- Jenny Vrentas
The window for teams to apply the franchise tag to their own free agents begins today. Nose tackle Sione Pouha, the Jets’ top free agent, is not expected to be tagged, per a person with knowledge of the team’s plans.
The Jets are tight on salary cap space — they are about even with the cap as of today, ESPN reported — so tagging Pouha may not make sense from a financial standpoint. Working on a multi-year deal before free agency opens on March 13 makes more sense, though Pouha’s age, 33, could be a factor in the length of the deal.
This is a VERY tricky situation. Pouha is arguably our best defensive lineman and heart and soul of the defense. Underrated player but well respected veteran at the same time. That being said, age 33 is around the time when lineman deteriorate.
Maybe a 3-4 year deal is what’s best for the Jets. But it may not be what Pouha wants. At the same time, a franchise tag is absolutely stupid. Given that the Jets have ZERO dollars in cap space, we can’t afford to pay Pouha the average of Top 5 defensive line salaries.
Hopefully negotiations get going soon and when it’s all said and done, Pouha is lining up for us for the next 3 years and doing his job as one of the best nose tackles in the game. #InTannyWeTrust
