New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas announced at the NFL Combine on Wednesday that the team will not franchise-tag edge rusher Bryce Huff. The defensive end had a breakout season in 2023, recording 10 sacks, 29 tackles (19 solo) and 21 quarterback hits. The 25-year-old was a major factor in New York’s second-ranked pass defense last season.
Douglas did say that the front office would talk to Huff’s representatives at the Combine. However, now that Huff will most likely become an unrestricted free agent, there’s a real chance the homegrown talent could join another team. It’s unusual for an organization to discover a hidden gem in the un-drafted free agent pool, successfully develop him into a high-impact player, and then let him walk at the end of his rookie deal. However, that’s where the Jets could possibly find themselves this offseason. How did they get here?
The Jets missed their chance to re-sign the edge rusher on a cheap deal
Huff’s success was not an overnight development. After working his way up from the training camp scrap heap to the 53-man roster in 2020, the former Memphis Tiger established himself as a situational edge rusher right away. He went on to register two sacks, 16 tackles (12 solo), eight pressures, and four quarterback hits as a rookie. He immediately became a feather in Douglas’s cap, as he had already provided a higher return on investment than most un-drafted players.
Huff continued to prove himself, steadily increasing his pressure and quarterback hit totals over the following two years. The Jets could have re-signed him to a team-friendly deal either of those off-seasons, but they never approached him with an offer. In fact, they selected Will McDonald as the 15th pick in last year’s draft, which is another edge rusher. Huff then responded with his breakout 2023 season, changing his status from “diamond in the rough” to “major force.” While it helped the defense dominate the trenches, it also drove his price tag way up.
How much will it cost to bring the edge rusher back?
According to Over the Cap, it will cost NFL teams $21.3 million to franchise-tag defensive ends this off-season. With the Jets having a crowded edge rusher room that includes McDonald, Jermaine Johnson and John Franklin-Myers, it wouldn’t make much sense for the team to spend that much on Huff. Consider the fact that New York scored the fourth-least points per game last year (15.8), and it’s even more clear that the organization should prioritize rebuilding the offense.
According to SNY’s Connor Hughes, Huff will be offered around $15 million a year by opposing teams. If multiple suitors are interested, it could lead to a bidding war. This doesn’t seem to bother Douglas, though, as he expressed excitement for Huff at the Combine:
“Bryce is an outstanding player and he definitely deserves this opportunity to see where he is in the open market.”
What’s most likely to happen?
Luckily for the Jets, they won’t be strapped for cash. With the NFL’s salary cap increasing a record amount this year, the team can afford to give Huff a hefty offer.
Salary cap news:
The NFL announced that the 2024 Salary Cap will be $255.4M per club, with an additional $74M per club payment for player benefits, which includes Performance Based Pay and benefits for retired players. Total 2024 player costs will be $329.4M per club, or more…
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 23, 2024
On top of that, Douglas has openly expressed the desire to bring him back.
"Obviously we want to keep Bryce Huff. Ideally, we do keep him here, but those are conversations that we're gonna be having over the next two weeks."- Joe Douglas at the combine yesterday
The cap went up. We have the $$. No excuses
Re-sign Bryce Huff #Jets pic.twitter.com/XCYbh5u4dL
— Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsTFMedia) February 29, 2024
The only question is what exact dollar amount Douglas has in mind as a spending limit. It’s impossible to know for sure, but if there’s a bidding war, don’t be surprised if another contending team lands Huff in a few weeks.
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Joshua is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. He started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper. When he’s not watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or writing a screenplay.
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