Getty New York Jets rookie wide receiver Xavier Gipson during the 2023 preseason.
It happens every summer — fans fall in love with preseason standouts who are destined to remain on the roster bubble. No matter how well they do, most times these prospects and journeymen end up falling victim to the dreaded 53-man cutdown.
For the New York Jets, think undrafted wide receiver Calvin Jackson Jr. last summer or 2022 August legend Chris Streveler. Unfortunately for us fans, the praise and hype from the masses doesn’t often translate with the decision-makers of the franchise.
Having said that, it’s a little different when Aaron Rodgers shows a player some love — and he did just that after the preseason finale versus the New York Giants.
“I think tonight, you saw some guys take a jump,” Rodgers told reporters after the game. “I thought 82 [WR Xavier Gipson] really took a big step forward in his attempt to make the team. He had multiple plays where he was short of the sticks on catches and made guys miss. Obviously, he’s done a good job returning.”
Alongside the rookie UDFA, Gipson, Rodgers shouted out veteran WR/returner Alex Erickson, stating: “I thought Alex had a great night as well. Obviously, two touchdowns, he’s a really smart guy, he’s always doing the right thing. And that’s the beauty of camp, you never know what’s going to happen when it’s live and guys separate themselves. Guys who might look good in practice, might not play as well in the games, guys that you’re not quite sure about can jump out sometimes in these live situations.”
Did Jets WRs Xavier Gipson & Alex Erickson Do Enough to Make 53-Man Roster, & Where Do Jason Brownlee & Zack Kuntz Land?
All summer, it’s felt like the closest roster battle has been at wide receiver/tight end. The Jets have had three TEs locked in all camp (Tyler Conklin, C.J. Uzomah and Jeremy Ruckert) and five wideouts locked in for most of it (Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman, Randall Cobb and Corey Davis).
After Davis announced his retirement, that opened up an extra spot in this discussion — under the general assumption that nine players could make the roster at either WR or TE. In the mix are rookies Jason Brownlee, Zack Kuntz and Gipson, as well as veterans Kenny Yeboah, Erickson, Malik Taylor and Irvin Charles.
The roster pushes of Yeboah and Taylor were stalled by injuries, while Charles failed to impress during the preseason. That leaves four major contenders for one-to-two potential spots — Brownlee, Gipson, Kuntz and Erickson.
Recency bias tells us Gipson and Erickson should make the roster. After all, Gipson caught seven passes off 10 targets for 79 yards against the Giants, while Erickson went five for 38 with two scores. Both also offer ability on punts and kickoffs if the Jets decide they need another returner.
Brownlee and Kuntz were the presumptive favorites near the start of camp, however, but didn’t do much during the preseason finale. The undrafted wideout torched minicamp and practices throughout the summer — earning a shout-out of his own from Rodgers — but was less explosive most games.
Remember Rodgers’ quote above: “Guys who might look good in practice, might not play as well in the games.”
Kuntz, on the other hand, has looked like a work in progress since the beginning. What he has going for him is his draft status and potential. On that note, the Jets also admitted that they wanted to draft Brownlee but ran out of picks.
So, do general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh keep the bigger body, higher ceiling pass-catchers in Brownlee and Kuntz? Or the recent standouts that “took a jump?” — as Rodgers put it.
They could also choose door number three, and trade for or claim a wide receiver from another NFL organization. This is a very intriguing situation to monitor over the next 48 hours.
Jets RB Zonovan Knight Doesn’t Stand Out vs Giants
In other news, running back Zonovan “Bam” Knight didn’t stand out versus the Giants. The popular 2022 UDFA appears to be the odd man out in the RB room, barring something unforeseen like a Michael Carter trade or a long-term absence for Israel Abanikanda.
Both seem unlikely at this time, and Knight’s 3.1 yards per carry and one reception for eight yards didn’t exactly move the needle in his favor on August 26.
Carter also ran with the first-team offense on Saturday, and although his rushing numbers were poor (0.3 yards per carry), looks to be cemented as the RB3 behind Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook. Similar to the WR/TE situation, this cutdown decision should come down to the wire.