3. Bryce's price: The Jets have 18 players eligible for free agency, and another four whose contracts will void -- none more important than defensive end Bryce Huff (career-high eight sacks). A possible clue on his free-agent thoughts: He wants to be a full-time player, not just a pass-rushing specialist.
"I definitely want to be able find a scheme that sees me as an every-down player," he told ESPN. "It gives me the opportunity to show that I can be a top-tier edge in this league in the run and in the pass. So that's definitely something I'm going to be looking for."
Huff added, "I know a lot of the narrative has been, 'Oh, Bryce, he can't stop the run.'" But he believes he was a "legitimate run stopper" in college and has the potential to be the same on the NFL level.
The Jets have expanded Huff's role, giving him 141 snaps on first down (up from 22 snaps last season), but they're married to a rotational system that limits playing time. Statistically, the run defense suffers with Huff in the lineup -- 5.3 yards per rush when he's on the field, 3.6 yards when he's not, per Next Gen Stats. That's the largest differential among their defensive linemen. But because of his pass-rushing ability -- a highly coveted trait -- he will score a big pay day, perhaps somewhere in the $13 million to $15 million range per year.
Huff said he'd like to re-sign with the Jets, but added, "I feel like I still need to go wherever's best for me personally, just because of how much work I put in. I feel like I owe it to myself to really reach my full potential as far as playing time and really reaching for (statistical) goals."
It'll be a fascinating negotiation, especially since the Jets already have Jermaine Johnson, John Franklin-Myers and Will McDonald under contract at defensive end.
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