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Albert Breer reports Calvin Pryor had fallen so far out of favor with the Jets that he likely would have been cut had the team not found a trade partner.
Calvin Pryor had badly fallen out of favor with the Jets coaches, would've been a long shot to make the roster. This is like cutting him.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) June 1, 2017
If you look at what the Jets did in adding Demario Davis and taking on a cap hit to do so, I think it might have been a sounder move just to cut him.
When you are in the Jets’ position, there are three things to seek in a trade.
- Draft picks
- Young players
- Cap space
The Jets got none of the three in this deal. What they got was Davis, a player with virtually no upside. It isn’t even like you could argue a change of scenery would do him well. He has been with this regime and saw his playing time cut due to ineffectiveness. To acquire him, the Jets find themselves in a less attractive cap situation.
Even if the Jets make a few maneuverings to improve the cap hit, it’s tough to see how this deal is worth it. Davis probably won’t be on the team in 2018, and everything is focused on 2018 and beyond with this team right now.
If the Jets had offered Pryor instead for a conditional pick based on playing time or even on him showing enough ability to get a second contract from the Browns, it’s tough see how they would turn that down. It’s risk free. They walk away from the deal without giving up anything if Pryor doesn’t pan out. The Jets would at least have a small chance of getting something of value in return as well.