Jets Good News: Buyer's Market For Top Edge Rusher?
Most analysts and fans have expected free agent pass rusher Bryce Huff to walk on the open market with a deal that the New York Jets would not be able to match.
That might not be the case though.
© Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com
As the franchise tag window gets closer to finishing, the Jets are unlikely to franchise the player who recorded the most sacks on a top-10 unit in 2023. Just because they don't put the tag on, doesn't mean they won't be able to resign the player.
Speaking on Jake Asman's YouTube channel at the NFL Combine, SNY Jets reporter Connor Hughes stated that the market for Huff around the league is not what he, or the pass rusher, may expect going into free agency.
"I heard from someone who is pretty good with these things estimated he'd get $12-$14 million on the open market. I thought he'd see $20 million," Hughes stated. "That was the lowest I've heard. The estimate I heard was three years for $42 million. He wants to go to the highest bidder and who the highest bidder is who he will go to."
Concerns over his ability to defend the run and how efficient he would be with an increase in snaps were some of the concerns that Hughes pointed to that showed Huff may not receive the kind of market he is expecting.
The former undrafted free agent out of Memphis recorded 10 sacks last season in a breakout year for the Jets. Despite the disappointing 7-10 finish, Huff was a key member of a defense that continued to be among the league's best in most categories.
"He's going to get to the legal tampering period...and if his range really is a $12-$14 million player, the Jets can find a way to put that under the cap."
New York has close to $24 million in cap space with plenty of options to increase that total number. While it's enough to essentially give Huff the kind of long-term deal he wants, the Jets have plenty of major needs on the offensive side of the ball to focus on.
In short, unless Huff's market drops dramatically like Hughes suggested, the Jets may not be able to pay for his services with a long-term deal.
