New York Jets cut Brian Winters, freeing up even more salary cap space
In an expected move, the New York Jets cut guard Brian Winters on Sunday afternoon. The move is the latest in a series of transactions this offseason by general manager Joe Douglas that have reshaped the offensive line.
Winters turned into a very solid guard for the Jets. A third round pick taken by then-general manager John Idzik in the 2013 NFL Draft, Winters rose from being an under-the-radar offensive lineman at Kent State to a steady and dependable interior lineman in the NFL.
He played nine games in the 2019 season before being placed on injured reserve with a dislocated shoulder. As such, he played much of the season with that injury.
With the release of Winters, the Jets will now have a completely different starting offensive line than they did Week 1 in 2019, a 17-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
In his seven seasons with the Jets, he had 89 appearances and 79 starts. He was a physical, throwback offensive lineman who was gritty and played through pain frequently.
This offseason, the Jets went heavy on the offensive line, completing a revamp of a unit that had been neglected the past five years. In addition to first-round pick Mekhi Becton, an offensive tackle out of Louisville, the Jets signed center Connor McGovern, guard Greg Van Roten as well as offensive tackle George Fant in free agency. In addition, the Jets signed veteran backup guard Josh Andrews and took interior offensive lineman Cameron Clark in the fourth round of the draft.
The Jets also re-signed guard Alex Lewis, brought in late during the 2019 preseason by Douglas in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens. Lewis was very solid for the Jets throughout last season.
Winters, coming off an injury and with increased competition in the interior of a revamped line, was always likely to be a training camp casualty.
If he had made the Jets roster, Winters was to be a $7.28 million cap hit, though there is no dead money against the salary cap with his release.
