New York Jets Possible Salary Cap Casualties: Jets Have Options to Fix Cap Woes

New York teams are typically some of the biggest players in the free-agent markets.

Only one small problem: The Jets aren't the Yankees, and the NFL has a salary cap. A cap which, according to Bryan McIntyre, respected blogger over at Mac's Football Blog and Pro Football Focus, the Jets are extremely close to. They are estimated to have under $2 million in cap space in 2012 and will need to trim some fat and possibly restructure some deals if they're going to sign their own rookies and/or make a move in free agency.

With help from NYJetsCap.com, we get a look at some possible cap casualties for the Jets.

Eric Smith

2012 cap hit: $2,050,000

Smith was given a new three-year, $7.5 million extension after the 2010 season despite having been primarily a backup in his career and not a very good one at that. But when injuries befell the secondary in 2011, he was thrust into a starting role, and the demons were exposed for the world to see.

Jets fans could be heard screaming at their televisions nearly every time he dropped into coverage, as he gave up completions on 66.7 percent of passes in his direction. Quarterbacks garnered a passer rating of 97.2 on his watch.

Now, with a contract that pays him well above his talent level, it's hard not to consider Smith a prime candidate for a cap casualty.

Wayne Hunter

2012 cap hit: $2,500,000

Cutting Hunter is a great move in theory; Hunter underachieved in 2011, letting up 11 sacks, 11 quarterback hits and 32 pressures. Those numbers were team highs by a long shot and put him near the bottom of all NFL tackles.

There's only one problem with making the move: the message it sends to the locker room.

Hunter was the one who famously stood up to Santonio Holmes while the mercurial receiver had a meltdown in the huddle. If the Jets released Hunter and didn't release Holmes, then that could send a bad message to a locker room that had more than its share of troubles in 2012.

That being said, the NFL is a business, and the Jets shouldn't be obligated to keep an underachieving, overpriced tackle on the roster simply because of moral quandaries.

Bart Scott

2012 cap hit: $5,950,000

There's the obvious black mark on his interpersonal and media relations resumé—you know, literally giving the media the middle finger isn't exactly the smartest thing you can do.

According to Jenny Vrentas of the Newark Star-Ledger, Scott's 2012 base salary of $4 million is fully guaranteed. Thus, cutting him wouldn't save a lot of money, but for a player whose role has diminished so greatly over the past couple of seasons (677 snaps in 2011 down from 1,047 in 2010), it may be worth it for the team to part ways and move in another direction at linebacker.

It would save some cap dollars, and it would save the headache of his complaining about said role.

Other options

The Jets have the option of restructuring quarterback Mark Sanchez's contract. He is due over $14 million in 2012, but Sanchez has yet to show that he is worthy of a long-term vote of confidence, and restructuring his deal would certainly come with a few more years attached at the end of it.

Restructuring wide receiver Santonio Holmes remains an option, but the question is whether he'd be open to that. His contract is fully guaranteed for 2012, and he proved less than concerned with the team aspect of the game when he threw a tantrum in the huddle in the final game of the season.

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