Continuing to round out their roster depth, the New York Jets reportedly re-signed restricted free agent tight end Kenny Yeboah to a one-year deal, according to Peter Schrager. Here is the impact of that signing.
The big, high-priced, high-impact additions in free agency are what everybody salivates over, hoping that their team will be the one to land one of the difference-makers on the open market. However, that is only part of the equation – albeit a big part – when it comes to roster building.
Every general manager wants options and competition within each position group throughout training camp, and bringing back Yeboah provides that for the Jets and does so with minimal financial commitment.
Yeboah was a restricted free agent (RFA). A RFA is a player with three accrued years of NFL experience. In short, if a RFA is tendered by his original team, that player can still negotiate with others, but the current team has the right to match any offer. However, if the original team chooses not to match the new offer, they then receive from the new team the draft compensation that is tied to the tender.
For example, in order for a new team to sign away a RFA with a second-round tender placed on him, they would have to not only pay the RFA but also give the original team a second-round draft pick as compensation as well.
With all of that said, tendering Yeboah with a first or second round or right of first refusal tender was never in play for the Jets. Those tenders come with predetermined contracts for the 2024 season of $6.82 million for a first-round tender, $4.89 million for a second-round tender, and $2.98 million for a right of first refusal tender—all more than what Yeboah likley ended up signing for.
On the flip side, if a player is non-tendered, they then become an unrestricted free agent and can sign wherever they please. With the Jets and Yeboah agreeing to a one-year deal before free agency officially began, they were able to avoid all of this.
A hamstring injury limited Yeboah to just 124 offensive snaps in 2023 and he has played 206 total snaps in his three NFL seasons. His primary role when on the field came as a run-blocker with 79 snaps in that capacity, according to PFF, where he has been able to hold his own. Yeboah also had two receptions on four targets for 28 yards.
The Jets recently released tight end CJ Uzomah and are left with Tyler Conklin and Jeremy Ruckert, both of whom will take the bulk of the tight end snaps in 2024 with how the tight end room is currently constructed. The Jets also have 2023 seventh-round pick Zack Kuntz, who played two offensive snaps as a rookie.
Yeboah will add needed depth at tight end behind Conklin and Ruckert, and has shown he can be called upon to handle blocking responsibilities when needed. The coaching staff also seems to be high on Yeboah’s upside potential. However, where his greatest impact will likely come this season is on special teams.
Throughout his career, Yeboah has played 438 special teams snaps, including 113 last season, while grading out as the sixth-best special teams player on the Jets by PFF’s metrics. Yeboah contributed to the special teams unit across four different phases.
The contract specifics for Yeboah’s one-year deal haven’t been announced, but this is likely near a league minimum deal, which in 2024 for fourth-year players is $1.1 million. There are likely not going to be any – or very little – guarantees as well, resulting in minimal salary cap impact.
With much larger needs elsewhere, the Jets may not addresses the tight end position again until Day 3 of the draft, or even afterwards, bringing in an undrafted free agent or two.
