The New York Jets are playing a dangerous game of chicken right now. They’re trying not to blink as their chances at a Sheldon Richardson trade diminish.

Pretty much everybody thought the mercurial defensive end would be traded either before or during the NFL draft. Yet as the weeks went by, it felt like his value diminished further and further. It started as a 2nd round pick, then a 3rd and finally a 4th. Those last two prices didn’t seem strong enough for the kind of talent Richardson is and kind of player he could still be.

So the Jets chose to maintain the status quo. Some people thought that because Brandon Marshall is gone the team decided to keep him around. Perhaps hoping he’d come around with his main antagonist gone. However, ESPN analyst Rich Cimini believes that’s unlikely. New York still plans to unload him but might be willing to wait on that trade a little long.

“The Jets won’t cut the 2013 first-round pick because they’d have to eat his guaranteed salary ($8.1 million), but a trade remains a possibility. They’ve been trying to move him for a few months, but his trade value is low. Best-case scenario: Richardson plays well to start the season, and the Jets deal him before the midseason trading deadline. He’s in the final season of his rookie contract, which means they will lose him in free agency.”

This means that the Jets will have until late October to see if Richardson turns on the jets, so to speak. It’s a tall order though. New York still has a strong defensive front and their secondary has improved on paper. At the same time though their offense seems to be in shambles with holes all over the place.

If they can’t at least hold the ball to balance the clock, then the defense is really going to struggle. That will kill Richardson’s value and likely any hope of dealing him at all.