On Wednesday, the Jets month-long negotiation with linebacker Erin Henderson came to a close as the team and he reached an agreement on a new two-year contract.

The deal, which will pay Henderson $5 million, was well received by many surrounding the team. Essentially, for just $2.5 million a year, the Jets got back a starting linebacker that was arguably their best a season ago.

So, was the deal a good one? A bad one? An eh one? Let’s break it down with a little instant analysis.

Finally… Erin Henderson returns

This negotiation went much, much longer than what it should have. Literally, the Jets reached out to Henderson’s reps at the Senior Bowl to say they wanted to bring him back. But, as is the case a bit with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick now, a figure wasn’t easy to come by.

With the Jets strapped for cash, they low-balled Henderson, who was insulted with their initial offer. Eventually, the two sides agreed to the figure Henderson signed for, and all is well in Jets land.

It’s a nice, smart deal for New York, too. Especially considering how Henderson played last year.

Henderson will, and should, start next to David Harris

At their end-of-year meetings, a source told Jets Wire that Todd Bowles told Henderson he’d be the team’s starter next to Harris if he returned. It’s a smart move… Bowles was just a few months late making it.

It was painfully obvious last year that Henderson was, honestly, the best linebacker on the Jets roster. He could play the run, had sideline-to-sideline speed and could cover. He did it all. He just wasn’t really given an opportunity to do it.

Henderson was stuck on special teams for the first few months of the season until Demario Davis played so poorly Bowles was forced to make a change. Once he did, Henderson displayed much of what he did for so many years with the Vikings.

He finished the year with 45 tackles… and didn’t get in on defense until the final month of the season. Not bad. Not bad at all.

If Henderson stays healthy, he could be in for a season that sees the linebacker record anywhere from 115-130 tackles.

Crazy contract comparison

Henderson showed last year he’s a better player than Davis. He did. There’s no other way around it. That’s not an opinion, it’s a fact.

When Henderson was on the field, he was a more effective and efficient football player. That’s why the Jets let Davis walk with no competing offer, and Davis eventually made his way to Cleveland.

Still, it’s a bit amusing to compare the two contracts.

While the exact details of Henderson’s deal with the Jets are not yet known (other than two years, $5 million), Davis’ are. And while not anything crazy, his deal is for two years and $8 million.

That means the Jets upgraded their linebacker spot and saved themselves $3 million. Not bad.

Erin Henderson wanted to return to the Jets, and he will

Henderson had a market. There’s no denying that. The Raiders were heavily involved in him, along with two other teams, one recently being named the Washington Redskins (by NJAM).

Three of the four had competing offers on the table. Henderson chose to return to the Jets.

And why? Because he likes the direction the team is headed, he likes the fact they gave him a shot when few others would, but mostly, he loves Bowles. He likes how he fits in his scheme.

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Connor Hughes is the New York Jets beat writer for the USA TODAY Sports Digital Properties. He can be reached on Twitter (@Connor_J_Hughes), or via email (chughes@usatoday.com)