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New Jersey – The Whispers keep coming from Jets Confidential country. Today we have a free agent note and a draft note. Let’s get into it . . .
Word out of Baltimore is that Terrell Suggs could be a cap casualty.
The Ravens have made it pretty clear that they don’t want him to play under his current $12.4 million salary-cap number for 2014.
Suggs is in the last year of his contract, and there is a good chance the Ravens will try to give him an extension, to lower his cap number this year.
But the Jets are expected to be about $40 million under the salary cap this year, if they move on from Santonio Holmes and Mark Sanchez.
And they have very little dead money this year, compared to last year.
So it’s possible, if the Ravens want to cut Suggs salary this year, and he balks, Rex Ryan will push John Idzik to sign him.
You know darn well that the news out of Baltimore today, that Suggs might be released, had Rex foaming at the mouth.
Can you imagine what this Jets defensive front could look like with their current defensive line, featuring rising stars like Mo Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson, with Suggs coming off the edge? Over the last decade, he’s been one of the best pass rushers in the league.
Suggs is one of Rex’s guys from Baltimore.
And some of those guys prefer Rex’s style of coaching to that of John Harbaugh, who can be dictatorial.
So Suggs might want to finish his career with “Uncle Rex” as Bart Scott used to call him.
This is worth keeping an eye on.
While Calvin Pace did some nice things this year, there is no question the Jets could use another edge pass rusher out of the outside linebacker position in their 3-4 front
And with so much cap space, don’t rule out Suggs showing up in Florham Park in the near future . . .
There is so much talk that the Jets will target a receiver in the first round.
Don’t be so sure.
First of all, John Idzik believes in sticking to his value board, so he’s not going to reach for a receiver, if it doesn’t fit the proper value of the slot.
But there is something else to consider. By the time the draft rolls around, the Jets could have a free agent wide receiver of note already under contract – Hakeem Nicks or James Jones.
So that could change the landscape a little.
I still contend the value at 18 could be at cornerback, which is an underrated Jets need.
While a lot is going to change between now and the draft, a player who fits in right around 18, from a value standpoint, is Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard.
He had an outstanding year for the Spartans. Dennard is one of these player who might not be a superstar, but is rock solid in every area – man-to-man, zone, press coverage, run support. He’s a consistent, steady corner. And there is no question, with the wildly inconsistent play the Jets received at corner this year, they could use a player like this in the mix.
January 8, 2014
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