Breaking down enormous salary cap of the Jets in 2018

The New York Jets are in for what will most likely be a disaster of a season in 2017. But at least in 2018, they will have an enormous salary cap to play with.

While the average fan of the New York Jets may think 2017 looks like a lost season there is a light at the end of this almost 50-year Super Bowl tunnel. A strong 2017 NFL Draft coupled with a high placement in the 2018 NFL Draft is just the start. The Jets will have enormous salary cap space in 2018 if General Manager, Mike Maccagnan plays his cards correctly.

The Jets management certainly looks like they are playing for the future with the lack of “A” list impact players signed in free agency this year. As of this writing, the Jets have $13,623,586 in cap space left for 2017.

This does not count the potential savings of more than $8,000,000 if they do trade Sheldon Richardson before or during the draft as they look to acquire more picks in 2017 and perhaps in future years. Assuming they roll this year’s unused cap space into 2018, the Jets will be big spenders in next year’s free agency.

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The numbers for 2018 look bright. The NFL salary cap in 2018 looks like it will be somewhere projected around $178,000,000. The Jets have liabilities of only a little over $113,000,000 on the books. This gives them potential cap space of almost $65 million!!! Hold your horses because even more cap space can be had next year! How would you like to add almost $23 Million to that figure?

Let the cuts begin. Cutting Eric Decker, Buster Skrine, Marcus Gilchrist and a one year older Matt Forte next year saves $23,000,000 while leaving only $6,000,000 in dead money. A pittance in today’s NFL machinations. With David Harris coming off the books that money is available also.

A strong cry out to Jets who desperately need a quarterback. Do not take any of the pretenders this year! Wait until 2018 and get Sam Darnold from USC. Darnold has all the physical and mental tools to be the next Andrew Luck. Given the Jets sparse roster and Josh McCown leading the hapless 2017 Jets, the likelihood is a record that may indeed glean the No. 1 overall pick. The only real consequential free agent next year is Quincy Enunwa who will not command a massive contract.

Imagine a team with 3-4 studs from the 2017 and 2018 draft and the ability to sign numerous top tier free agents in 2018? $88,000,000 buys a lot of talent. The Jets may be accused of tanking the 2017 season but I call it proper planning to finally let the hapless Jet fan out of their generational purgatory. To spend perchance to dream.

The New York Jets are in for what will most likely be a disaster of a season in 2017. But at least in 2018, they will have an enormous salary cap to play with.

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