The New York Jets are nearly all the way to 53 thanks to Tommy Bohanon, Dee Milliner and Jace Amaro all receiving a pink slip.
It’s D-Day in the NFL. The day all fringe players fear.
With all 32 NFL teams needing to cut down to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sep. 3, 2016, bubble guys look to find a distraction.
Those who wear the green and white of the New York Jets are no exception. And as of right now, Mike Maccagnan and company have just one more move to make to get down to the magical number of 53.
The shocking cuts on the day include Tommy Bohanon, Dee Milliner and Jace Amaro.
Milliner and Amaro, while a tad surprising, aren’t going to be missed. These two were disappointing holdouts from the John Idzik regime. New York will have to eat some money in the case of the former first-round cornerback, but won’t miss his presence one bit. Amaro, who many had high hopes for after he missed the entire 2015 campaign, simply couldn’t hang on to the ball this August.
Bohanon is an entirely different story.
This isn’t your father’s NFL. The familiar Pro offense consisting of 2 RB, 2 WR and 1 TE is no more. Instead, spread offenses and multiple wide-out sets rule the roost.
Bohanon, though, accounted for New York’s only fullback. Granted, many NFL teams don’t even carry somebody at the dying position, but Bohanon is solid at his craft. He was a consistent special teams performer and a plus blocker at the position. Moreover, he actually possessed ball skills (something fullbacks rarely showcase these days).
What this signals is the idea the Jets are going to keep a plethora of wide receivers. It signals Chan Gailey’s willingness to keep the offense open on every play.
Kellen Davis will now be the de facto fullback in certain goalline situations, thanks to the surprising cut. And with Zach Sudfeld also getting the boot, the Jets look to be keeping zero fullbacks and just two tight ends, at the most.
Here are the rest of Saturday’s cuts:
- Antone Smith, RB
- Zach Sudfeld, TE
- Wes Saxton, TE
- Craig Watts, G
- Mike Liedtke, G
- Kenbrell Thompkins, WR
- Jeremy Ross, WR
- Chandler Worthy, WR
- Tarow Barney, DT
- Claude Pelon, DT
- Trevor Reilly, OLB
- Freddie Bishop, OLB
- Taiwan Jones, OLB
- Bryson Keeton, CB
- Darryl Morris, CB
- Kevin Short, CB
- Doug Middleton, S
In the case of Amaro and Milliner, good riddance.
In the case of Bohanon, we scratch our heads.
There’s no question this is a new day and age in terms of offensive personnel, but having that versatile “do everything” fullback on the roster is usually an extremely valuable asset.
We’ll see how the final 53 shakes out.
