We are firmly in the thick of rumor mill season.
With the legal tampering period and free agency days away, things are heating up in a major way.
The New York Jets have the fourth most cap space in the NFL with $48.5 million and with that kind of cash they will be more connected to free agents than almost any other team.
On Friday morning an insider shared a juicy nugget to keep an eye out for on the open market.
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Honey Badger to the Big Apple
NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo had two very interesting bits of information to share during his appearance on Good Morning Football.
First, he revealed a conversation he had with someone in the building who said, “they are very interested in spending the owner’s money” during this free agency period.
There has been a lot of speculation and rumors that Gang Green could be big-time spenders in free agency. However, a lot of fans will be in a see it to believe it kind of mentality.
The other fascinating informational nugget connected the Jets to Kansas City Chiefs starting defensive back Tyrann Mathieu:
“I’ve seen people try to connect them to Tyrann Mathieu and he would be awesome. If I’m the Jets that would be a great fit,” Garafolo speaking about the Jets’ free agency plans. “He is a culture setter and the Jets need that badly. They need help on the backend of their defense and I think the Jets are going to be extremely active on both sides of the ball but particularly on defense.”
.@MikeGarafolo said a team to watch in free agency is the #Jets, ‘the owner has a lot of money’ & they’re ready to spend it + name dropped Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) as a player to watch ‘he would be a great fit’ + ‘he’s a culture setter’: 🎥 @nyjets, @gmfb #TakeFlight
Mathieu is 29 years old, will be 30 by the start of the 2022 season, and is set to hit the open market this offseason.
During his nine-year career thus far the Honey Badger has played for three different NFL teams, although he seems destined for a new home this spring.
The talented defensive back has dropped a lot of hints on his social media that he would be open to moving on.
According to Spotrac’s market value, an estimate of what a player can command, Mathieu is expected to receive a deal that pays him $14.8 million annually on a multi-year deal. That figure would make him the third highest-paid free safety in football.
The projected contract and full details had him signing a three-year deal worth over $44 million.
Second Time Is the Charm?
If the Jets are going to kick the tires on Mathieu, it wouldn’t be the first time they did so.
This will be the third time that the Honey Badger has reached free agency in his career. The other two times there was a lot of rampant speculation that the green and white were interested.
It is fair to say in both of those instances there were different head coaches and front offices running the Jets, but it is still worth noting.
Although if this coaching staff knows anything about football, they know Mathieu is an uber-talented playmaker that could help this team:
- 26 interceptions
- 10 sacks
- 76 pass deflections
While he is slightly older than what the Jets probably want to pursue in free agency, the tape and stats speak for themselves.
Mathieu has a ton of experience with over 129 games under his belt and is a perfect scheme fit for what the Jets want to operate on the defensive side of the ball.
The other part of the equation is the intangibles. Garafolo mentioned it during his television appearance that Mathieu is a culture setter and someone that demands greatness from his teammates.
After this horrendous 2021 season, they need more players that’ll hold their teammates accountable and raise the play of everyone on that side of the ball.
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Insider Links Jets to Chiefs Starter Expecting $44 Million Payday in 2022