With the Jets wrapping up their preseason schedule by downing the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s time to take a look at who will survive roster cut down day.
The Jets have had many players battling for a spot throughout the preseason. Some have done everything in their power to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, while others have underwhelmed. Regardless, Joe Douglas, Adam Gase and company have some tough decisions to make.
Here, Jets Wire will take a stab at predicting what Gang Green’s active roster will look like when the Jets host the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. Here is the final version of our roster prediction series.
Quarterback (2)
Starter: Sam Darnold
Backup: Trevor Siemian
Notable Cuts: Luke Falk, Davis Webb
The battle for the No. 3 spot on the quarterback depth chart raged on in Week 4 of the preseason, as Luke Falk opened up a sizeable lead over Davis Webb.
Unfortunately for Falk, the Jets will not carry three quarterbacks in the regular season. With Sam Darnold and Trevor Siemian entrenched as the starter and backup, respectively, Falk will likely be relegated to the practice squad. Webb, meanwhile, will likely be shown the door.
Running Back (4)
Starter: Le’Veon Bell
Backups: Ty Montgomery, Bilal Powell, Trenton Cannon
Notable Cuts: Elijah McGuire, Valentine Holmes
Week 4 of the preseason likely sealed Elijah McGuire’s fate with the Jets, as the third-year running back rushed for a mere 29 yards on 14 carries.
With McGuire’s struggles continuing, the Jets will likely roll with Le’Veon Bell, Ty Montgomery, Bilal Powell and Trenton Cannon in the backfield to begin the season.
Wide Receiver (7)
Starters: Robby Anderson, Quincy Enunwa, Jamison Crowder
Backups: Deontay Burnett, Josh Bellamy, Greg Dortch, Charone Peake
Notable Cuts: Deonte Thompson, Tim White, J.J. Jones, Jeff Smith
Deontay Burnett all but locked up a spot on New York’s wide receiver depth chart with a three-catch, 40-yard performance against the Eagles.
Other than Burnett securing a roster spot, Charone Peake also slides onto the 53-man roster thanks to his role on special teams.
Tight End (3)
Starter: Ryan Griffin
Backups: Eric Tomlinson, Trevon Wesco
Notable Cuts: Daniel Brown
None of the Jets’ tight ends did anything to set themselves apart against the Eagles, meaning this group remains the same as a week ago.
If anything’s for certain, it’s that New York will miss Chris Herndon dearly in the first four weeks of the regular season. Until he returns, it’s on Ryan Griffin to pick up the slack.
Offensive Line (8)
Starters: Kelvin Beachum, Kelechi Osemele, Ryan Kalil, Brian Winters, Brandon Shell
Backups: Jonotthan Harrison, Alex Lewis, Chuma Edoga
Notable Cuts: Tom Compton, Brent Qvale, Wyatt Miller, Tyler Jones, Jon Toth, Jordan Morgan, Ben Braden, Ryan Anderson, Calvin Anderson, Eric Smith
With the addition of Alex Lewis earlier in the preseason, the Jets will roll with only three reserve offensive linemen at the beginning of the regular season. Lewis has the ability to play both guard spots, leaving free-agent acquisition Tom Compton as the odd man out.
Ryan Kalil will likely make his team debut in Week 1 of the regular season against the Bills, reverting Jonotthan Harrison back to the bench. Other than that, the Jets’ starting offensive line rotation remains the same
Defensive Line (6)
Starters: Henry Anderson, Quinnen Williams, Leonard Williams
Backups: Steve McLendon, Foley Fatukasi, Bronson Kaufusi
Notable Cuts: Nathan Shepherd, Justin Alexandre, Kyle Phillips, Trevon Sanders, MyQuon Stout
Kyle Phillips had himself a standout game against the Eagles, but unfortunately for him, it will not be enough to make the roster out of camp.
Phillips will likely be sent to the practice squad if he is not picked up by another team. While Phillips storyline is an intriguing one, Bronson Kaufusi rise from likely cut to second-string defensive end might be the story of training camp. Kaufusi is all but a lock to make the team at this point, leaving second-year defensive end Nathan Shepherd as the odd man out.
Linebacker (9)
Starters: Jordan Jenkins, C.J. Mosley, Neville Hewitt, Frankie Luvu
Backups: Tarell Basham, Harvey Langi, Jachai Polite, Blake Cashman, Anthony Wint
Notable Cuts: Albert McClellan, Jamey Mosley, James Burgess, Stephone Anthony
Back and healthy once again, Harvey Langi makes the team in place of special teamer Albert McClellan.
The Jets need Langi in wake of Brandon Copeland’s suspension, as they are thin at outside linebacker. Look for him to team up with Frankie Luvu, Tarell Basham and Jachai Polite to form a formidable outside linebacker rotation.
Cornerback (7)
Starters: Trumaine Johnson, Darryl Roberts, Brian Poole
Backups: Kyron Brown, Nate Hairston, Marcus Cooper, Tevaughn Campbell
Notable Cuts: Arthur Maulet, Parry Nickerson, Mark Myers, Alex Brown, Dee Delaney
The arrival of Nate Hairston from the Colts marks the end of the road for Arthur Maulet in New York, as experience wins out in Hairston’s favor.
Tevaughn Campbell also edges out Alex Brown, who is likely destined to land on the practice squad, by a slim margin. If additional moves at corner are made in the coming days, expect Campbell to be the odd man out.
Safety (4)
Starters: Jamal Adams, Marcus Maye
Backups: Doug Middleton, Rontez Miles
Notable Cuts: Santos Ramirez, Godwin Igwebuike, Derrick Kindred
Nothing new doing at safety, although the addition of Derrick Kindred did some intrigue at the position late in camp.
Kindred likely joined the Jets too late to overtake anyone for a reserve spot. Either way, it never hurts to have a little extra competition in the building. At the very least, Kindred helped New York improve in the secondary in his brief spell with the team.
Specialists (3)
Kicker: Taylor Bertolet
Punter: Lachlan Edwards
Long Snapper: Thomas Hennessy
Notable Cuts: Matt Darr
Lachlan Edwards hangs onto his job and edges out Matt Darr at punter following an unexpected position battle.
While the Jets retain a solid punter in Edwards, New York still has an issue to deal with on special teams. Taylor Bertolet is not an ideal option at kicker to begin the season. He’s on the roster for now, but expect Joe Douglas to add some outside competition if Bertolet struggles in the regular season.
