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The New York Jets have already begun the process of trimming their roster down to the final 53.
NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero shared on X previously Twitter that the team had cut ties with veteran NFL linebacker Nick Vigil on Sunday August 27.
Vigil Made a Valiant Effort to Crack the Jets Roster
The 30-year-old originally joined the league back in 2016 as the No. 87 overall pick in the third round of the NFL draft.
During that span of time, he has appeared in 89 games and has made 53 starts. Vigil has collected over 443 total tackles, recorded five sacks, has three career interceptions, and has tallied 17 pass deflections.
Gang Green was the fifth different franchise he has played with over the last seven years. Vigil signed with the Jets back on August 6 and was with the team through Sunday.
According to Pro Football Focus, he played 70 snaps for the Jets and had some solid moments. The best quality he showed was run defense where he earned a 73.8 grade from PFF. The other analytics were less impressive:
- 54.4 overall grade
- 55.7 pass rush grade
- 45.6 coverage grade
What Will the Jets Do With the Rest of the LB Position?
There are three roster locks at the linebacker spot heading into Tuesday’s August 29 cut deadline: CJ Mosley, Quincy Williams, and Jamien Sherwood.
From there the Jets have a decision to make at linebacker. Do they keep four? Maybe five?
In Rich Cimini of ESPN’s projections, he has the Jets keeping four players the three aforementioned and rookie Zaire Barnes.
“This is the thinnest position group on the team, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they try to add a veteran from the waiver wire. Anybody who watched the first episode of “Hard Knocks” knows that Saleh loves [Chazz] Surratt,” Cimini said in an article posted on August 26.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic had the same projections as Cimini with only four linebackers making the initial 53-man roster.
Rosenblatt argued that Surratt “should make it through to the practice squad” if the team decides to release him. He also added that the talented football player “hasn’t stood out” since the preseason opener versus the Cleveland Browns.
As long as the starters stay healthy the Jets should be fine at the second level of their defense. However, if the injury bug creeps up this position could quickly deteriorate. Beyond Mosley and Williams, the Jets don’t have players with proven experience waiting in the wings.
1,184 players are going to be cut by NFL teams as they trim their roster size from 90 to 53 players over the next handful of days. General manager Joe Douglas has proven to be a bit of a diamond in the rough finder at this time of year.
For instance, they snagged Williams, the older brother of Quinnen, back in 2021 off of the waiver wire. The Jets have done a beautiful job developing him and he was just re-signed to a juicy three year deal for $18 million this offseason.
Perhaps Douglas has some more tricks up his sleeve to tinker with the linebacker position ahead of opening day.
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