The Jets stand a realistic chance of losing three starters to the Houston Texans in Monday’s NFL expansion draft, a possibility that could leave their roster significantly weakened, though their salary-cap situation greatly relieved.
Neither Texans’ GM Charley Casserly nor coach Dom Capers would comment yesterday on specific players they’re likely to draft, but two NFL sources familiar with the goings on all-but guaranteed that Jets’ starting cornerback Aaron Glenn “is definitely going” to Houston.
In fact, the sources said it’s highly likely the Texans will complete Monday’s draft with Glenn, CB Marcus Coleman and right tackle Ryan Young.
Glenn, Coleman and Young are among the estimated 15 to 20 players Casserly said the Texans have flown to Houston for physicals. “Clearly, the players we had in for physicals we’re interested in, otherwise we would not have brought them in,” Casserly said yesterday.
Casserly, too, said that “the toughest positions to fill on a team are cornerback, offensive line – specifically tackles, defensive line and quarterback.”
Glenn, who’s been a seven-year starter since being chosen in the first round of the 1994 draft, is said by one source to have already been approached by the Texans about signing a renegotiated three-year contract.
Scheduled to count $8,013,177 against the 2002 salary cap, Glenn is in the final year of his contract. The Texans, though, are allowed to renegotiate with the players they draft from the list.
The Jets are currently $19.4 million over the salary cap and losing Glenn to Houston would relieve them of that $8 million-plus cap hit.
Glenn was not available for comment, though friends of his say he knows he’s played his last game as a Jet.
Coleman, who counts $5,480,750 against the 2002 cap, has three years remaining on his contract. Young, a curious addition to the exposed list, is due to count only $563,000 against the cap. He’s a restricted free agent.
DT Shane Burton ($1,166,666) and S Chris Hayes ($680,000), the other two Jets exposed, are not expected to be drafted.
If a player is drafted, the Jets will be permitted to pull two players off the list, though it’s unclear whether they’ll pull any back.
