The New York Jets are facing problems with their final roster ahead of the 2023 NFL season. Back when Aaron Rodgers took a substantial $35,000,000 pay cut, it all seemed to be going easy at the Big Apple. However, the Jets are now parting ways with seasoned wide receiver, Alex Erikson. The decision is still to make sense to the fans as the Jets only signed Erikson 1 month back. Moreover, even Aaron had showered praise on Alex after for his preseason heroics.
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The preseason has come to a close now and the regular season is looming on the horizon. Given this, the tension in the NFL arena regarding the final roster has escalated. Starting from the preseason to the start of regular matches, the teams have to trim down their 90-man squad to a final 53-man roster. In total, the NFL has to cut 1184 players and unfortunately, Alex Erickson is one of them.
Alex Erickson’s Short Stint With the Jets Comes to an End
Despite significant praise from Rodgers, who called the WR a “pretty smart guy” in a recent press meet, the Jets are bidding farewell to Alex Erickson. Undoubtedly, Erickson was a preseason standout. He captured attention by securing two impressive touchdowns during recent game against the Giants. As it turns out, Erickson’s efforts were not enough to secure his spot on the 53-man roster. Most probably, he’ll end up finding a home somewhere else.
The #Jets are releasing veteran WR Alex Erickson, per source. Erickson was a preseason standout, catching two TD passes in Saturday’s finale.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 28, 2023
The Jets are going into the season with a slightly less experienced wide receiver lineup. Garrett Wilson seems to be the starting LWR with Irvin Charles in backup. At RWR, the Jets have the services of Allen Lazard and Jason Brownlee. The Jets have employed – Mecole Hardman Jr., Randall Cobb, and Xavier Gipson who might also add greatly to the unit.
While the potential of these players is huge, they still have a lot to prove for being standout players. Looks like the Jets coaching staff will face the challenge of optimizing resources and talent if they want to have a successful campaign.
Story of New York Jets’ Roster Cuts
The roster cut deadline is approaching and the NY Jets are finding themselves in a tough spot. Over the next day or two, around 40 players will be cut or waived. Some would return to the practice squad just to re-sign down the line. Others will see their tenure at the Big Apple end.
For now, some of those who have already seen their fate sealed are LB Claudin Cherelus, S Trey Dean, LB Sam Eguavoen, RB Zonovan Knight, OL Adam Pankey, OL Greg Senat, LB Pita Taumoepenu, and LB Nick Vigil. One of the biggest surprise cuts was punter Thomas Morstead.
Important roster information ahead of the final cutdown day. Players the #Jets have already waived/released:
– RB Zonovan Knight
– WR Alex Erickson
– OT Greg Senat
– OL Adam Pankey
– DL Pita Taumoepenu
– LB Sam Eguavoen
– LB Claudin Cherelus
– LB Nick Vigil
– CB Craig James
– CB… https://t.co/zNVHXNVyjc— Dylan Tereman (@DTereman) August 29, 2023
Tim Doyle, one of the backup QBs, also didn’t find his name on the final 53-man roster. His performance could be the main reason behind the sack. However, the same can’t be said for the undrafted rookie – Trey Dean, who impressed in the preseason. With the Jets already having 4 safeties, Dean was definitely a surplus to demand. After all the chopping and changing, it will be interesting to see how the Jets’ unit eventually performs.
