3 Jets Who Could Be on Chopping Block Despite Making 53-Man Roster

The dust has settled across the NFL, as 32 teams have not only trimmed their roster to 53 players, but also have signed the standard 16 to the practice squad.

For the New York Jets, though, they are not done trying to make their roster better. The organization has plenty of holes to address and several key areas to improve on heading into the regular season. That means some players who actually made the team on Sunday could still be on the chopping block.

And when it comes to three players in particular, their futures may not be safe as originally thought.

Braiden McGregor

The biggest surprise for the Jets when they first named their 53-man roster was the retainment of former UDFA Braiden McGregor. The edge rusher struggled throughout training camp and didn't have any splash plays compared to other rushers on the team.

So why is he still here?

The Jets may believe in McGregor more than fans and analysts have seen. They want to have a deep rotation of pass rushers, and with Joseph Ossai week-to-week with his injury, they would like to see four edge rushers compete together throughout Week 1.

That said, there are plenty of edge rushers that were better than McGregor on the Jets practice squad, let along the 53-man roster. It would not surprise me one bit if the team opted to to release him before the start of the season and bring in someone who produced during the preseason.

Tim Patrick

If you are a bottom-of-the-roster receiver, you need to be able to do two things: 1. Block or 2. Perform on special teams.

Can Tim Patrick do either?

The 32-year-old wideout is tall enough to be a nice piece in the red zone at 6'5", but there isn't much else he showed throughout training camp. He will also be behind the likes of Omar Cooper Jr., AD Mitchell, Garrett Wilson, and Isaiah Williams in the offensive gameplan.

While Arian Smith does bring positivity as a gunner on special teams, the same cannot be said for Patrick. It wouldn't surprise me if the Jets move off him simply to find someone who fits a role that would put him on the field earlier than the veteran wide receiver.

Andrew Beck

It seemed that Beck was a player barely on the 53-man roster in most prediction breakdowns. The fullback position is rare to see in the modern NFL, but with the Jets trying to focus as a run-first team, it makes sense for them to carry one.

That said, things change quickly in the NFL. If the Jets are found to be more prolific in the passing game earlier than thought, they would need to pivot their offensive strategy. At that point, it would not make sense to carry a fullback compared to an extra pass rusher or offensive linemen.

While Beck is well liked in the locker room, I could foresee a situation where New York moves on for a position of higher value moving forward.

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