The case NOT to extend Mo Wilkerson

[Johnny Unite Us]

I love Mo, I think he's going to be a very good player for a long time.

However, I would not extend him. I would let him play out his rookie deal, then franchise him, THEN resign him (maybe).

The reason being, with the way the Jets have re-fortified their defense (Revis, Cro, Gilchrist, resigning Harris, etc.) they have essentially given themselves a 3 year window in which you'd expect they will have a very good defense. A championship-quality defense.

The missing piece remains the QB.

So, I would not lock up additional financial assets in Mo and Sheldon. I'd let them play out their deals, franchise Mo in 2016 and have both Wilkerson and Richardson playing on walk-years. That would be a kick-ass defense...two great linemen on walk years, Revis in what essentially will be an option year. And, hopefully, some sort of legitimate QB behind center.

If two years from now I still have no QB, then I extend both Mo and Sheldon (assuming they are still healthy and playing well).

But, if a legit QB somehow becomes available in the next 24 months, I want to have the flexibility to sign him. I can't have that capital tied up on the defensive line if I don't have to. I have two very valuable assets in Mo and Sheldon, and I have them at a low price right now. As a GM, I would want to use that to my advantage.

 

[atmorrisjr]

I did not read your argument....I just read the title and went like waaaaaaaaaaaat?

 

[hobson54]

think the thread title should be read - the case for why roger should not be the GM of the jets...


terrible idea. the jets need to lock up one of the best homegrown talents in a long time. waiting to sign him in the hopes that some franchise QB will just miraculously appear on the market is pretty foolish. can you tell me the last time a franchise QB was available in free agency (peyton manning was an exception given the missed season and neck fushion surgergy)? you think seattle is gonna let wilson walk? anyone specific you targeting?

not paying mo sends a terrible signal to the young players on the team. plus, the more you wait, the higher his eventual price will go. add to that, the franchise tag amount will go higher with the suh and watt contracts factored into the equation, so you will pay up to tag him, and then pay up even more to eventually sign him when this mysterious franchise QB doesn't suddenly surface.

 

[Johnny Unite Us]

I'm not worried about sending messages to younger players, I'm more into winning. And, I framed my post within the context that we have roughly a 3 year window with a top-notch defense. I'm not worried about what messages you think are important.

Mo's price MAY go up this year if he has a great season, or it may go down. You don't know which, neither do I. If it goes up, great, we have a great player under contract and we pay him a bit more. If it goes down, then we didn't tie up unnecessary cap space during our 3 year window.

Meanwhile, Richardson's value might go up more, or down more.

Why lock them in now? Let them earn the big contracts. We may not be able to keep both, we may not WANT to keep both. Let them play under their rookie contracts for another year, then make a decision.

 

[cysporsche]

Roger, I don't agree. Mo is only 24 years old and has been a fantastic player & team leader, you lock him up now. You can't pay 4 new DB's $127M and tell one of your top 3 player's, no new deal and then we're going to tag you. Trust me Roger when we need the money, you cut Pace, Babin, or Cromartie. There is always a way to find the money. I feel our roster is improving and the team MOJO is good, PAY BIG MO.

Go Jets...Cyborg

 

[lounap23]

YOU have to lock up MO now.

1. Cheaper than waiting another year or so
2. Gives you cap flexibility
3. Homegrown players need to be taken care of ( Johnson learned that with Revis)

 

[Green73]

Mo's definitely earned it and has been a very good sport about it!
Richardson is a beast and is going to get even better and if possible I would extend him next year.
He's very outspoken, his stock is going to keep rising and I doubt he'll be as patient as Mo.
It all starts in the trenches, they are both very young, we need to keep them together!

 

[AFA2017]

Roger, I don't agree. Mo is only 24 years old and has been a fantastic player & team leader, you lock him up now. You can't pay 4 new DB's $127M and tell one of your top 3 player's, no new deal and then we're going to tag you. Trust me Roger when we need the money, you cut Pace, Babin, or Cromartie. There is always a way to find the money. I feel our roster is improving and the team MOJO is good, PAY BIG MO.

Go Jets...Cyborg

+1

 

[Xmarco]

With a new vote for President and most likely a new CBA time to lock them both up

 

[ucrenegade]

I disagree you need to lock him up now so it sends the message that they take care of their own, believe me sheldon and his agent are watching this closely and if they drag it out and then franchise him you can bet sheldon will be in blue and red with rex in a few years.

