Drafting Quinton Coples contributed one Jets defensive lineman his job and it’s forced another into restructuring his deal to stay in New York.
Jenny Vrentas of the Newark Star-Ledger reports that defensive end Mike DeVito, who started 11 games for the team last season, has adjusted his contract to help the Jets save some money under the cap this season. DeVito was entering the final year of a deal he signed in 2009 that was set to pay him a base salary of $2.26 million. He’s cut that salary to a fully guaranteed $700,000 for the coming season.
DeVito will get $950,000 of that cut back as a signing bonus. He has also already received a $500,000 roster bonus from the team and will still get a $350,000 workout bonus as well. That means he’s set to make $2.5 million this year, which means he’s only winding up with a pay cut in the neighborhood of $600,000 while holding onto incentives that could earn him another $750,000 this season.
That’s a lot of numbers, but the key takeaway is that the Jets save some money under the cap and DeVito pretty much assures that he’ll stay in New York this season. With Coples and last year’s first rounder Muhammad Wilkerson on the team, DeVito doesn’t figure to be a starter again this season. He’s been a mainstay in the team’s defensive line rotation, though, and should still see a fair amount of playing time.
As for what the Jets might do with the cap savings, it’s anybody’s guess at this point. They could be trying to add more veteran free agents, there’s reportedly interest in a reunion with Drew Coleman, or the team could be marshaling resources for a new contract for Darrelle Revis.