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You had to figure that the Jets had the edge when it came out that Mike Williams was visiting the Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers and Jets in free agency.
If the money is close, as a receiver, which team are you going to sign with, the one with Russell Wilson at QB, Bryce Young at QB or Aaron Rodgers at QB?
Williams agreed to a one-year contract with the Jets on Tuesday. The announcement was made by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
A couple of insiders reported the deal is worth up to $15 million.
When NFL insiders first report contract numbers for a player signing with a new team, why do they often leave out the guaranteed money? Do the agents not tell them, or are they trying to protect the agent, by making the deal seem bigger than it is?
You are telling me the agent doesn’t know the guarantee when the player agrees, and can’t share it with the insider?
Since the guarantee wasn’t shared by the insiders, it’s not public yet, but that is an important factor to consider with this contract.
Obviously the guarantee isn’t $15 million, since the insiders said “worth up to $15 million.”
So a big part of assessing this signing must be what the guaranteed money is.
Not due to Williams talent. Based on his talent, actually he’s worth $15 million this year.
But with his injury history, you can’t pay him $15 million.
In college, Williams fractured a bone in his neck running into the goal post in the Tigers’ season-opener against Wofford, ending his season. As a rookie with the Chargers, he missed training camp with a herniated disc on his back. In 2022, he suffered a small transverse process fracture in his back. In 2023, he tore his ACL in Week 3.
There was also a high ankle sprain in 2022.
Look, none of this is his fault. I hate when players get attacked for their injuries. Williams didn’t want to get hurt, but the injury history is the injury history.
But the injury history is why we need to find out the guarantee. This is a contract the Jets needed to be very careful with.
Obviously, a one-year deal was the way to go.
Jets are rolling the dice in a major way with this player.
Just like they are with offensive tackle Tyron Smith and defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, also with lengthy injury histories.
But they also got one-year contracts.
Now you can say all players have injuries in the NFL, and that is true, but when you have a long history of severe injuries, many requiring surgery, that is a different story.
However, with all this being said, Williams is worth taking a flyer on.
This guy is a superb talent. So good on nine-routes down the sideline, so good on 50-50 balls (contested catches). He’s worth rolling the dice on.
As long as the money doesn’t damage your cap too much.
And as long as you are willing to handle him a certain way, limit his reps, and perhaps keep him out of a few games if his back acts up, this could work out well.
Keep him on a pitch count in practices and games. That is the way to roll with this player.
March 20, 2024
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