Quote:Who do you think will get cut at the end of the year because of bad contracts Gene handed, age, or just haven't lived up to expectations?
1. <b>Mercedes Lewis</b>- His base salary jumps from 4.2 mil to 6.7 mil for the next 2 years and he def. isn't worth almost 7 million a year in base salary, Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, and Vernon Davis isn't even making the 8.25 mil cap hit that Lewis would make if we kept him. Rediculous amount of money for Lewis who isn't even that much of a receiving threat. It will cost us only 2.8 mil cap hit in dead money over the next 2 years to cut him. It would be well worth the 2.8 mil cap wit than paying him 16.5 mil over the next couple years.
2. <b>Jeremy Mincey</b>- Same with Lewis his salary jumps from 1.5 mil to 4.5 mil next year. He will cost us 4 mil. cap hit over the next 2 years in dead money or if we keep him it will be 13.5 mil cap hit over the next 2 years. He hasnt played that great either I say he needs to go also.
3. <b>Jason Babin</b>- Babin cap hit goes up from 4.3 mil to 6.1 mil next year. If Babin is cut at the end of the year it will cost us nothing in dead money. Babin is our best DE but he will be 34 and he isnt worth 6 mil a year at this point in his career.
4. <b> Paul Posluszny</b>- Poz has played pretty good for us but next year and 2015 his cap hit goes up to 9.5 mil. If we cut him we would only have 4 mil. in dead money over the next 2 yrs. Is a MLB really worth 19 mil. over the next 2 years? Poz isn't
Definitely agree on Lewis and Mincey. Both are ordinary players at their positions, and yes, I know that Lewis is repeatedly called "the best blocking tight end in football", but if blocking's what the Jags want, sign a minimum-salary tackle who can line up at tight end to stand there and not catch passes. Mincey's a great story and has been a solid player in the past, but he's an aging, costly backup on a line that needs youth.
Babin remains to be seen. $6M is not a painfully-high price to pay for a solid DE, certainly not the best end on your team. Babin also came into the league at 24 and played sparingly for several years, so he's not as old of a 34 as, say, Tony Brackens would have been. That said, I believe that because of the way the waiver system works for veterans, Babin's contract expires at the end of this year anyway, which could make it a moot point.
Don't cut Poz. Period. He's the best player on defense, and its not even close. The salary cap argument is a solid one, but let's not forget that this team is swimming in cap space, and Poz is one of the few irreplaceable veterans who have skill and leadership ability. If anything, the Jags might approach Poz about restructuring.
I'd add a few players to the list:
MJD - I think his contract expires anyway, but even if it doesn't, let him go. He was a great running back for a long time, but the gas in his tank is expended thanks to injuries and a playing style that is typically reserved for backs who are a few inches taller and 15-20 lbs. heavier. As much as it pains me to say it, the Jaguars handled this type of situation right with Fred Taylor. They saw the decline coming, they grabbed a young back to replace him, and they let him go before he was running on empty. With MJD, the needle's on E, and they don't have anyone who looks as ready to step in and replace him as MJD did to replace Taylor.
Gabbert OR Henne - I think one of these two guys stays with the team next year for one reason: insurance. If the Jaguars do grab a QB high in the first round, great. The offensive line still won't be ready for prime time, and throwing Gabbert into the fire three games into his career worked out oh-so-well, didn't it? Let the rookie QB ride the pine for a year while Gabbert or Henne gets squashed. The rookie gets a year to learn and observe, and the Jaguars get an extra year to fix their line without running the risk of destroying their rookie QB. Assuming Henne's contract doesn't expire, I think he'd be the more likely option to stay under this scenario for two reasons. One, if the Jags are drafting a QB to replace Gabbert, it hardly makes sense to keep Gabbert around as the short-term starter. Two, Gabbert will be three years removed from being the tenth overall pick, and there may well be a coach out there willing to give up a fifth or sixth-round pick because he thinks he can fix Gabbert. Might as well get something to show for the investment.
Lowery - Bradley's defense requires a center-fielder with great speed at free safety. Lowery's got the instincts for the position, but he's limited by a lack of Earl Thomas-like speed. He's a solid player, but he doesn't look like a fit in Bradley's defense, and he's expensive.
Meester's contract expires, and he won't be brought back. He'll probably retire. Rackley's worth keeping around as cheap depth, maybe give him a shot to show something at center in training camp. Also, don't forget that signing high-priced free agents doesn't seem to be Caldwell's MO, at least not until the team is well within contention. I wouldn't count on seeing Brian Cushing, Brian Orakpo, Brandon Browner (who's on the wrong side of 30 anyway) or Jairus Byrd in Jacksonville next year unless we're playing their team.