If the New York Giants are going to make any major free agent acquisitions, it appears that they should focus on relatively young, rising players who can cover gaps in their roster.
Bryce Huff of the crosstown New York Jets, who is entering his 26th season and coming off a career-high 10.0 sack season, appears to be one such guy. And adding pass rush is a Giant need we’ve mentioned since last summer, compounded by Azeez Ojulari’s second consecutive injury-plagued season and Leonard Williams’ midseason trade to the Seattle Seahawks.
Despite blitzing the second-most of any NFL team in 2023 under former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, the Giants finished in the lower half of the league in pressure %. Clearly, they require more players who can win one-on-one matchups and disrupt opposing quarterbacks.
Huff can do it.
In 2023, Micah Parsons, the Dallas Cowboys’ standout edge defender, was the only edge defender that outperformed Huff in terms of success per rush. According to Pro Football Focus, Huff had a 22.9% pass rush victory percentage, second only to Parsons’ 24.9%. Huff’s pressure rate of 12.2% came in second to Parsons’ 12.4% pressure rate.
In 2022, Huff led all edge defenders in pass rush win % (25.6). His 12.2% pressure rate was second to Josh Uche of the Philadelphia Eagles, who had a 12.8% pressure rate.
Huff is the No. 18 free agent, according to Pro Football Focus, and he is expected to get a three-year, $50 million contract ($16.67 per year), with $35 million guaranteed.
PFF says:
Huff set out to establish that his amazing pass-rushing efficiency in 2022 was not an aberration, and he achieved just that in 2023, with another insanely high pass-rush win rate. Still, there’s a reason the team that nurtured the former undrafted free agent and watched him every day didn’t want to use him against the run and hasn’t made much of an effort to extend his contract. This will be a complex negotiation for a specific pass-rusher type. Fortunately, that is the most rewarding aspect of being an edge defender. Huff’s current teammate Carl Lawson, as well as former Baltimore Raven and Chicago Bears pass rush specialist Pernell McPhee, come to mind as comparable players.
Spotrac forecasts a somewhat lower market value for Huff over four years, at $36.856 million ($9.2 million per year).
Why would the Jets allow such a young impact player get away? Especially one who has such a wonderful story for them, going undrafted out of Memphis, signing with the Jets as an undrafted free agent, and working his way up to become one of the league’s finest pass rushers?
The Jets are facing a severe salary cap issue. As of this writing, Over The Cap shows the Jets with only $1.667 million in cap space. As good as he is at pressing quarterbacks, Huff has traditionally played a restricted pass-rush only role. The Jets have edge rusher Will McDonald IV, the No. 15 overall.
Spotrac predicts a somewhat lower market value for Huff over four years, at $36.856 million ($9.2 million annually).
Why would the Jets let such a young impact player walk away? Especially one who has such a great story to tell, going undrafted out of Memphis, signing with the Jets as an undrafted free agent, and rising through the ranks to become one of the league’s best pass rushers?
The Jets are dealing with a major salary cap dilemma. As of this writing, Over The Cap shows the Jets having just $1.667 million in cap space. As adept as he is at pressuring quarterbacks, Huff has generally been limited to a pass-rushing job. The Jets feature edge rusher Will McDonald IV, who is ranked 15th overall.
Huff played only 42% of defensive snaps last season, with no starts, and his potential replacement, Will McDonald IV, is already on the roster as a 2023 first-round pick. With one of the highest-paid defenses and owner Woody Johnson demanding significant improvement from the offense, can the Jets afford to keep Huff? Or can they afford to let him go elsewhere?
“I would absolutely hate to lose him,” defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. “But he’s a guy who has earned every penny that he’s about to make.”
His value is tough to estimate due to his unique career trajectory and tiny role, but one potential comparison is Carl Granderson, who signed a four-year, $52 million agreement ($22 million fully guaranteed) with the New Orleans Saints in September. Huff’s first four seasons also compare favorably to Carl Lawson, who signed a three-year, $45 million contract ($30 million fully guaranteed) with the Jets in 2021.
Huff is a poor run defender. In four seasons with the Jets, he only rated above the 40s once for an entire season: a 64.9 run defense grade in just 16 run defensive snaps in 2022. The Jets have certainly sought to avoid having Huff on the field in obvious running situations. Huff played 134 run defensive snaps in 2023, a career high.
Shane Bowen, the new defensive coordinator, led Tennessee’s defenses to be among the top in the conference in terms of run defense the previous two seasons. Could you suggest that Huff may not be the best fit for Bowen?
Perhaps, but the pass rush’s influence is apparent.
If the Jets let Huff hit the open market, should the Giants
