The New York Jets have placed the franchise tag on defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson according to sources.
The first shoe has dropped for the New York Jets offseason, as they officially placed the franchise tag on defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson today. This has been the expected route for the Jets to take for a long time, but now it has become official according to sources and ESPN New York’s Rich Cimini. The Jets do not have to announce the decision until tomorrow, as the deadline to place the franchise tag on players is Tuesday at 4 PM ET.
General Manager Mike Maccagnan floated the idea that fellow defensive lineman Damon Harrison could receive the tag, not Wilkerson, as he is also a potential free agent. While Harrison is strong in his own right, that never seemed to be a legitimate possibility as Wilkerson has been the likely target for a long time. Because Wilkerson has received the tag, Harrison can now negotiate with other teams freely next week if the Jets do not agree to a contract with him before then.
More ny sports: Who was the best first-round pick in franchise history?
The nonexclusive tag that Wilkerson will be receiving will mean he will earn $15.7 million next season. But, he will be able to negotiate with other teams; just any team that signs him would have to surrender two first round picks to the Jets. That is an unlikely price for any team to pay, but there is a chance that the Jets could work out a tag-and-trade with Wilkerson.
There are already rumors that the New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars could be two teams that the Jets could work out a tag-and-trade with as both teams are flush with cap space to sign Wilkerson to the big contract that he desires. While trading away their best defensive player from last season and for a majority of the five seasons he has been with the team, it is something the Jets will consider.
More from Empire Writes Back
- Caesars New York Promo Code: Win $250 Bonus GUARANTEED on ANY Bet!
- Last Chance Caesars Promo: Claim $1,250 Bonus for ANY MLB Bet!
- Caesars New York Promo Code Gives TWO Chances to Win Betting on Your Yankees!
- PointsBet New York Promo: FIVE $100 Bonus Bets to Back the Yankees or Mets!
- Caesars NY Promo: $1,250 Bonus to Celebrate the Return of Judge!
“Mo is a very good player and, obviously, we’d like to have him with the organization going forward, but … all options are on the table,” Maccagnan said last week at the Scouting Combine. While that would be a tough pill to swallow for fans, it is something the Jets may have to seriously consider.
With only about $21 million projected in cap space, Wilkerson’s franchise tender would greatly hinder the Jets ability to sign other free agents. At the current price tag, Wilkerson would leave the Jets with a little over $5 million, which would cripple their chances of retaining Harrison and make it difficult retain quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and add to other areas on the team.
While the franchise tag has been placed on Wilkerson, there is still plenty of work to be done for the Jets. The two sides will have until July 15th to negotiate a long-term contract, and if nothing is agreed to by that time, Wilkerson will play the 2016 season under the franchise tender.
Next: New York Jets 5 Most Important Free Agents
Wilkerson had a team and career-high 12 sacks last season, as he continues to play as one of the best defensive ends in all of the NFL. If the Jets didn’t place the franchise tag on him, there was zero chance that they would be able to retain his services.