As the New York Jets’ Breece Hall signs his rookie contract, it marks the end of another quiet chapter in East Rutherford. The Jets have managed to chug through this offseason with as few off the field stories as any team in the NFL this year. No big injuries, no arrests, no disgruntled players, and no hold outs. Aside from OL Coach John Benton’s DUI in March, Mekhi Becton’s potential weight, and a brief moment where all of twitter came to gather to make Zach Wilson cougar jokes, the narrative has been all positive for the Jets.
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The Contract
Hall is the Jets final of their seven draft picks to officially sign a rookie deal. Ever since the 2011 CBA was signed, contracts for draft picks are essentially predetermined. Draft slot determines the contract totals, with very little wiggle room. Hall was the 36th overall selection, so there was not much to be negotiated over. The deal totals a hair over $9 million in total, with just north of $7 million fully guaranteed. The former Iowa State Cyclone signed for four years, just like every other draft pick for the last 12 years. Hall will earn $4,441,196 in year one, with a cap hit of $1,639,049. His signing bonus is for slightly over $3.7 million.
*All contract info via OverTheCap.com
Why Now?
Many draft picks agree to their contracts quickly following the draft, but Hall finally signed on the eave of training camp. According to Rich Cimini of ESPN, there was an extended negotiation over guarantees. Essentially, the Jets didn’t want to fully guarantee the third year, which is their standard operating procedure. The Texans, however, conceded this to the 37th pick Jalen Pitre of Baylor. This gave Hall’s agent ground to stand on with the demand, and the Jets finally agreed to terms on July 19th. Hall is a key piece of the offensive influx meant to help QB Zach Wilson. The Jets prioritized building a support system for the second year QB, and now the dominant back out of the Big 12 is poised to lead their rushing attack. Hall is the highest drafted Jets RB since 1990, when they selected Blair Thomas 2nd overall.
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