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The NFL franchise tag deadline came and went with the New York Jets choosing not to place it on defensive lineman Bryce Huff.
The deadline was Tuesday, March 5 at 4 pm. If the Jets would have franchise tagged Huff it would have cost them $21.3 million on a one-year deal.
Instead, the talented pass rusher is set to hit the open market next week when the new league year kicks off on Wednesday, March 13 at 4 pm.
Latest Update on Huff and the Jets
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic said “as expected” the team didn’t tag Huff on social media.
“The Jets will likely let him hit free agency and I would be surprised at this point if he returns — the outside chance being if his market isn’t as robust as projected,” Rosenblatt explained.
Rich Cimini of ESPN said Huff “could land a contract that pays him $15 million annually, according to projections by cap experts.”
Huff only made $6.4 million through his first four seasons in the NFL coming in as an undrafted free agent, per Cimini. He is ready to get paid some really big money for the first time in his career.
After the regular season finale, Huff told the media emphatically that he wasn’t taking a “hometown discount.”
Connor Hughes of SNY explained it quite simply at the NFL Combine, “whoever pays the most money will land Huff.”
The Next Step in the Process for the Jets
The Huff-Jets dream isn’t officially dead yet. While the franchise tag wasn’t applied, in theory, there is still time to hammer out a deal.
Rich Cimini said, “The Jets haven’t been ultra-aggressive yet but they still have 5 days of exclusive negotiating rights before the legal tampering.”
Starting on Monday, March 11 the NFL’s legal tampering period opens at noon.
“During the period beginning at 12:00 noon, New York time, on March 11 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 13, clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents upon the expiration of their 2023 player contracts at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 13,” per the NFL’s operation manual.
Until then the Jets are the only team that is legally eligible to discuss a contract with Huff. Pressure makes diamonds and perhaps that can help heat up contract discussions between the two sides.
Although from the lingo used by general manager Joe Douglas, it appears the Jets are comfortable allowing Huff to test the open market.
“He definitely deserves this opportunity to see where he is in the open market,” Douglas said at the NFL Combine vis Cimini.
It’s unclear if Huff will allow the Jets an opportunity to match any deal that comes his way. It would behoove him to create a bidding war between Gang Green and any interested teams on the open market.
Brian Costello the New York Post told me on “The Boy Green Show” that Huff’s market evaluation is one of the “toughest” he has ever had to project.
Huff is a rotational player who has excelled in his snaps. How much do you pay a player like that? Especially at his age at a premium position in the league?
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