Another Jets UpdateLast night, Chad Pennington held an informal conference call with the media, in which he expressed hope that he will remain with the Jets, while stating that he understands that the NFL is a business and that things may not get worked out.
All of the media appear to be taking the Pennington interview as a sure sign that a deal is imminent. Maybe they're right, but I'm not so sure. If I deal were really imminent, wouldn't Chad just keep quiet for a few days, and then say lots of nice things about the Jets once a deal is in place?
It sounds to me more like either a negotiating tactic, with Pennington taking the position that he wouldn't be devastated to leave, and/or a goodbye to Jets fans and the New York media.
Complicating the Pennington negotiations are the breakoff in negotiations over a new NFL collective bargaining agreement. Without a new CBA by tomorrow night, it becomes virtually impossible to sign players to incentive-based deals, because 2007 would be an uncapped year, and therefore any incentives earned would accrue on the cap immediately rather than in the following season. Thus, the Jets probably cannot sign Pennington to a new deal with a low base salary and a chance to make millions more in incentives. Furthermore, in 2007, players cannot get raises of more than 30 percent from their 2006 salary, and Pennington is not likely to agree to a low base salary when even if he comes back strong, he would remain at a low salary in 2007.
The media are also reporting that the Jets will likely release center Kevin Mawae. While I'm not necessarily averse to trading Mawae, who is now past his prime, releasing him makes no sense. It would only save the Jets around $1.1 million in cap space, and they would have to find another center.
If the Jets are going to get rid of their entire offensive line, Pennington and other quarterbacks would be wise to stay as far away from the team as possible.
posted on 3/01/2006
