Five Surprise Cuts the Jets Could Make Before the Season

With OTAs officially underway, Robert Saleh said on Thursday that the Jets had over 80 players report to the facilities. With the final roster sitting at 53 players, and knowing that general manager Joe Douglas will likely bring in a few more guys in the coming months, it’s not too hard to do the math.

A lot of the guys at One Jets Drive today won’t be there in a few months’ time. 

There are going to be waves of cuts, and Thursday starts the process for each of the 80-plus Jets who reported to show why they shouldn’t be one of them. Of course, there is bound to be a small surprise or two. Jachai Polite, Dee Milliner and Stephen Hill are some recent training camp cuts that have raised heads in New York.

Here are five players that could be surprise omissions from the 53-man roster come August 31.

Jamison Crowder

Crowder was New York’s best receiver last year, and probably its best offensive player in general. He is the perfect safety valve over the middle that can function as a rookie quarterback’s best friend. And he’s only 27 years old. 

So how could he not be a roster lock for the opening game of the season?

Well, Crowder is an $11 million cap hit for the 2021 season and the Jets could save $10 million of that by cutting him after June 1. Recouping that money could put New York in a position to add an impact player in the secondary, or to rollover that money into the 2022 offseason, where the Jets would likely be losing Crowder to free agency anyway. With Elijah Moore now ready to operate in the slot role, Douglas might just feel comfortable releasing his leading receiver from a year ago. 

La’Mical Perine

The Jets drafted Perine in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, but a heavy dose of Frank Gore out of the backfield prevented him from getting a chance to shine. Now, the former Florida Gator will have to compete for a backup spot, as Tevin Coleman will likely split carries with Michael Carter, the rookie out of North Carolina. 

Grabbing hold of that third spot at running back is far from a guarantee, though, even for a second-year player. Ty Johnson showed flashes down the stretch last year, and the Jets paid Josh Adams in the offseason, so both of those guys will have a chance to bump Perine off the 53-man roster.

Greg Van Roten

As soon as Douglas turned in the draft card for Alijah Vera-Tucker, the right guard position became the last open spot on the line. For a while, it looked like Van Roten would be the favorite to win the job, since he was a starter on the right side a year ago. It could be Alex Lewis, though, that ends up snagging the spot. 

Lewis finished last season with a higher PFF grade, has seen time on both sides of the line in his two years with the Jets, and perhaps most importantly, reworked his contract on Thursday morning to take a pay cut for the 2021 season.

Cutting Lewis isn’t necessarily the better financial decision anymore, which could make this a true competition. Don’t count out Cam Clark either, who missed last season with a knee injury, but was a player the Jets had high hopes for when they drafted him in 2020. If he wins the job, Van Roten will also likely be shown the door and will give the Jets an extra $3 million to work with.

Blake Cashman

Cashman looked like a steal when the Jets snagged him in the fifth round back in 2019, and he looked promising after injuries to Avery Williamson and C.J. Mosley allowed him to see the field in his rookie year. Right now, several writers project him to regain a starting linebacker spot this year, but there are a few reasons why he might be just as likely to be a training camp casualty.

First, he’s a Mike Maccagnan draft pick on a roster that has increasingly moved away from those players in favor of Douglas’s handpicked guys. Add a new head coach and defensive coordinator to the mix, whose scheme is predicated on finding rangy linebackers who can excel in coverage, like Jamien Sherwood and Hamsah Nasirildeen, a pair of 2021 Day Three picks. 

Finally, Cashman hasn’t shown the ability to stay on the field. He’s played just 11 games in two years, and if he misses more time in the preseason, Douglas might think the best move is to cut bait and pocket the extra $800k.

Chris Herndon

This would easily be the biggest surprise of the guys on this list, as Herndon looks all but penciled in for a starting spot. Still, he’s had his share of struggles. On the field, he suffered from a case of the drops last year and failed to reach the high expectations he set for himself as a rookie. Off the field, he’s dealt with injury concerns, and has missed four games due to the league’s substance abuse policy.

New York could save $2M by cutting Herndon, who is set to be a free agent next year, but it would certainly be a risky move. The rise of Kenny Yeboah—an undrafted free agent who the Jets signed after reportedly having a high grade on him in the pre-draft process—would have to reassure offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur that the receiving-tight end spot would be in good hands in order to justify cutting Herndon. 

MORE:

• Zach Wilson Is Impressing Jets' Coaching Staff Both On and Off Field During OTAs
• Robert Saleh Addresses Possibility of Jets Signing Veteran Cornerback
• Three Trade Proposals For Jets to Acquire Julio Jones

Follow Max Schneider on Twitter (@Max_Schneider15). Be sure to bookmark Jets Country and check back daily for news, analysis and more.