The New York Jets know they need to create as much cap space as possible to dish out the kind of contracts they want to give out during the 2023 offseason.
They’ve already taken the first step towards getting to their goal.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network announced that the Jets have converted $4.5 million of tight end, C.J. Uzomah’s salary into a bonus, clearing $3.6M in cap space. The Jets now possess around $1.5 million in cap space after being over during the last few months.
Uzomah was signed by the Jets last season and caught just 21 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns. He has a potential out in his contract following the 2023-24 season but is expected to compete for the starting tight end spot with Tyler Conklin and Jeremy Ruckert.
What’s Next?
With free agency kicking off in under a week, the Jets need to clear as much cap space shortly as possible. The good news is there are plenty of easy ways to accumulate the necessary cap space needed.
For starters, the team can save a total of $30 million in cap space by releasing Carl Lawson, Braxton Berrios, and Corey Davis. Renegotiating contracts for CJ Moseley, Lawson, and Laken Tomlinson would save close to $33 million. Those are the big contracts the team currently has but there are plenty of smaller cap casualties that could come up within the coming weeks as well. These numbers also come courtesy of Over the Cap which tracks the Jets’ current cap status before the Uzomah restructure.
With a potentially major upgrade at quarterback and a long-term extension for Quinnen Williams both on the way, the Jets need as much cap space as possible to remain flexible at other positions.
Clearing the cap space is the first step in what is expected to be a busy offseason for Gang Green. Uzomah might have been the first to have his contract changed to a bonus, but he won’t be the last.
