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This news came out a few weeks ago but was glossed over due to the Playoff race.
#NFL GMs and cap guys have been told by league office to expect the 2016 cap to come in between $147M to $155M.
— Jason Cole (@JasonColeBR) December 1, 2015
Where it falls on that scale is a big deal for the Jets. That $8 million can make a big difference in what the team is able to do in the offseason.
Over The Cap has the Jets with a hair under $136 million on the books for the Jets in 2016. That is not a final figure. There are some cuts the Jets can make to open up some cap space. We will discuss some of the obvious ones later today.
The cap situation is not dire. The Jets just are not swimming in cap space like they were a year ago (or two years ago). They spent money last season to upgrade the roster and put a viable team on the field. Because they spent last year, now they will need to prioritize this year. (It's better to have talent on your team and less cap space than it is to have no talent and a ton of space.)
That $8 million difference from $147 million to $155 million will be something worth watching. An $8 million jump could pay for a Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2015 itself. If the figure is closer to $147 million, things will still not be dire, but they will be tighter. The Jets will not be able to be as active.