The New York Jets have kept Muhammad Wilkerson locked in a kind of contractual limbo for two seasons now. Wilkerson, the team's first-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, first made his desire for a new contract known in 2014, the final season of his rookie deal. The Jets though, elected not to meet Wilkerson's demands and when 2014 came to a close, exercised the fifth-year option on his deal, keeping the versatile defender as one of two anchors on the interior of their defense for 2015.
And while the Jets now remain silent on Wilkerson's future, a new report suggests the former Temple Owl is making it known, both to the Jets' decision-makers and other teams across the NFL, that he desperately wants to be traded.
Per the report, Wilkerson and his reps have been "pushing every button" in an attempt to find a feasible trade escape from New York. Wilkerson has even been using his social media accounts to update his return from a leg injury - a clear attempt at selling himself to the league's 31 other franchises.
The Jets, who were said to be shopping Wilkerson at Pro Days as they prepped for the 2016 NFL Draft, would "love" to receive a first-round pick in exchange for Wilkerson, but considering no one's been willing to pony up that kind of dough, even for a guy who collected 64 tackles, 12 sacks and 2 forced fumbles last year, it's unlikely he'll fetch the Jets that kind of return.
Really, it's interesting that no one is willing to offer Jets GM Mike Maccagnan that kind of package - Wilkerson has proven durable and extremely effective during his five-year career. What could be scaring teams off, and what seems to be pushing the Jets to avoid doing a long-term deal with Wilkerson, are his contract demands.
Per the report, Wilkerson's camp wants $40 million-plus in guarantees on his next deal. That's a hefty chunk of change, but Wilkerson seems worth it considering his versatility and the fact that a guy like Gerald McCoy ($51.5 million guaranteed) is both two years older than Wilkerson and posted half a sack and over one hundred tackles fewer than his Jets counterpart in six NFL seasons (terrible Tampa Bay defense or no).
Really, the Jets' thinking here seems flawed. They've made it known, as the report suggests, that they don't value Wilkerson in the same manner as they value Sheldon Richardson. It makes sense considering Richardson's ceiling is probably higher than Wilkerson's, but if you're not willing to pay a player top dollar because you don't think he's good enough, how can you expect another team to pay top dollar and offer draft compensation for that same player?
