Bryce Huff had the Patriots on his mind when he was approached at his locker Thursday afternoon. The 25-year-old edge rusher has one game left to add something to the 2023 season and give the Jets their seventh win.
But he took some time to talk about what's to come. The next few months are likely to be the most exciting of Hough's young life. Whether the Jets pony up or another team acquires him, he's about to make some life-changing money as an NFL free agent. Four years ago, Huff went undrafted and was taken by no team.
Now he will be paid a salary.
How much will be one of the major storylines of the Jets' offseason. Huff is an attractive player when you evaluate him. It's hard to find players who can compare to him.
Meanwhile, Huff ranks second in the NFL in pass rush efficiency among players with 250 pass rush snaps, according to Next Gen Stats. Only Micah Parsons of the Cowboys is better. Pro Football Focus rates him as the 14th best pass rusher in the NFL. Those in the analytics industry love Huff because of his lightning-fast first step.
Huff, on the other hand, plays just 42% of the defensive snaps. He has just eight sacks this season, fewer than 33 other players. PFF rates him 103rd among edge rushers against the run.
All of this will lead to what could be a long and difficult negotiation between the Jets and Huff. Huff said he believes his case is amenable to long-term contracts.
“I don't think that's going to be an issue,” Huff said Thursday. “I feel like my film speaks for itself. I've done really well against some of the great players in the league. I've had a lot of good stuff on film. I'm especially worried about negotiations. I feel like I have a lot of bullets, so to speak, when it comes to proving myself.”
Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich on Thursday called Huff the team's “breaking ball” and said he provides speed off the edge to complement the big players the Jets use on early downs. The Jets love to rotate defensive linemen, and reduced playing time could hurt Huff at the negotiating table.
“From a statistical standpoint, it feels like that's the case.” [hurt] It's because I'm playing less,” Huff said of the decrease in playing time. “I feel like when people try to say I'm not a player just because I don't play a lot of snaps, it doesn't carry any weight. I don't think it affects me. ”
At the top of the edge rusher market is Nick Bosa, who earns an average annual salary of $34 million with the 49ers. Huff isn't going anywhere near that, but how far down Huff is will be a hot topic of debate between Huff's agent and the Jets.
Could he earn $20 million a year? 15 million dollars? Ten million dollars? How you view Huff's contribution is up to you.
Interestingly, Huff's agent, Patrick Collins, negotiated a four-year, $52 million, $35.3 million guaranteed contract with Saints edge rusher Karl Granderson in September. The Jets could use that contract as a starting point.
Like Huff, Granderson was undrafted and blossomed as a pass rusher in New Orleans. Granderson is 27 years old. Hough will turn 26 in April. Granderson has 8.5 sacks this season. Hough has eight. Their numbers are similar, but Granderson plays 80 percent of the Saints' snaps.
The Jets also need to consider whether it's wise to pay Huff after using first-round picks on edge rushers the past two years on Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald, respectively. . McDonald didn't play much this rookie season as the rotation of edge rushers was very deep. Huff's departure could free up playing time for McDonald.
However, allowing a talented edge rusher to leave is a risky proposition and one that will likely be met with a lot of criticism from fans. If Huff, a fan favorite, were to leave, the Jets would lose the public relations battle.
That would be unpopular with the coaches as well.
“I absolutely hate to lose him,” Ulbrich said. “But…he earned every penny he was going to make.”
Huff said he wants to come back to play with his teammates, but he knows it's not an emotional decision.
“I hope you get the bag, no matter what,” Huff said. “I want to go to the best situation possible for me, whether it’s here or somewhere else.”
Sunday will mark Huff's 54th time in a Jets uniform. Once the games are over, the question becomes whether there will be a 55th.
