Monday marks the most important day yet for the Jets new regime, as free agency (unofficially) kicks off.
The free agent tampering period begins at noon, allowing the Jets to talk with prospective free agents and agree to new contracts (even if those contracts can’t be officially signed until the start of the new league year, at 4 p.m. Wednesday).
We don’t know what the next 48 hours will hold for new general manager Darren Mougey and new coach Aaron Glenn. It could be a busy time as they take big swings in free agency. It could be a quiet period as they sit back and let the market set itself.
But either way, the next 48 hours will reveal a little more about what life with this new regime will look like for the Jets and their fans.
So keep it locked here for all the latest news throughout Monday. And for now, here’s everything you need to know as we approach the noon deadline.
Cap space
The Jets start Monday with somewhere in the neighborhood of $40-36 million in cap space. We’re getting that number from Over The Cap, which projected the the Jets to have around $51 million before the team’s decision to re-sign linebacker Jamien Sherwood late Sunday.
Big thing to watch Monday...
There has been a lot of talk about the Jets potentially going after Steelers free agent Justin Fields once the tampering period begins. But for that to happen, Fields will have to still be on the market when the tampering period begins at noon.
That’s why Monday morning could be decisive: the Steelers are the only team that could keep him off the open market by signing him to an extension. If that doesn’t happen, we’ll find out quickly if there was fire under the smoke feeding the Fields-Jets rumor mill for the past few days.
Jets bring back top free agent
Sherwood was the team’s top pending free agent. But the Jets did’t let him hit th market, agreeing to a three-year, $45 million deal with Sherwood (with $30 million in guaranteed money) before a bidding war could get started.
It’s an awesome story for Sherwood, who was picked in the fifth round back in 2021. And it’s a move that solidifies the Jets linebacker room, with Sherwood likely pairing with linebacker Quincy Williams. But it’s an expensive move that also adds a few question marks about how the Jets plan to handle their other many needs after investing heavily in Sherwood.
Friction with a fan favorite?
The biggest question is what it means for Sherwood, who is entering the final year of a three-year, $18 million deal he signed before the 2023 season. Williams was a first-team, All-Pro back in 2023, an apex Sherwood didn’t reach before signing his lucrative contract.
Will he be happy to play out his deal for significantly less than the salary his less accomplished position mate is earning? It’s too early to say but it’s something to watch.
Big name former Jet finds new home
The other big Jets-related news this weekend? Davante Adams has found a new home less than a week after the Jets released him, signing a two-year, $46 million deal with the Rams with a $26 million guarantee.
The Jets were almost certainly never going to give Adams that kind of money, even if both sides had been interested in a reunion. But it goes to show that the Jets fans who thought Adams had a lot left in his tank at age 33 weren’t the only ones of that opinion.
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Andy Vasquez may be reached atavasquez@njadvancemedia.com.