Why it wouldn't cost them any salary cap space
As the Jets approach their upcoming roster cuts, they have interesting decisions to make at the wide receiver position.
By 4 p.m. Saturday, the Jets must reduce their roster from 75 players to 53. The Jets play their final preseason game Thursday, at the Eagles.
Three of the Jets' receivers are definitely safe: Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, and Quincy Enunwa. (Enunwa plays a hybrid receiver/tight end/H-back role, but we'll refer to him as a receiver here, because that's what the Jets list him as.)
The Jets' other receivers right now are Jalin Marshall, Robby Anderson, Charone Peake, Jeremy Ross, Kenbrell Thompkins, and Chandler Worthy.
Worthy almost certainly will be cut. Those other five guys are on the fence. The Jets, all told, probably will retain six or seven receivers. So there are three to four spots available between five guys.
Marshall, Anderson, and Peake are rookies who could be stashed on the Jets' practice squad. The Jets might not keep both Ross and Marshall, because they are competing for the kickoff/punt return jobs.
But what about Thompkins?
He entered training camp as the Jets' No. 4 receiver, after receiving a one-year restricted free agent tender this offseason. A couple weeks ago, his roster spot appeared secure. Now, that's not a sure thing.
Who is the most important?
He hasn't made a huge impact (zero catches in two preseason games). Plus, he has dealt with a groin injury that sidelined him for preseason Week 3 against the Giants. And the Jets have gotten some intriguing contributions from those three rookie receivers over the course of this month.
Yes, the Jets signed Thompkins to a one-year, $1.671 million tender contract. But a closer inspection of his contract's details — provided to NJ Advance Media by a league source — reveals none of that money is guaranteed.
Which bodes well for the Jets, if they want to cut Thompkins.
Teams typically do not guarantee restricted free agent tender contracts. Sometimes they do, but not usually. So the Jets would create $1.671 million salary cap space by cutting Thompkins.
The only other money in Thompkins' contract is a $5,850 workout bonus that he has already received — and that already counts toward the Jets' 2016 cap.
If Thompkins is on the Jets' roster this season, his cap figure would be $1,676,850 — his base salary for the tender, plus that workout bonus.
As the Jets approach their upcoming roster cuts, they have interesting decisions to make at the wide receiver position.
By 4 p.m. Saturday, the Jets must reduce their roster from 75 players to 53. The Jets play their final preseason game Thursday, at the Eagles.
Three of the Jets' receivers are definitely safe: Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, and Quincy Enunwa. (Enunwa plays a hybrid receiver/tight end/H-back role, but we'll refer to him as a receiver here, because that's what the Jets list him as.)
The Jets' other receivers right now are Jalin Marshall, Robby Anderson, Charone Peake, Jeremy Ross, Kenbrell Thompkins, and Chandler Worthy.
Worthy almost certainly will be cut. Those other five guys are on the fence. The Jets, all told, probably will retain six or seven receivers. So there are three to four spots available between five guys.
Marshall, Anderson, and Peake are rookies who could be stashed on the Jets' practice squad. The Jets might not keep both Ross and Marshall, because they are competing for the kickoff/punt return jobs.
But what about Thompkins?
He entered training camp as the Jets' No. 4 receiver, after receiving a one-year restricted free agent tender this offseason. A couple weeks ago, his roster spot appeared secure. Now, that's not a sure thing.
Who is the most important?
He hasn't made a huge impact (zero catches in two preseason games). Plus, he has dealt with a groin injury that sidelined him for preseason Week 3 against the Giants. And the Jets have gotten some intriguing contributions from those three rookie receivers over the course of this month.
Yes, the Jets signed Thompkins to a one-year, $1.671 million tender contract. But a closer inspection of his contract's details — provided to NJ Advance Media by a league source — reveals none of that money is guaranteed.
Which bodes well for the Jets, if they want to cut Thompkins.
Teams typically do not guarantee restricted free agent tender contracts. Sometimes they do, but not usually. So the Jets would create $1.671 million salary cap space by cutting Thompkins.
The only other money in Thompkins' contract is a $5,850 workout bonus that he has already received — and that already counts toward the Jets' 2016 cap.
If Thompkins is on the Jets' roster this season, his cap figure would be $1,676,850 — his base salary for the tender, plus that workout bonus.