 

[Jets31]

Mo is exactly the type of guy you lock up. He is the definition of a team first guy. By extending his deal he can stay at the same price or close to it for one more year before his cap hit goes way up.

Franchising a guy like Mo is a bad idea. Look at the contracts for DE right now. Franchise tag would be HUGE and cost us even more then extending him.

 

[hatnlvr]

The fact that he never held out, has always been a team player and a great locker room guy I wouldn't want to send the rest of the team and league the message that the Jets don't take care of the players who take care of them. Mo has been a consummate pro and one of our best players on the entire team. Lock him up now on a deal that both he and the team can live with.

Just my $.02

 

[NickSINYC]

Jets have been working hard to lock him up so I think it's a moot point. It will happen soon.

 

[lounap23]

Jets have been working hard to lock him up so I think it's a moot point. It will happen soon.

and ^^THIS

 

[Johnny Unite Us]

Wow.

FINALLY, a site where we can disagree on a topic and debate it without resorting to name-calling and finger-pointing and that sort of nonsense.

I love Mo Wilkerson as a player. And, I totally understand your points on why we should lock him up right now. Homegrown, great player, hard worker, team player. I get it. I LOVE the guy.

I'm just trying to present a business reason why it may not make sense to lock him up right now. And, I think it's a legitimate business reason.

The Jets need a QB. They have Wilkerson and Richardson under contract at very low prices. Having two high-quality players like that under their rookie deals is a HUGE advantage. Don't give that advantage away unless you have to.

Let them play this season, at least, under their rookie deals. THEY signed those contracts, let them play them out.

The franchise tag was created specifically for this type of situation. USE IT!

That's all I'm saying.

Again, I LOVE both players, I'm just looking at this from a business perspective.

 

[hobson54]

roger, apologies for my sarcastic response earlier about being glad your not the GM.

however, i disagree greatly that from a business perspective it is better to wait. his price will only go up by waiting, and if we need to resort to the franchise tag, that price just went up dramatically with the suh (and watt) contracts. unless you think his play will fall off dramatically this year, i can't see how it's better from a business perspective to wait than to take care of the contract today. the cap will increase again next year, and players and their agents will want more.

 

[Johnny Unite Us]

Thanks for the reply, hobson. And, absolutely no hard feelings at all.

I think this is a topic worth debate. An, there is no black and white, right or wrong answer, so I appreciate all perspectives on this.

Ultimately, my argument revolves around the fact that we have two very talented defensive linemen, both playing under their rookie contracts. That is a VERY rare sitation, and gives the Jets a competitive advantage in a hard salary cap league.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE both players.

I'm just saying, let's use the fact that we have both of these players under contract at low prices to our advantage. The rules allow for that. Let's take advantage of the rules.

That's what our main competitors, the Pats, have been doing. They don't care about players' feelings, or sending messages to younger players. They care about winning.

That's the attitude I want the Jets to take.

 

[ucrenegade]

like i said if we do what you say you will see richardson in blue and red........other fa's, teammates,and their agents are watching you don't screw around with a guy like wilkerson who has been a stellar model and player and was drafted by us.

That is not good business even from a business perspective.

 

[ucrenegade]

roger check your pm

 

[HYATT™]

Walk-year brinksmanship is a double-edged sword.
If you franchise a player, he gets a 120% raise or the average of the top 5 NEW contracts for players at his position - whichever is greater, which happens to be the premium DL position of pass rushing DE, even if it is on a 3-4 DL.
If you don't get a contract done, yer royally screwed, because the 2nd franchise tag costs you a 140% raise of his previous year's salary.
Now Mo is costing $27M per year with all the leverage in the world to keep the bank rolling on HIS trailer & the Jets don't even have a trailer hitch.

A 3rd franchise tag is another 140% raise over the 2nd one, putting him in the $37M range for a single season.
Meanwhile Richardson is on his own 120%/140% raise cycle, a year behind.
Even IF a franchise QB somehow wanted out of town, (Rivers gets tired of SD's act), and opts to go rogue, you couldn't afford him using this strategy, without giving up both players.
Would a franchise QB ever even sign with a team that treats it's own that way?
Nope, and both Mo & Richardson will be righteously PI$$ED at the Jets and may sign elsewhere just out of spite.