Sauce Gardner of the New York Jets is now a very rich young man. The cornerback was entering the final season, not counting the team's option year, of his rookie deal, but he no longer has to worry about his future or the future of his family. Gardner reportedly agreed to a four-year extension with the Jets that will pay him $120.4 million, half of which is guaranteed.
That is great for the Jets, but what about the Seattle Seahawks and Devon Witherspoon? While Seattle general manager John Schneider does not have to worry about working out an extension with Witherspoon for another year, the cornerback now has a financial floor to strive for.
Witherspoon and Gardner are slightly different corners, though both are elite. The Jets' cornerback is more of a pure outside corner, so the yards he allows per catch are going to be higher than Witherspoon's, as the Seahawks' corner lines up more in the slot.
Seahawks know their floor for extending Devon Witherspoon after Jets and Sauce Gardner deal
That should also mean Gardner has more interceptions and passes broken up, and he does, but only slightly. Gardner has three interceptions in three years, but only one in the last two seasons combined. Witherspoon has one in his two years, though he returned that for a 97-yard touchdown pass against the New York Giants in his third game as a professional.
Witherspoon also offers a bit more versatility than Gardner, as Seattle uses their cornerback much more on blitzes and attempts to disrupt the timing of opposing quarterbacks. In three seasons, Gardner has blitzed 11 times, while in two years, Witherspoon has blitzed 53 times.
And Witherspoon doesn't always have to get home to cause havoc for an opposing offense. In Week 13 of last season against the Arizona Cardinals, Witherspoon correctly read that quarterback Kyler Murray was going to roll out and throw a pass. The cornerback quickly reacted to what Murray was trying to do, ran towards the quarterback, and forced him to throw an interception.
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This isn't really an argument about who is better between Sauce Gardner and Devon Witherspoon. Each is great. But if one happens to be Witherspoon's agent, one has to look at Gardner's new deal and ask the Seahawks for the same kind of money for their client.
Both Witherspoon and Gardner are extremely important pieces to their defenses, and the defenses would not be as good without them. Witherspoon's presence allows head coach Mike Macdonald to disguise his defenses better, and that helps with efficiency.
The truth, as John Schneider knows, is that Devon Witherspoon is going to be expensive, but just as the Jets did with Sauce Gardner, the Seahawks need to extend Witherspoon next offseason. If that means for four years and $120 million, so be it.