Getty The New York Jets offense huddling up in the middle of an NFL game.
The New York Jets are making some changes to their offensive line.
Gang Green announced on X previously Twitter that they have reunited with former first-round pick offensive lineman Cedric Ogbuehi by signing him to the practice squad. In a corresponding move, the Jets have cut bait with 6-foot-9 hog molly Ryan Swoboda.
Practice squad move: We’ve signed OL Cedric Ogbuehi and released OL Ryan Swoboda.
Jets Bring in Some Security and Dump a Developing Project
The 31-year-old originally entered the league as the No. 21 overall pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft.
Ogbuehi has bounced around the league over the last nine years, but he has had a connection with the Jets.
He first joined Gang Green in September of 2022 off of the Houston Texans practice squad. Ogbuehi appeared in seven games and made five starts last season.
All in all, the former Texas A&M product has 67 games of professional experience and has made 35 starts during that span of time.
Now he is back in New York and provides a level of security for Zach Wilson just in case more injuries arise in the trenches in 2023.
The Jets needed to open up a spot to bring him back and they did so by cutting a unique developmental project.
Swoboda has rare size at 6-foot-9 and was described as an “imposing” player during the pre-draft process.
Gang Green took a chance on his potential in hopes of developing him into something more. He joined the team on August 31 and lasted several weeks here in New York.
We’ve signed OL Ryan Swoboda to the practice squad.
Musical Chairs to Come for Jets Ahead of Patriots Game?
The changes to the offensive line room at the practice squad level probably weren’t what fans were hoping for.
However, some changes could be coming even higher on the totem pole.
Rich Cimini of ESPN noted that veteran offensive tackle Duane Brown looked like he missed his “second straight practice” on Thursday, September 21 which has raised questions about his potential availability on Sunday versus the New England Patriots.
“Mekhi Becton at left tackle,” Cimini asked openly on X previously Twitter.
Another Jets reporter, Nick Faria, pointed out that the Jets’ starting left tackle missing “2-3” days a week is “pretty detrimental to any group, let alone with separate issues on their own. Against the Patriots, it’s just asking for trouble. Perhaps this is a soft move to make a change because he’s still ‘rehabbing’ but it’s certainly something to watch going forward.”
I’ll have more on this later but a simple point for the #Jets O-Line woes:
Duane Brown didn’t look like he practiced again today. Having a starting LT miss 2-3 days a week is pretty detrimental to any group, let alone one with separate issues on their own. Against the Patriots,…
For what it’s worth, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic doesn’t anticipate any dramatic changes to the starting offensive line barring an unforeseen injury.
He bluntly said the team won’t bench Brown, “the team still believes in him.” Rosenblatt also said it’s too early to start thinking about rookie Joe Tippmann replacing veteran Connor McGovern at the center spot.
Sorry #Jets fans @ZackBlatt doesn’t see any dramatic lineup changes coming to the O-Line, ‘I don’t think that’s going to happen this week’ + ‘I don’t think they’re going to put Joe Tippmann in yet’ + ‘Duane Brown is not getting benched, this team still believes in him’ 🎥 Can’t…
It seems like by all accounts the Jets are throwing out the film from the Dallas Cowboys Week 2 loss and chalking it up to a bad day at the office. If those issues persist into the coming weeks then perhaps the conversation can change.
However, at this point, the Jets are sticking to the players that they picked heading into the season and will give them a chance to work out the kinks.