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It’s time for another helping of Dan’s Website Whispers – including items on immigration, the upcoming free agent free-for-all, and Mark’s contract . . .
A few days ago ESPN’s Rich Cimini wrote that Jets 2011 third round pick Kenrick Ellis could get deported.
If Ellis is found guilty of assault (the trial is set for November in Hampton, Virginia), Cimini wrote that the defensive tackle could be deported to his native Jamaica.
Ellis has lived in the United States since he was 11 (in the West Palm Beach-area), but has never officially become a US citizen.
But honestly, if Ellis is found guilty, which is a longshot, he’s going to have to deal with another problem ahead of deportation – it’s called “jail.”
So the bigger concern is jail, not deportation.
As for possibility of deportation, reading the tea leaves, the Jets don’t seem particularly concerned.
“I don’t think [deportation] is a likely scenario,” said a source close to the team, very familiar with Ellis’ case . . .
For the first couple of weeks of August, the Jets Florham Park training facility could resemble a bus station. From what we hear, the two week free agency period, which the NFL thought would likely take place before camps started, is now probably going to bleed into camp, according to a league source.
So if the Jets hit the practice field, as scheduled, around July 31, there will be quite a few familiar faces missing, while the Jets try to negotiate their deals.
It’s going to make great theatre – guys showing up in the middle of practice, just having signed a deal, and the fans go crazy . . .
I hear the Washington Redskins might be interested in bringing in Kris Jenkins as a back-up nose tackle.
He could end up joining his brother, Green Bay free agent defensive end Cullen Jenkins, who could be heading to Washington also.
The Jenkins would likely take a little less money in Washington, their hometown . . .
Let’s be brutally honest here. Mark Sanchez is overpaid at over $17 million this year.
We are talking about a quarterback who has completed 54.5 percent of his passes over his first two years in league.
We are talking about a quarterback who has a 70.2 quarterback rating over his first two years in the league.
This is a quarterback who has thrown just 29 touchdowns in two seasons.
Obviously there is more to the game than stats, and Sanchez was involved with two AFC Championship teams, but we all know there were a lot of clunkers mixed in the last couple of seasons.
This isn’t about being negative; this is about dealing with reality.
This contract is a killer to the Jets.
If we told you Mark Sanchez was scheduled to make in the neighborhood of $6-7 million this season, you would probably say – “That sounds about right.”
$17 million? Are you kidding?
Hey, it’s not Sanchez’s fault that the old first round pay scale was preposterous, and is going to be blown up in the CBA.
But let’s not get caught up in the media hype, and there is a lot.
Sanchez is a nice player, but he is nowhere near a $17 million quarterback.
And this contract is going to really, really hurt the Jets when free agency opens up, and they have attempt to sign some of their 17 free agents.
We would ask Sanchez to not just re-work his deal, but take a paycut.
That likely isn’t going to happen.
But if he wants to bring back some of his free agent wide receivers, he needs to agree to a major restructuring . . .
The photo above is of Joe Namath, at his yearly football camp, held a couple of weeks ago.