If Wilkerson holds out, then he's not getting paid, which is the opposite of what he's trying to accomplish. It could get ugly as you suggest, but the Jets shouldn't cave to his demands out of fear of that. If that's how it plays it out, so be it. You don't overpay a player to keep them content, ever. Either you sign them to what you think they're worth, or you find another alternative. If he were asking for what they thought he was worth, this impasse wouldn't exist right now.
It might be in the Jets interest to try to extend Mo for just a couple of seasons at this point. Give him a 2 year $22M offer in place of his option salary this year and the potential franchise tag next year. Guarantee his money this year so he gets something significant right away out of the deal and agree not to use the franchise tag after 2016 so he he gets his escape hatch if he really wants it. If he goes out and has a great year this year the Jets have next year to get him in the fold with a big money extension. If he doesn't, well the Jets probably keep him next year at $11M anyway but they dodged the big bullet by not giving him a huge deal based on Watt and Suh's deals. They get a better cap situation next year at the expense of 4-5M more on the cap this year. He's going to wind up costing at least $22M off of the cap in 2015 and 2016 if they have to use the cap. Better just to bridge him and figure out what to do based on how well he does this year.
Which would ultimately set us up for the choice of who we really want to keep in Richardson vs. Mo. It basically sets them up to compete for a contract. As far as our management is concerned Wilkerson has no leverage. He had a down year, missed a couple games and was thrown out of one in which he taunted the crowd afterwards and even had motor questions on video. We also essentially drafted his replacement. I think players have learned that holdouts get you nowhere but down as they end up setting your career back a notch. He'd be a fool to hold out in place of getting $7 million fully guaranteed.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...-notes-other-deals-plans-to-come-to-minicamp/ Mo will be at camp and he will be ready to go. I'm not gonna read into this too much and say "oh they are definitely good and going to get a deal done any day" but this is a pretty good sign. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Shows you the kind of character the guy has.. If we got the money sign him.. We have no clue how Leonard is going to turn out.
I deff think he is going to be unbelievable, but that is not an 100% guarantee.. With no QB on the Jets getting any huge contracts anytime soon, pay the man. We should be able to still have the money to pay Richardson in the next few years as well.
Time to send Leonard Williams to Canton Glad Wilkerson is going to attend, let's lock this guy up! He's a cornerstone of the franchise.
How much can you afford to spend on your defense in today's NFL? I think Mo is an excellent player but paying him like he's a superstar is a mistake waiting to happen.
Mo IS a superstar, one of the best 2 way defensive lineman in the league. It's a travesty to even classify him as a 3-4 DE to be honest.
Mo's one of the top 10 defensive linemen in the NFL right now. He had a top 15 season last year. Last year is important, players don't maintain star status in a vacuum. They need to have great season after great season and Mo's 2014 was not a great season. Cameron Jordan had the same situation: breakout year in 2013 followed by a good but not great year in 2014. Both of those guys needed to have a great season last year to get the kind of deal the media has been bandying about for Mo. It's rough on everybody involved but the reality is the Jets would be taking a major chance if they signed Mo to a deal that gave him credit for becoming clearly one of the top 5 defensive linemen when he instead had what would be considered an off-year for a superstar. J.J Watt has had 51 sacks the last 3 years and got 20+ twice. Mo has had 21 sacks over the same time period. They *do* play the same position with Watt actually playing it slanting towards the higher-end of the pay scale by being excellent on the perimeter and Mo slanting towards the lower end of the pay scale by being an excellent interior lineman.
Mo was hurt last season though, he missed what 3 games? We have 2 top 10 defensive lineman IMO - I think they compliment each other extremely well. I don't want the Jets breaking that chemistry up you know? Mo - exceptional at the run, more versatile, good in regards to pass-rush, commands plenty of double teams, opens things up for everyone else. Sheldon - also exceptional at the run, Sheldon has the better motor, Sheldon I think is the better pass-rusher. I think both Wilk and Sheldon should get 60M dollar deals [increase in cap, restructure Mangold / Brick] - I don't think Sheldon is that much better than Wilk and vice versa. How is he not? Is it because he doesn't get 10 sacks a season? Mo is a play-maker, he forces fumbles, has interception, safeties, etc. To go after the QB, that wasn't always his role on the Jets. What is truly the criteria for 1 to be a super-star? Mo makes everyone around him better [that includes Sheldon], he's one of the best 2 way defensive lineman in the league. To me, that's a super-star. Maybe we have a different definition of it.
Hypothetically, Mo signs a 5 year extension. Mo + Williams locked up until 2020. Fast forward to 2018, Sheldon gets a new deal. By the time 2018 rolls around; Revis, Harris, Mangold, Brick, Cro, Marshall - these guys will not be under their same respective deals, there will be plenty more cap space. Add the fact that the Cap will be close to 160M+ at that time. Now, if you feel Geno Smith becomes some elite QB and the FO believes he deserves 90M (LOL), maybe we have an issue. I believe the Jets will draft a QB this yr if Geno doesn't pan out and that QB will not command a deal until at least 2020. I refuse to believe Mo wants JJ Watt $$$ and I will stand by that until he gets a new contract - if by us or another team.
by the time 2018 rolls around Marshall (for sure), Cromartie (for sure), possibly Mangold, Brick Harris and/orRevis won't even be here. They should be irrelevant to the conversation when thinking that far ahead
I am thinking ahead, just like I am sure the Jets are - you don't think they have projections? So who on this roster at this time will be getting big time cash? DeMario Davis? Doubt it, he's not that great Coples? Doubt it, I like Coples because he's from UNC, but he hasn't warranted a big deal. Decker? Downside of his career. I hope all of those players are replaced via the draft. We gonna just throw all of our money at free agents? Doubt it. We can keep the d-line intact. You won't see QBs making it to the free market, so no R. Wilson, no Andrew Luck. Jets have to keep their best drafted players. No team lets an all-pro player entering his prime go on the free market. Well a team that wants to win that is.
I don't think he's a superstar. People can disagree with me IDC but I think theres the element of Jets fans overrating their own guy. He's good don't get me wrong but he's a borderline pro-bowler. I think in order to be considered a superstar you should be a lock pro bowler not a borderline sometimes yes, sometimes no pro bowler. He's Trevor Pryce with less pass rushing ability. If you think that's a superstar than thats fine but I personally don't think so
Superstar is a subjective term with no set definition. When I hear the term superstar, I think elite, and I think the only guy on our roster who is one is Revis. Mo is an excellent player. What is a two-way defensive lineman?
