New York Jets: Would Sheldon Richardson Fetch Only A Third Round Pick

If the New York Jets are going to trade Sheldon Richardson, ESPN’s Rich Cimini believes they shouldn’t expect to receive anything more than a third round pick.

The New York Jets are heading into an important offseason. After a disappointing 2016 season, which the team finished 5-11, 2017 could be a make-or-break season for plenty of people within the organization; front office personnel, coaching staff, and players alike.

The Jets will be hard pressed to make big moves in free agency. They are currently over the salary cap by more than $6 million according to Spotrac. The Jets can maneuver to get under the cap space, but their options on who to sign will be limited. For a team with so many holes, that could be a problem.

Without the kind of money to spend that Mike Maccagnan had his first year on the job, he will have to get creative in adding talent via free agency. The best way for the Jets to add talent to the roster this season will come in the draft.

The Jets will have the sixth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Selecting that high will give the Jets to add an impact player right away. The last time they selected this high, in 2015, they landed Leonard Williams. Williams has quickly become their best player defensively and is one of the best young players in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus.

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It would be smart for the Jets to stockpile as many draft picks that they can get their hands on. One way to do that is via trade, and the Jets have a player to shop in Sheldon Richardson.

The Jets tried to trade Richardson prior to the NFL Trade Deadline this past season and looked to have a taker in the Dallas Cowboys. But, the Jets were insistent on the Cowboys trading a first round pick for Richardson, which they balked at. As a result, the Jets still have Richardson and his stock has only sunk since the trade deadline.

ESPN New York’s Rich Cimini answered a question of the week recently that invovled Richardson. Cimini believes the deal with the Cowboys would have gotten done had the Jets taken a second round pick from the Cowboys. Now, Cimini believes the team would be lucky to get a second rounder for Richardson.

Richardson, like many of his teammates, had a difficult 2016 season. He had only 1.5 sacks on the season and questions still remain about his maturity off the field. He has been suspended twice, making him a question mark character wise.

But, NFL teams have taken chances on players with worse rap sheets than Richardson. There is probably a team out there that believes they can help get him on track, because when he is right he is a force defensively. He constantly plays hard and has been productive in his career; he won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2013.

But, the NFL is a what have you done for me lately business. In that regard, Richardson has not done much. Cimini mentioned the trade of Chandler Jones from the New England Patriots last season when discussing what the Jets could get for Richardson. Jones netted New England a second round pick; can the Jets aim for the same?believes that the best the Jets can expect is a third round pick for Richardson. He

Cimini believes that would be aiming too high. He believes the best that the Jets can do would receive a third round pick for Richardson. Richardson is coming off a down year and has a pretty large salary at $8.1 million on his fifth-year option.

Would the Jets consider that enough for Richardson? As Cimini notes, there is some positives to trading Richardson. It would further help Todd Bowles in fixing the locker room chemistry and the Jets could really use the cap space.

Next: New York Jets: Nolan Rich's 2017 Mock Draft 2.0

The quickest way to rebuilding a team is through the draft; free agency should be used to supplement your younger players. Adding as many young prospects as possible should be the route for the Jets, and if it means trading Richardson to accomplish that, so be it.

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