Getty Former Cleveland Browns defender Perrion Winfrey reacting in the middle of an NFL game.
The New York Jets raised some eyebrows on the NFL’s transaction wire.
Field Yates of ESPN was the first to share on X (previously Twitter), that Gang Green “tried out” former Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey on Wednesday, November 1.
The Jets tried out former Browns DT Perrion Winfrey. He was a 2022 fourth round pick that served a 2-game suspension to begin this season.
Winfrey Has a Checkered Past With Browns
The former Oklahoma product originally entered the league as the No. 108 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Winfrey was a highly touted player coming out of college. He stands in at 6-foot-4, 292 pounds. In his two years with the Sooners, he racked up six sacks, 16.5 tackles for loss, and finished with over 40 total tackles.
Winfrey appeared in 13 games during his rookie season with the Browns. During that span of time, he recorded a half sack, two quarterback hits, two pass deflections, and finished with 22 tackles.
Although he had some issues off of the football field that derailed his Browns career.
On April 10, 2023, he was arrested on a “misdemeanor assault complaint”, per ESPN. Winfrey was accused of “grabbing the hand of a woman he was dating, causing bodily injury”, per Harris County court records.
Winfrey remained a part of the team despite this issue, but fast forward three months later and ultimately, he was dumped.
Jake Trotter of ESPN said Winfrey was cut in the middle of July, “after police listed him as a suspect in an aggravated robbery incident.”
Both cases ended up later being dropped/dismissed.
“The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s office said the accuser decided not to prosecute,” per Fox 8 News.
An Under-the-Radar Jets Injury That Could Cause Issues
The sole reason the Jets were even kicking the tires on Winfrey in the first place is because of a devastating injury during the New York Giants game.
Gang Green lost veteran Al Woods to a torn Achilles that knocked him out for the 2023 season and perhaps for the rest of his career. Woods is 36 years of age and has contemplated retirement over the last couple of seasons. A devastating injury like this could mean the end of the road.
When the Jets signed him this offseason to a one-year deal for $2.25 million it completely went under-the-radar. He wasn’t a sexy name, didn’t go for a lot of money, and the Jets have plenty of defensive linemen.
Woods is listed on the Jets’ official roster sheet at 6-foot-4, 309 pounds. He was a mountain of a man who was impossible to move in the run game.
However now he is gone, and the Jets need to find a replacement option. The team decided not to make a deal ahead of the Tuesday, October 31 NFL trade deadline so they will have to go to free agency to find suitable options.
Winfrey is still only 23 years of age and has a ton of potential as a former day-three draft selection. As long as everything gets cleared and checked by the front office and background check security department, he could prove to be an intriguing dart throw in the middle of the 2023 season.