NY Jets: Jadeveon Clowney would be a good fit over Logan Ryan, but it seems unlikely

The NY Jets signing Jadeveon Clowney would be nice, but money is tight

The NY Jets have had a very productive offseason by improving the offensive line and getting more depth in the secondary.

But, do the Jets need to improve the secondary even more after drafting two defensive backs and acquiring some veteran cornerbacks in the offseason?

That is the question I am asking as a Jets fan after I heard that Logan Ryan and the Jets are in contract talks. It was reported a week ago by Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News that the Jets “believed” that they would sign the 29-year old cornerback to a one-year deal.

Since that report came out, the Jets still haven’t signed Ryan and he sits waiting for a team to pay him the money he wants.

BREAKING: Jets believe that they will sign former Patriots & Titans defensive back Logan Ryan to a one-year deal, per sources.

Smart move by Joe Douglas.

Full story: https://t.co/wVvYYi9nYj pic.twitter.com/rpjCxaaKyG

— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) May 12, 2020

Ryan is coming off the most productive year of his career with 18 pass deflections, four interceptions, and four and a half sacks all while reaching the AFC Championship Game with the Tennessee Titans.

Almost about a year ago, I wrote an article about how the Jets should trade for Jadeveon Clowney after he was franchise tagged by the Houston Texans.

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• NY Jets: Patriots will not use the franchise tag on Joe Thuney

The Seattle Seahawks ended up trading for him even knowing he was on a one-year deal. Clowney still remains unsigned and one of the few teams interested in the pass rusher is the Jets.

The Jets already have a lot of depth in the defensive backfield. If they do decide to sign Ryan over Clowney it makes sense but it will make more sense to do the opposite. The Jets need an edge rusher who could provide consistent pressure off the edge.

Clowney only has 32 career sacks which isn’t much, but he does have a total of 80 QB hits which means he gets to the quarterback. Plus, he well-known around the NFL as a stout run defender.

Why is it unlikely that the NY Jets sign Jadeveon Clowney?

However, as reported by Brian Costello of the NY Post, the Jets seem unlikely to sign any of the top free agents remaining on the market.

Per OverTheCap, the Jets only have around $15 million in cap space left at the moment — the recent Joe Flacco signing will drop them another $1.5 million — but after June 1st, the team will receive $11 million from the Trumaine Johnson release becoming official.

That being said, the Jets still have to sign their draft class which is projected to take up around $9 million of their cap space.

The Jets could cut offensive guard Brian Winters and by cutting him they’ll get about $7 million in cap space, but it still won’t cover the amount they would have in order to sign their rookies on top of signing one of these big-name free agents.

The three-time Pro Bowler is going into his seventh season and was originally reported to have been looking for a $20 million deal. I don’t think he is worth $20 million — I don’t even think he is worth $15 million per year.

However, the latter is perhaps the contract he will get from whatever team he signs with and the Jets simply don’t have that type of money right now.