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Bang for the buck A look at what the Jets can expect from Nos. 13 and 27
Posted: Thursday April 13, 2000 09:18 AM
What can the Jets expect from the two first-round picks -- Nos. 13 and 27 -- they'll receive from the Bucs in the Keyshawn Johnson trade? Last year, wideout Troy Edwards went to the Steelers at 13; he led the team in receptions but dropped a lot of balls. He also had a cap charge of $1.1 million. Turns out, he's more of a No. 2 receiver and Pittsburgh will once again be looking for a wideout in this draft. The Lions selected tackle Aaron Gibson with the 27th pick last year. He came to camp overweight, got hurt and didn't play a down -- not good for someone hitting your bottomline for $940,000. Those two picks combined for a $2.07 million cap charge; those same two picks this year will be a $2.3 million cap expenditure for the Jets. That's about $700,000 more than the savings New York will receive by not having Johnson on their payroll this year. The upside for the Jets is the long-term cap management. The newly acquired picks will be under contract for at least the next five years at a manageable number; Johnson would have taken the lion's share of the cap. Now the Jets have a good chance of selecting a wideout like Jackson State's Sylvester Morris at 13, and then can ome back at 27 and grab a left tackle like Arizona State's Marvel Smith.
Over the last decade the Jets haven't exactly had a lot of success in having their first-rounders stick. Johnson, the team's 1996 first-round pick, is now in Tampa Bay, Rob Moore ('91) is with the Cardinals, Hugh Douglas ('95) is in Philadelphia, Kyle Brady (also '95) with Jacksonville and Johnny Mitchell ('92) is just missing in action. Only Marvin Jones ('93), Aaron Glenn ('94) and James Farrior ('97) have lasted. Your first and second round picks should be the core of your team for 10 years. By the way, the Jets had nine second-rounders over the past decade and only Dorian Boose ('98) remains on the roster. There's a ripple effect to every financial decision made in the NFL. Last year Michael Strahan's contract extension with the Giants had a hand in the big paydays many defensive ends around the league got. It trickled all the way down to 33-year-old Lester Archambeau, who signed a seven-year contract with the Broncos for $17 million this offseason. Did Colts GM Bill Polian have any idea that his new deal with Marvin Harrison would not only lock up Harrison long term but would also be the straw that broke the camel's back in New York with Johnson? Now New England's Terry Glenn is grumbling. He's already starting to complain about his financial situation. Imagine: the Colts may be able to clear the AFC East of two of its best receivers (there's more than one way to win games now a days). There was no way Johnson would have settled for less than Harrison got, the Jets realized that and now he's out of the division.
Polian got a lot more bang for his buck than he originally anticipated.
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