New York Jets’ botched decision on former star will come back to bite their future draft plans

Bryce made it clear to the team, and to the media, that he was going to take the best contract offered to him when he hit free agency and there would be no “hometown discounts” given to anyone (as he should). Still, Joe held on to Huff for the rest of the 2023 season. His thinking was clear, if Huff leaves in free agency, at worst Joe will get a high compensatory pick.

Not so fast.

To explain how compensatory picks are calculated takes an advanced degree, and a lot more time and knowledge then I have, but basically, a team gets a compensatory selection if they lose more in free agency than they gain. If you lose more compensatory worthy players than you acquire, you get an extra selection in the following year’s draft. Let me skip to the end for all our sakes: the Jets will receive no compensatory pick for Bryce Huff.

Because of how free agency played out, according to overthecap.com, the Jets will receive no compensatory picks next year. The Jets lost Huff, Whitehead, Quinton Jefferson and Mekhi Becton which would have netted them; a fourth rounder, a sixth rounder and two seventh rounders, but that is all cancelled out because they signed Tyrod Taylor, Javon Kinlaw, Tyron Smith and John Simpson (Moses and Reddick were acquired via trade so they don’t count towards compensatory picks).

So here is my question: if you knew you weren’t going to sign Huff because of his contract demands, and you knew your team wasn’t going to win because of the injury to the quarterback, why wouldn’t you have traded Huff when you had the chance?

We can sit back and argue if the Jets knew they were out of it at the deadline, but if you couldn’t see that writing on the wall, then maybe you have no idea what your team is. Even if you snuck into the playoffs, you were never going to win without Rodgers, and if you were counting on him to be back by the playoffs and effective, then I have a bridge to sell you.

The Jets botched the Bryce Huff situation badly. They held on to him for no reason at the trade deadline. Then they let him walk despite a very reasonable contract for a player who does what he does and wound up with absolutely nothing for him. Had they traded him at the deadline, they are likely looking at (at least) an extra third round pick in the draft and a fresh look at Will McDonald IV in extended playing time.

They wound up with nothing but more free agents, older players, and question marks.