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There was some information revealed about the Ryan Fitzpatrick negotiations early this week, but to me, it’s not a big deal, and I will tell you why . . .
“Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jets have time to close gap, but I’m told as of now both sides haven’t talked in over a month,” tweeted ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
This probably came from agent Jimmy Sexton’s office.
Not a big deal.
Like I have mentioned many times, if the Jets are going to increase their offer, it’s going to come in the 11th hour, right around the start of camp on July 27, or early in camp.
As we saw with the Mo Wilkerson deal, deadlines make for great motivation in negotiations.
Urgency was a huge factor in getting that Wilkerson deal done on July 15, the deadline for getting franchised players signed to long-term deals.
Fitzpatrick isn’t going to play for the current Jets’ offer.
So if they are going to up the offer, it’s smart to do it in the 11th hour, not in June or over the first three weeks in July.
Because I’m telling you, if they increase the offer too early, the Fitzpatrick camp is going to demand more, because it’s not going to be a huge increase.
If they improve the offer right around camp, or early in camp, to let’s say the deal I’ve thrown out there – a three-year deal for $27-30 million with $18 million guaranteed – and Fitzpatrick rejects it, he’s going to look awful from PR standpoint and in the court of public opinion. Of course he can ask for more at that juncture, but if the Jets offer what I’m proposing, and something like that, and he rejects it, he’s going to look like a fool.
If the Jets move off that long-standing offer of three years for $24 million with $15 million guaranteed around camp, they will look like the good guys.
The Jets current offer is too Chase Daniel-like, too close to what Philly is paying their backup.
The Jets current offer is probably too low.
If they can pay a 31-year-old cornerback who’s lost a step $17 million this year, they should certainly pay their starting quarterback, who did a good job last year sans a few games, more than $15 million guaranteed in a three-year deal.
Think about that for a second. Revis is getting $17 million guaranteed this year, and he’s not a shutdown corner anymore, and they are offering their starting quarterback, who will likely hold the job for at least the next two years, $15 million guaranteed over three years.
Maybe I’m an outlier, but I think that is a little unfair.
In my opinion, Fitpatrick, even with his warts, and his bad game at Buffalo, is just as good as myriad quarterbacks making a bloody fortune like Colin Kaepernick, Andy Dalton, Sam Bradford, Brock Osweiler and Ryan Tannehill.
Perhaps some of those quarterbacks have a bigger upside than Fitzpatrick, but as of right now, it’s hard to make a strong argument than those highly-paid signal-callers are better.
So considering the huge contracts those guys have, why is guaranteeing $18 million over three years a big deal for Fitzpatrick?
It is not.
The Jets should up the offer a little.
But not until the 11th hour.
July 22, 2016
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