Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh at the podium in 2021.
The New York Jets had a few surprises for fans when they announced their final 53-man roster — like undrafted rookie Tony Adams and struggling draft prospect Ashtyn Davis making the roster over Jason Pinnock.
Up-and-down running back Ty Johnson was another unexpected addition, as well as defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd and defensive end Vinny Curry. The latter of the two veteran linemen may not be on the active roster for long, however.
Saleh Calls Curry Candidate for 4-Week IR
During his press conference on August 31, head coach Robert Saleh confirmed that Curry is indeed a candidate for the short-term injured reserve, as many fans anticipated.
“It looks like he’s going to be an IR candidate for the first four weeks,” Saleh told reporters.
During a follow-up article on The Athletic, beat reporter Zack Rosenblatt noted that Curry’s hamstring is still hindering him. This has been an issue all summer and has prevented the vet from having any sort of impact on the football field.
He does appear to serve an important role as a mentor and team leader despite his injury ailments. Unfortunately, Curry is still a player, not a coach. At some point, he’ll have to prove that he can still do what he was paid to do.
Rosenblatt added that his injury designation would “open up a spot on the 53-man roster.”
Candidates to Replace Curry
Some thought Curry might get cut regardless of his injury status but if he did make the roster, the overwhelming feeling was that he’d be transferred to the IR. Not only has he missed most of training camp, but the 10-year NFL pro also missed the entire 2021 campaign with a rare blood disorder.
Having Curry on the Week 1 roster feels irresponsible, in more ways than one, and he’d surely be inactive on gameday if he did end up sticking with the 53-man group. More likely, he hits IR as Saleh hinted. That means the Jets will either promote a replacement or bring in one from outside the organization.
If they look outside, the most obvious need is at offensive tackle. Saleh has talked up rookie Max Mitchell as the swing tackle behind Duane Brown and George Fant but the youngster did not look to be ready during the preseason.
#Jets HC Robert Saleh says OT Max Mitchell (@MaxMitch09) got plenty of reps at both LT, RT & ‘has done really well’ + that gave staff confidence to make him only backup OT on roster currently + says he’s ‘very confident’ that he will be a very good football player: 🎥 @nyjets
The developmental blocker finished with a 53.7 grade on Pro Football Focus this summer, which included a 55.7 run-blocking mark and a 47.8 in pass protection (team-leading three QB pressures allowed).
Internally, the Jets do have Grant Hermanns as an option. The former Purdue UDFA outplayed Mitchell in August with a 75.1 grade as a pass-blocker. Granted, this was usually against second or third-team pass rushers, but Hermanns did show potential and his run-blocking scores were better too.
Even if Mitchell is ready, having one backup O-tackle is risky considering the age and injury history of Brown and Fant. The Jets are two issues away from shuffling their entire blocking unit and putting Alijah Vera-Tucker or Laken Tomlinson at tackle.
Another thin area is linebacker. The Jets could call up a prospect like Hamsah Nasirildeen or rookie DQ Thomas, but another option would be to re-sign the recently cut Marcell Harris — so long as he’s healthy.
Harris had been dealing with a preseason injury but the original prognosis had him returning before Week 1. The veteran knows the system and you don’t have to worry about losing him on waivers when Curry eventually returns.
Of course, the Jets could also target an unknown free agent at either position.
Two final practice squad names that jump out for special teams purposes are safety Will Parks and defensive back Craig James. The latter is a gunner that was signed (then cut) earlier this summer. The Jets are somewhat thinner than usual at cornerback — depending on how you view Justin Hardee — and James could contribute right away as an established special teamer.
Parks is the more likely of the two, especially if the Jets don’t feel totally comfortable with Adams and Davis as their backup safeties to start the year. Saleh admitted that New York kept both, in part, because the franchise didn’t want to lose them on waivers.
Five safeties may seem excessive but Parks could bridge the gap if someone like Adams were to redshirt the first few games of the season.