The Jets entered free agency with just over $50 million in salary cap space. How has Joe Douglas made use of those funds in the opening days of free agency? By handing out a combined $31.3 million in guaranteed money to three offensive linemen and bringing back a key defensive piece on the cheap.
In an effort to bulk up a line that struggled mightily in 2019, Douglas inked tackle George Fant and center Connor McGovern to contracts that combine for a total value of $54.3 million. New York also re-signed Alex Lewis to a three-year deal worth a total value of $18.6 million, pushing the total value of all three contracts combined to $72.9 million.
Douglas also got to work on shoring up the secondary, bringing back Brian Poole on a one-year deal worth only $5 million. Poole’s entire salary is guaranteed.
Fant’s contract is essentially a one-year deal worth $8.9 million in guaranteed money. The Jets can part ways with the 27-year-old at season’s end without costing themselves a penny if Douglas is not pleased with his performance. McGovern’s deal pays him $18 million in guaranteed money, while Lewis’ deal gives him $6 million in guaranteed money.
That leaves Douglas and the Jets with about $36 million in remaining salary cap space after officially releasing Trumaine Johnson on Wednesday. The Jets designated Johnson as a June 1 cut, which means they can spread his $12 million dead salary cap charge over the next two seasons. Johnson will be paid $4 million in 2020 and $8 million in 2021.
New York can continue to clear up salary cap space by parting ways with the likes of Darryl Roberts and Brian Winters, but it remains to be seen if Douglas will elect to send players packing in exchange for salary cap relief considering he still has a decent chunk of money left to spend.
How Douglas chooses to allocate his remaining funds moving forward is unclear, but one thing that is for certain is that the Jets still have enough cash to work with to take care of in-house free agent Robby Anderson and any other talent they find attractive on the open market.
