The New York Jets have cut veteran guard Brian Winters which saves the team $7.28 million against the salary cap in 2020.
The New York Jets have cut veteran guard Brian Winters, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
A surprise release: Jets are cutting last season’s starting right guard Brian Winters, per source.
As a starting guard, Winters is not expected to be without a job very long.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 2, 2020
Although Schefter labels the move as a “surprise,” the only shocking aspect to the transaction deals with timing. Cutting the long-time Jet on Aug. 2 does not make much sense unless a veteran free agent is ready to come to town.
Other than that, there’s nothing surprising about the move whatsoever. The man’s salary well exceeded his production years prior.
Winters, 29, is originally a third-round pick of John Idzik’s Jets in 2013. That rookie season, he started 12 games for the Jets (and dressed for all 16). He moved from left guard to right in 2015 and remained a starter up front ever since.
The transaction frees up $7.28 million in cap space, per Over The Cap. Although there’s plenty of depth at offensive line, thanks to Joe Douglas’ rabid O-line search this past offseason, cutting the man in August does little for the Jets cap situation in the future.
Greg Van Roten now moves into prime position to start at right guard. Van Roten, the local boy, will have some competition behind him in the form of Cameron Clark, but on paper, it’s him and Alex Lewis who should surround center Connor McGovern.
Winters could muster just nine games in 2019 thanks to injury. He found himself placed on injured reserve after he re-dislocated his shoulder against the New York Giants in early November and ends his Jets career playing 89 games and starting 79.
