New York Jets: Evaluating the Muhammad Wilkerson Decision
Muhammad Wilkerson will be receiving the franchise tag from the New York Jets prior to the deadline. Is this the right move?
New York Jets’ fans have watched the contract situation for defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson for months.
He wanted a contract, they broached talks prior to the 2015 season, but couldn’t come to an agreement. Wilkerson stayed out some early workouts before heading into work, and was upset when others from his draft class received new contracts. But to his credit, he did his job, posting a career-high 12 sacks.
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With the franchise tag looming, the assumed will occur. Multiple sources, including Ben Shpigel of the New York Times, are reporting that the Jets will be giving Wilkerson the franchise tag. This allows the team until July 15th to sign a long-term deal, trade him, allow him to leave for compensation, or have him play out the season at the franchise tag price of $15.7 million.
As of the writing of this post, the Jets have not made an official announcement.
He can walk, if a team is willing to compensate the Jets. According to Rich Cimini of ESPN, Muhammad will be receiving the “non-exclusive” tag, which means he can still negotiate with other teams.
The Jets are entitled the opportunity to match any contract offer, or receive two first round draft picks as compensation.
Is this the right move? There is no doubt that Wilkerson is the best pass rusher to wear the Green and White in a decade. But, the subsequent moves will determine whether this one was the right move.
One possible scenario would be a tag and trade. The Jets have done it before, ironically with their previous best pass rusher, John Abraham. After franchising Abraham in 2006, he was traded to the Falcons for their first round pick in that upcoming draft. That became the man who has anchored the Jets’ offensive line for nearly a decade, Nick Mangold. Nobody would do anything but praise that move.
The question there will be if they can find a team willing to take on that salary. Any team considering engaging the Jets in talks will have to be able to take on the $15.7 million, and possibly sign him long-term. The Buccaneers are a team that has a lot of money, that needs a pass rush, and would make a potential partner. But that is still a large sum to pay a player coming off of a major leg injury.
In this case, a tag and trade is going to be easier said than done.
The most important person to watch in the coming weeks will be Damon Harrison. “Snacks” has rapidly grown from his status as an undrafted rookie to arguably the best run-stuffing tackle in the game. Last season, Pro Football Focus ranked Harrison as the top run defender on the interior, with a grade of 97.3. He ranked seventh overall with a grade of 91.9.
His size and ability compare favorably to long-time Jets’ rival Vince Wilfork. Like Wilfork, Harrison’s ability to occupy two, even three, offensive linemen, gives the edge players freedom to make plays. One could argue that Wilkerson’s numbers might not be as high without Harrison eating up space in the middle. If Harrison is not there, Wilkerson and his teammates will see more double teams, and have a great deal more difficulty making plays.
Now, as Matthew Ordazzo at The Jet Press reported that Damon is willing to take a hometown discount. But what does that really mean? There is no real guarantee that he will do whatever it takes to stay in New York, and he certainly has outplayed the $3 million he has made over his first four years.
Locking Wilkerson up for $15.7 million becomes very suspect if Harrison walks as a consequence.
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The bottom line is that franchising Wilkerson might be the absolute right move. It just depends upon what happens as a result. Hold on tight, Jets’ fans. The next several weeks will be very intriguing.