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You can gauge what the former team thought of the player
by the type of tender/tag they put on the player.
Like when the Los Angeles Rams put the franchise tag on cornerback/safety LaMarcus Joyner in 2018, earning him $11.28 million that year.
That means they thought his tape was outstanding and really valued him.
You are basically telling the football world, you internal evaluation of the player determined that his performance was excellent.
Then in 2019, the Rams loved Joyner’s film again, but had too many other players to pay, and the Raiders gave Joyner a monster contract, a four-year deal for $42 million with $21.3 guaranteed. They loved the film also.
Last year, Joyner had a rough season with the Raiders, playing a position he wasn’t comfortable with, nickel back, and was a cap casualty this off-season. He is more comfortable at safety, and that is where the Jets intend on playing him.
This signing could turn out to be great for the Jets, because this player adds something the Jets desperately need – a defensive back with superb instincts. Last year too many pass defenders were a tick late reacting. Joyner is a highly instinctive defense back with a great feel for the game.
While on the subject of teams giving you a sign of what they thought of a player’s film, that is what was the Jacksonville Jaguars did, putting a second-round tender on wide receiver Keelan Cole in 2020. That is quite a compliment to a player who entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Kentucky Wesleyan.
And while the Jags had a terrible season last year, Cole was one of their few bright spots, living up to the second-round tender, and putting up career highs in catches (55) and touchdowns (5).
But they didn’t make much of effort to re-sign him with two emerging stars in receivers in Laviska Shenault and D.J. Chalk. They preferred to bring in a veteran to compliment their two young studs, so they signed Detroit’s Marvin Jones.
So Cole signed with the Jets on a one-year deal for $5.5 million. The guaranteed money has not come out yet.
Many thought the Jets were going to sign former San Francisco wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, who Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur worked with the 49ers.
Bourne signed with New England. According to a source, one reason the Patriots aggressively went after Bourne was to keep him away from the Jets. Bourne signed a three-year deal for $15 million, but it’s more like a one-year deal for $5.9 million, based on the guaranteed money.
But this isn’t to say the Jets don’t love Cole, an undrafted free agent who made good like Bourne.
Not sure there is a big difference between these two players. They are both good route-runners with soft hands who have similar size, both about 6-1 and 200 pounds. Neither is a burner, both running around 4.6.
Time will tell if Joyner and Cole are good signings for the Jets, but based on their past tenders and tags, they graded out well in the past.
And both signed one-year contracts, so if it doesn’t work out, the Jets just move on after this year. No biggie.
March 22, 2020
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