The New York Jets have released DE Jason Taylor, DT Kris Jenkins, C Damien Woody, and DE Vernon Gholston.
Taylor spent the majority of his career with the Miami Dolphins before joining the Jets last season. The former Dancing with the Stars contestant recorded 36 tackles and 5 sacks in 16 games with New York.
Jenkins was a force in the middle of the Jets interior defensive line but has struggled with injuries over the last two seasons. The 360-pound tackle out of Maryland has played in just seven games over the past two seasons due to knee injuries.
With 2010 2nd round pick Vladimir Ducasse headed to right tackle, center Damien Woody became expendable for the Jets. He is coming off a strong season, but he missed the final three games of the regular season with a knee injury, and then hurt his Achilles in the playoffs. Woody’s $4.26 million cap figure also played a role in his release.
Gholston is the only pass rushing Top 10 pick in NFL history to record zero sacks in his career. The Ohio State product has been a colossal disappointment during his short NFL career.
All four players are free to sign with any team they want up until Thursday night at 11:59pm when the current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire.
All told, the four moves will save the Jets $24.33M in salary and bonuses, including Taylor’s $10M offseason roster bonus. The Jets may consider bringing the players back at a reduced salary after a new CBA is negotiated between the players association and the owners.
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