If you’re a diehard New York Jets fan, you may know more about Al Blades Jr. (the first Jets cut) than many other fans know about their starting offensive linemen. In our desperation for real football, 9o-man rosters and training camp or preseason heroes take center stage. Jets X-Factor even ranks all 90 players on the roster.
Given that scrutiny, when it comes time for cutdowns, it’s easy to fall into a common trap. Fans fall so in love with these champions that they assume a chunk of other teams are, too. Thinking a player won’t make it through to the practice squad because of their attributes, pedigree, etc. is demonstrably false more often than not.
A perfect case in point is Zack Kuntz. Many Jets fans kept Kuntz on their 53-man roster projections because of his perfect RAS. They were sure another team would claim him. Guess what? There is a reason Kuntz was a seventh-round pick despite that athletic score. As Jets fans have seen clearly this preseason, he is not a rosterable player.
Trey Dean was another one last season. The UDFA safety flashed in his preseason performances. Jets fans assumed another team would claim him. They didn’t.
It’s not that teams never get this calculus wrong. The Jets released Jason Pinnock during the final cuts in 2022, likely hoping to sneak him to the practice squad (although we’ll never know for certain). The Giants snapped him up and got themselves at least an adequate starting safety. Overall, in 2022, seven of the Jets’ roster cuts were claimed by other teams, but none of the others were notable.
In 2023, the Cardinals claimed offensive lineman Trystan Colon and the Panthers took linebacker Claudin Cherelus. While Colon was a nice backup, it didn’t seem like the Jets were too devastated to let him go. Cherelus wasn’t even on the bubble for the roster.
More often than not, fringe roster candidates remain fringe roster candidates. Other teams have their own iterations of such players. Yes, some teams have holes they desperately need to fill, but the Jets’ 56th man likely isn’t filling them.
Therefore, it’s unwise to so quickly assume that players like Jason Brownlee, Eric Watts, or even Israel Abanikanda wouldn’t make it through waivers. Brownlee and Abanikanda showed nothing on the field in 2023, and Brownlee and Watts haven’t done much in the preseason this year. Yes, Abanikanda had some nice moments in the preseason, but teams cast a wary eye on a draft pick whose team gave up on them after one season.
Even Braiden McGregor and Leonard Taylor have a good chance of making it through. Both were UDFAs for a reason. Yes, McGregor got $220,000 in guarantees, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be claimed. Both players performed well in the preseason, but other teams likely have their preseason stars, as well. The Jets may keep both to avoid exposing them to waivers. Still, it’s precautionary more than anything else.
You can argue that Xavier Newman belongs in this bucket, as well. After a subpar performance with the Jets in 2023, there’s no reason for teams to see him as anything other than a practice squad candidate. I believe he will make the roster because the Jets desperately need another backup interior offensive lineman, but perhaps they think Max Mitchell can fill that void (erroneously, in my opinion).
A player like Brandon Codrington could be claimed for his return abilities, but even he is more likely than not to clear waivers. Maybe someone will claim him, but I don’t think the Jets will keep him on their roster to avoid that. If they can get him through to the practice squad, great. If not, so be it; they’ll roll with Xavier Gipson, Malachi Corley, and Isaiah Davis. (Perhaps I’ll sit here tomorrow and eat crow.)
The overarching point is this: don’t assume other teams like the Jets’ players as much as Jets fans do. Roster bubble players with some upside exist all over the league. They usually end up on someone’s practice squad.
