Jets Making Calls About Potential Sheldon Richardson Trade

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Jets have been making calls regarding a potential trade of DL Sheldon Richardson.

• Rapoport says that this was their plan all along, but they still won’t just give Richardson in a trade.
• Rich Cimini confirms that New York is, in fact, attempting to trade Richardson if the right deal surfaces.

Recent reports have said that the Jets may have to take a fourth-round pick for Richardson, due to the obvious concerns regarding his on and off-the-field behavior to go along with two suspensions.

If they don’t like the trade offers they’re getting for Richardson, the Jets could hold on to him for one more year and possibly recoup a 2019 third-round compensatory pick, depending on the contract he signs as a free agent next year.

Richardson, 26, is a former first-round pick of the Jets back in 2013. He played out his the final year of his four-year, $10.054 million rookie contract but the Jets elected to pick up his fifth-year option last year, which means he’s under team control through the 2017 season and will make a bases salary of $8.069 million.

According to OverTheCap.com, trading Richardson would free up $8,069,000 of available cap space while creating no dead money.

In 2016, In 2016, Richardson appeared in 15 games for the Jets and recorded 62 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, two recoveries and two pass defenses. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 31 edge defender out of 109 qualifying players.

We’ll have more regarding a potential Richardson trade as the news is available.