Breaking Down the New York Jets' Salary-Cap Situation Heading into Free Agency

The New York Jets should be thankful for former general manager John Idzik. Those words may make Jets fans feel like they might get an up-close look at just how acidic their stomach contents are, but his philosophy has helped give them plenty of salary-cap space to use this offseason.

And now, with a smart football mind at the helm in new general manager Mike Maccagnan, Jets fans may not feel like they're about to make modern art in the toilet this offseason.

That being said, Idzik's moves have set the table for what Maccagnan will do this offseason. Let's face it: Maccagnan isn't going to dump a bunch more cash into a position where the spending is already high. 

So, with some help from Spotrac, here's a closer look at the Jets' salary-cap spending.

Offense

Position	Players	Cap spending	Cap %	NFL rank
Wide Receiver	9	$22,997,725	14.87%	6
Left Tackle	2	$12,333,416	7.98%	5
Center	3	$11,427,100	7.39%	2
Running Back	3	$8,585,000	5.55%	10
Right Tackle	3	$5,125,000	3.31%	8
Tight End	4	$4,045,680	2.62%	20
Quarterback	2	$1,953,983	1.26%	29
Guard	2	$1,364,115	0.88%	30
Fullback	2	$1,260,562	0.82%	8

The Jets are a top-10 spending team at six different positions, yet somehow they found a way to finish in the bottom 10 in at least five different categories (points, passing yards, passing touchdowns, yards per pass, red-zone touchdown percentage).

The Jets are spending a lot of money on wide receivers and the offensive line. The contracts of wide receiver Eric Decker, left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and center Nick Mangold account for $28,605,766 cap dollars in 2015, which is projected to be roughly 18.5 percent of the Jets' total salary cap ($154,619,394).

Given the run-heavy mentality of former head coach Rex Ryan, it's no surprise that the Jets are in the top 10 in spending at running back and fullback. It will be interesting to see if they remain among the league's richest spenders with pass-happy Chan Gailey at the helm of the offense.

One spot where the Jets could spend some more money is at quarterback. There is a chance for them to sign someone to compete with Geno Smith this summer, with guys like Matt Moore, Jake Locker, Christian Ponder, Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett all set to hit the open market.

Defense

Position	Players	Cap spending	Cap %	NFL rank
Defensive End	4	$11,865,670	7.67%	19
Cornerback	7	$7,236,729	4.68%	24
Outside Linebacker	3	$5,575,101	3.61%	22
Safety	2	$1,946,194	1.26%	29
Inside Linebacker	2	$1,718,490	1.11%	27
Defensive Tackle	1	$510,000	0.33%	31

It's no surprise that the Jets are spending a bulk of their money at the defensive end spots, with two first-round picks in Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson both on the payroll. What's interesting is that the Jets fall outside the top half of the league in spending at every position on the defensive side of the ball.

That's a testament not only to their lack of urgency last offseason, but Ryan's overall philosophy of spending less on defense where he can get more juice for the squeeze than offense, where he was as effective at squeezing as if all his phalangeal bones had been broken.

Look for the Jets to be active at the cornerback spot, where they are loaded with youth but lacking in top-tier talent. They could corner the cornerback market with the likes of Tramon Williams, Antonio Cromartie, Bradley Fletcher, Walter Thurmond and Darrelle Revis all potentially up for hire.

Also consider the Jets a buyer in the outside linebacker market, where Brian Orakpo, Jason Worilds, Brandon Graham and Jabaal Sheard could be becoming free agents in a month. All four are 28 years or younger, and all four have experience in a 3-4 scheme like the one the Jets have run in the past and that Todd Bowles will run in the future.

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