NY Jets: 3 players to sign in the second wave of free agency

NY Jets: 3 players to sign in the second wave of free agency by Justin Fried

The NY Jets ‘have inquired’ about superstar pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue. Here are the details on a potential trade and what it could look like.

So far the NY Jets have mostly flown under the radar during the legal tampering period and free agency, that could all change very soon.

Per Benjamin Allbright of the Pro Football Network, the Jets are one of four teams that have “inquired” about Jacksonville Jaguars superstar pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue.

Ngakoue is 24-years old (will be 25 by the start of the 2020 season) and in his four year NFL career has never had a season with less than eight sacks.

This offseason Yannick was set to be an unrestricted free agent but the Jaguars blocked that from happening by slapping the franchise tag on him. Which is a one-year deal for $19.3 million.

On social media, Yannick Ngakoue posted a goodbye message to Jaguars fans and made his stance clear that he has no intention of playing another down in Jacksonville.

This has opened the possibility of a tag-and-trade scenario.

Here’s more from Allbright on a potential deal between the Jaguars and the Jets:

“The Jets have the draft capital to make an enticing offer to Jacksonville and have enough cap space to give Ngakoue a long term extension.”

The NY Jets check off both of the boxes for a potential deal with ample cap space and some solid NFL Draft capital (eight selections in the upcoming draft).

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So what would it cost?

Initially, it seemed like the Jaguars were dead set on getting a first-round pick back in any potential deal.

Although Tony Pauline of the Pro Football Network recently stated that Jacksonville has come off that and would consider “like a second-round pick” or something creative.

The Jets hold the No. 11 overall pick in the first round, but it’s unlikely that they’d include that in a potential deal. Although one way that the team could get creative is by potentially swapping picks with the Jaguars.

Jacksonville holds two selections in the opening round (No. 9 and No. 20 overall). Perhaps the Jets could swap No. 11 with No. 20 (a difference of 350 points on the NFL Trade Value Chart) and throw in a mid-round pick (one of the team’s third-round picks or a fourth/fifth).

On top of any compensation that exchanges between the two teams, the Jets would also have to satisfy Yannick Ngakoue’s contract demands.

If you adhere to the Spotrac market value analytics, he projects to receive a five-year deal for $85 million with an average annual salary of $17.1 million per season. Which would place him in the vicinity of the top-five at his position.

Although a report from ESPN’s Mike DiRocco suggests Ngakoue is seeking a deal that’ll pay him over $22 million per season which would make him the highest-paid defensive lineman in NFL history.

When you look at his production over the last four years: 37.5 sacks, 42 tackles for loss, 85 quarterback hits, and 14 forced fumbles; it’s hard to argue with his demands.

While Joe Douglas has proven to be prudent so far in terms of his financial spending, this seems to be a once in a lifetime scenario to acquire a premier talent who hasn’t reached his prime. Sometimes you have to risk it to get the biscuit and there’s no better biscuit available than Yannick Ngakoue at edge rusher.