The New York Jets are continuing to finagle with their 90-man roster as they head to the next phase of the offseason training activities.
One of the most interesting position groups on the roster is wide receiver. A few years ago the depth chart was littered with guys that didn’t move the needle and now it is overflowing with talent.
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On Monday, May 23 the Jets announced on their social media portals that they had waived wide receiver Rodney Adams from the roster.
The 27-year-old initially entered the league as the No. 170 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
Despite his draft status, Adams hasn’t been able to find a consistent spot in the NFL. The former South Florida product has played for four different NFL organizations since entering the NFL:
- Vikings (2017)
- Indianapolis Colts (2018-20)
- Chicago Bears (2020-21)
Most recently he signed with the Jets back in January on a “reserve/future” deal after spending last season on the Bears practice squad.
Well Hello Hello
In a corresponding roster move the Jets brought back wideout DJ Montgomery.
The 25-year-old is a former Cleveland Browns undrafted free agent but has spent the past two seasons with the green and white.
Montgomery played in three games last season and caught three passes for 36 yards. Two of those receptions went for first downs.
Back on May 9 the Jets cut Montgomery from the roster, but have now brought him back into the fold.
Earlier in the offseason, Montgomery traveled with quarterback Zach Wilson out to Arizona to get some additional practice reps.
Other wideouts that were in attendance included Denzel Mims, Elijah Moore, and Jeff Smith.
Awesome to see: #Jets QB Zach Wilson (@ZachWilson) out in Arizona working out w/ several of his WRs including: Denzel Mims (@Zel5Zelly), Elijah Moore (@e_moore03), Jeff Smith (@jsmoothiiee), & DJ Montgomery (@djmontgomery___) 📸 @jayfeely, edit jetlifenews on IG #TakeFlight
Unlike most years it is going to be incredibly difficult to crack the Jets’ wide receiver depth chart in 2022.
They’re four deep with Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis, Moore, and Braxton Berrios. Those are all absolute locks to make the roster and the rest is up for grabs.
How many wide receivers an NFL team carries depends on the team, but there are currently seven Jets players for maybe two or three spots at wideout.
In other words, the odds aren’t great, but the good news is the expanded practice squad is another viable path to an NFL gig.
Montgomery has been around the current regime for a year plus and has developed some nice chemistry during the offseason with Wilson. Those are two great feathers to have in the cap, but he will have to do more than that to ensure his spot on the team.
Another thing that would help is getting some more reps on special teams. In 2021 he only registered 20 snaps which equates to 25 percent of available special teams snaps taken for games in which this player appeared, per Pro Football Reference.
A coach once told me the more things you can offer as a player the more attractive you’re when teams get to final roster cuts. We’ll see if Montgomery can prove his worth over the coming months ahead of the 2022 season.
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