As we focus on the offseason, here’s a reminder of the players the Jets have hitting free agency. Brian Winters was supposed to be a free agent, but he signed a new long-term deal with the team.
Unrestricted Free Agents
Any of these players is free to sign a contract with the Jets or any other team.
QB Geno Smith
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (Fitzpatrick is technically under contract, but his deal voids five days after the Super Bowl.)
EDGE Mike Catapano
EDGE Josh Martin
EDGE Corey Lemonier
S Antonio Allen
OT Ben Ijalana
ILB Bruce Carter
TE Kellen Davis
LS Tanner Purdum
Restricted Free Agents
These are more complicated. Since these free agents have less than four years of service time, they don’t have the same rights as free agents. The Jets have the option of offering all of these players a one year contract. If the Jets do not offer them a one year contract, these players become unrestricted free agent. If the Jets do offer them a one year contract, these players can sign that deal. They also can seek out a contract with another team for one year or longer, but the Jets would have the right to match any deal and keep the player under the terms of that contract. If the Jets did not match the deal, they might be entitled to a Draft pick from the player’s new team as compensation depending on how much the original one year deal the Jets offered was worth. Before the Jets make any of those one year offers, the league announces in advance how much money type they would have to offer to net a which Draft pick as compensation if that player leaves. Since many of these players require Draft pick compensation for a new team, you rarely see a restricted free agent switch teams. Most of them sign the one year offer from their original team and wait until they have four years of service to become an unrestricted free agent and have more freedom.
CB Marcus Williams
OL Wesley Johnson
TE Brandon Bostick.