Jun. 20: Details are in on Crowder’s pay cut. As Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets, Crowder did indeed agree to reduce his 2021 pay to $5MM, $4.5MM of which is guaranteed (his original $10MM salary was completely non-guaranteed). He can still earn $500K in per-game roster bonuses.
As a result, Crowder’s cap charge for 2021 will drop from $11.375MM to $6.35MM.
Jun. 14: The Jets and Jamison Crowder have worked out a new contract (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Initially set to make $10MM in 2021, Crowder will now see a “significant” cut, according to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano (on Twitter). The exact terms of the deal are not yet known, but the Jets were reportedly pushing a 50% reduction. 
Reading between the lines, it sounds like Crowder was going to be released if he didn’t agree to the trim. Crowder had just $1MM guaranteed this year — releasing him would have saved the Jets $10.375MM.
Crowder, soon to be 28, probably couldn’t have topped $5MM on the open market. At least, not at this stage of the offseason, when most of the available dollars have been spent. Meanwhile, the Jets are growing increasingly confident in their other options. Second-round slot receiver Elijah Moore has drawn rave reviews in practice — ditto for ex-Patriots speedster Braxton Berrios. One or both of those players could have supplanted Crowder as a top option to go with Corey Davis and Keelan Cole.
Now, the Jets have more money to spend, which could enable them to sign free agent tackle Morgan Moses. If that happens, they’ll have Moses to start at right tackle opposite of Mekhi Becton.
Good move and I’m glad Jamison Crowder agreed.
“Now, the Jets have more money to spend, which could enable them to sign free agent tackle Morgan Moses”.
I doubt many FAs want to rush to a team that asks players to take a 50% pay cut when there is no cap pressure. Moses can probably holdout and sign with a competitive team rather than joining another team that is a train wreck.
Apparently $5M is what he is worth, and both the player and the team agreed. I don’t think it’s a sign of good management to grossly overpay a player just because there’s cap space. That cap space can go to better use.
I don’t really get it. Don’t they have a decent amount of cap space left? Or am I mistaken? I thought they started the offseason off with a good amount of cap space, I know they signed a few players but I doubt they spent most of their cap so I’m not sure how making him take a pay cut makes a bigger impact. Again, I could be mistaken and maybe they did need them money. Just seems odd to risk cutting a guy they need with a rookie QB. A veteran WR could really help Wilson, not saying he’s a great WR but he’s been I. The league, he’s not bad and I think Wilson could lean on him a bit so risking losing the guy over 5 million just seems stupid to me. This teams always making dumb moves then wonder why big free agents have stayed away even when they’ve have a ton of cap to throw around.
Agreed. I read somewhere that they still had $27 million in caps pace before they as Crowder to take the cut.
Jamison should hire a new agent.
He should’ve held firm, and if they cut him, they cut him. It doesn’t matter that he’s not going to get 10m anywhere else. The writing is on the wall in NY. He probably took a paycut to see less opportunities, and lose a bunch of games. Someone should’ve said to him if you’re going to take less money, go play for a winner or somewhere you can build value for next offseason.
Not so simple to do. He could be a mentor to the second rounder and prove his worth for the following season. $5M is better than taking minimum.
I think the argument is, that he probably won’t have the opportunities to prove himself with this team. So if he gets $5 million this season and has to settle for the minimum best year, would it be better than taking the minimum on a team this season that will give him more opportunities and a better deal in 2022? Big risk but I think I’d take my chances elsewhere
He weighed it over with his agent and made then best decision he felt. Not like you guys in the comments section here know something him or his agent don’t
exactly.. most people are so clueless!
Shows how vulnerable a non guaranteed contract is