Carl Lawson Contract Restructured
Five days ago, the New York Jets and defensive end Carl Lawson agreed to a restructured contract. Before the re-worked contract, Lawson was expected to make a non-guaranteed $15 million dollars this upcoming season. The new deal will pay Lawson a base salary of $9 million dollars.
Lawson’s Incentive Money
Even with the new contract, Lawson can earn an additional $3 million dollars in incentives. Those incentives are tied to needing a certain amount of sacks and playing time. The reason playing time is included is due to his injury concerns. He missed all of the 2021 season due to a ruptured Achilles in a preseason practice.
Lawson’s First Season As A Jet
In his first season with the Jets, he had seven sacks, 33 total tackles, and a forced fumble. Those seven sacks were the most he has had since his rookie season in 2017 with 8.5. However, he is not producing pressure at the same rate he usually has before his injury.
Other Ways To Fix Salary Cap Issues
Currently, the Jets are $40 million dollars over the salary cap. A main part of that salary cap issue is due to new franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ lucrative contract. He currently accounts for a $107.6 million dollar cap charge. The Jets would like to restructure that contract as well to free up even more cap space.
Another way the Jets can create cap space is either restructure, trade, or cut wide receiver Corey Davis. Davis is set to make $10 million dollars with a cap hit that surpasses $11 million dollars. Davis has not lived up to his potential with the Jets as in two seasons he has 1,028 receiving yards and six touchdowns. For his contract, he is simply not producing enough. He is also at the bottom of the depth chart behind Garrett Wilson, Denzel Mims, and the recently signed Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard, and Mecole Hardman.
What To Do With The New Salary Space
The Jets will need to pay Rodgers his contract whether it is restructured or not. Also, this is the more important issue, they need to deal with star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. He has taken out any references to the Jets in his Twitter bio and has retweeted and liked many posts of his stats and claims he wants to be paid like a top defensive tackle.
The Jets need Williams as he is an elite run-stopper who can also get after the quarterback with a career-high 12 sacks last season. He was also a Pro-Bowler and First-Team All-Pro for the first time in his career. If the Jets want to finally end their playoff drought and even compete for a Super Bowl, they need their star defensive lineman locked up and happy.
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