The New York Jets want to keep veteran slot weapon Jamison Crowder on the roster, but only at a reduced price.
New York Jets wide receiver Jamison Crowder was absent throughout the team’s voluntary OTAs as he worked on contract matters with the team, which was confirmed by Robert Saleh.
No specifics were given regarding the matters of the discussions, but considering that Crowder is due a base salary of $10 million this season and the Jets just drafted his likely replacement with the 34th overall pick (Elijah Moore), it could be assumed that the talks were regarding a salary reduction.
Now, we have some details on the discussions that have been had, via ESPN’s Rich Cimini:
“Crowder’s future is uncertain. The Jets want him back, according to coach Robert Saleh, but they’re trying to get him to take at least a 50% pay cut on his $10 million salary (non-guaranteed).”
Crowder is due to have a cap hit of $11.4 million this season, which would currently rank 16th-highest among wide receivers. This is the final year of the three-year pact that he inked with New York in March 2018.
Set to enter his seventh NFL season, Crowder will turn 28 in June. He missed four games in the 2020 season – two with a hamstring injury and two with a groin injury – but when healthy, he averaged career-highs of 58.3 receiving yards per game and 0.5 receiving touchdowns per game. He also added a 14-yard rushing first down and a 43-yard passing touchdown to his line.
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Crowder’s presence had a big impact on the Jets’ offensive output last year. With him in the lineup, they averaged 17.0 points per game, but without him, they averaged 9.8 points.
While Crowder’s overall numbers with the Jets have not been staggering, he has been one of the league’s most productive receivers out of the slot. He averaged 39.9 receiving yards per game from a slot alignment in 2020, which ranked sixth among wide receivers.
The Jets will begin their mandatory minicamp this week. Robert Saleh says he believes that Crowder will be there.
