Spencer Long’s New York Jets tenure lasts just one season, as the team released the veteran blocker on Tuesday afternoon.
The New York Jets have released offensive lineman Spencer Long. The team announced the transaction on Tuesday afternoon.
We have released OL Spencer Long.
? https://t.co/y42ggSYXEb pic.twitter.com/eVTegnjbeA
— New York Jets (@nyjets) February 5, 2019
Long, 28, is released after one season with the Jets. He was signed to a four-year, $28 million deal last March. Formerly of the Washington Redskins, Long began the year at center for the Jets. However, struggles with the snap prompted a transfer to left guard, where he spent the remainder of the season. Long’s woes were particularly on display in a November game in Miami, botching several shotgun snaps.
Pro Football Focus ranked him the 37th best center in the league. Jonotthan Harrison wound up taking over, while Long’s fortunes somewhat improved at left guard, where he replaced an injured James Carpenter. He wound up playing 13 games, missing three with ailments of his own.
This is so inexcusable. A four-man rush in which a simple stunt gets the better of Spencer Long. Another free-runner at Sam Darnold. How's this kid supposed to develop? #Jets @EliteSportsNY pic.twitter.com/8Sx7vKlmPn
— RobbySabo (@RobbySabo) October 4, 2018
Long’s release holds major implications on the Jets’ salary cap situation. Had Long been on the roster by Wednesday, he was due a $3 million guaranteed bonus. His release saves also saves the Jets $6.5 million in salary cap space, giving them just over $96.5 million to spend this offseason.
While Long, he of five years in NFL experience, is gone, the Jets have no intentions of moving on from Leonard Williams. According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, the Jets declared a trade of the defensive lineman “would be stupid.”
