutler and Michael Vick headline the free-agent class and Matt Schaub is expected to join them once Houston cuts him. Schaub makes the most sense for the Jets. He will be affordable and has had a good deal of success.

Wide receiver is the Jets’ biggest area of need, but there are not many top-flight free agents at the position. Eric Decker of the Broncos and the Eagles’ Jeremy Maclin look like the best in the class, but the Jets might opt to address this position in the draft instead.

Jimmy Graham is the biggest name on the tight end market, but there is no chance the Saints let him walk away. Other tight ends to watch: Brandon Pettigrew, Scott Chandler and Ed Dickson.

If the Jets let Cromartie walk, they will need to add a cornerback. Aqib Talib is an interesting name if the Patriots don’t bring him back, but he may be costly. The Dolphins should re-sign Brent Grimes off a Pro Bowl season, but if he hits the market the Jets should pounce. The Titans’ Alterraun Verner is another option.

HARDEST DECISION

The toughest call is what to do at quarterback. Geno Smith showed glimpses of being a good player this season at the beginning and end of the year, but had a long stretch in the middle when he did not play well.

Do you bring in Schaub or make a trade with the Redskins for Kirk Cousins to compete with him? Do you draft another quarterback? If so, do you do it early? Smith’s play does not make this an easy call.

There is also the fact Matt Simms is an inexperienced backup and the Jets might want a more proven player at that spot.

It’s a tough call and one the Jets can’t afford to get wrong or it could cost Rex Ryan his job.

JETS FREE AGENTS

UNRESTRICTED

OT Austin Howard

TE Jeff Cumberland

G Willie Colon

OLB Calvin Pace

QB David Garrard

S Ed Reed

TE Kellen Winslow

KR/WR Josh Cribbs

K Nick Folk

G Vlad Ducasse

ILB Josh Mauga

FB Lex Hilliard

DT Leger Douzable

KR Darius Reynaud

OLB Jermaine Cunningham

CB Ellis Lankster

CB Aaron Berry

RESTRICTED

CB Isaiah Trufant

CB Darrin Walls

OLB Garrett McIntyre

ILB Nick Bellore

TE Konrad Reuland

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS

QB Matt Simms

WR Vidal Hazelton

RB John Griffin