For some reason, the story of the Jets' cap situation for 2013 has gained momentum in recent days, fueling the perception that the team is headed for salary-cap hell. While it's true that the Jets are projected to be about $20 million over the cap in '13, it's important to understand the full scope of the situation.
They can get under the cap in a heartbeat. If they cut LB Bart Scott, OLB Calvin Pace and OT Jason Smith, they will clear nearly $28 million. Smith has an inflated cap number because of a $12 million roster bonus, which, of course, he never will see.
So these stories have been blown out of proportion. The problem with the Jets' cap is they have a lot of money tied up in only a few players. In fact, they have seven players with a combined cap total of about $80 million. That means about $45 million for the other 46 players.
Here are the Jets' big seven, all of whom are expected to be back in 2013:
LB David Harris -- $13 million
QB Mark Sanchez -- $12.9 million
WR Santonio Holmes -- $12.5 million
CB Antonio Cromartie -- $10.8 million
LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson -- $10.7 million
C Nick Mangold -- $9.1 million
CB Darrelle Revis -- $9 million