New York Jets: Five Possible Cap Casualties this Offseason

Nick Mangold
2017 Cap Hit: $9,075,000
Cap Penalty: None

Of all of these moves I do believe that the most likely to be back will be Nick Mangold. However, it will be interesting if the team will try to re-do his contract in the off-season.

It’s clear that Mangold is one of the leaders in the locker room and a fan favorite. Still, there are a couple of factors hurting Mangold’s stock.

First, it’s clear he is no longer in his prime, which is to be expected for an 11 year veteran. Being 33 next year, the question will be can Mangold still produce at a high level while staying healthy as he only appeared in 8 games in 2016.

Given how well Wesley Johnson has played in Mangold’s absence and that Mangold’s salary is over $9 Million in 2017, the franchise may decide to move on from their long time center. While they could cut Mangold without a penalty, the could explore trading him to a contender that is looking to win now as it appears the Jets will be entering a rebuilding mode especially along the offensive line.

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There are many reasons to bring Mangold back, but if the Jets receive an offer from the veteran or are impressed by what they’ve seen out of Johnson, 2016 could have been Mangold’s last season in the green and white.