4 NY Jets players who could be cap casualties this offseason

4. Connor McGovern, C, NY Jets

Of the four players on this list, Connor McGovern is the most likely to still be on the Jets' roster next season. For as much flack as he's gotten, McGovern proved to be a reliable starting-caliber center in 2021.

He's a good player, but with a $10.33 million cap hit, the Jets could look to create some additional cap space. McGovern's contract has just $1.33 million in dead cap meaning the Jets could save $10 million by releasing him.

Of course, releasing McGovern would create an extra hole the Jets would need to fill, perhaps even using the money they saved. And it's not as if McGovern didn't play up to his contract in 2021.

The 28-year-old finished with a Pro Football Focus grade of 75.9 that ranked 10th among all centers in the NFL this past season. He was a legitimately good player, certainly worth the price the team was paying him.

However, if they need the money and feel they could upgrade in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Jets might just move on from McGovern. Iowa's Tyler Linderbaum is one of the best center prospects the NFL has seen in a long time and, if McGovern is cut, he immediately becomes a target.

The Jets could even do what the Washington Football Team did with Morgan Moses last offseason — draft his replacement and release him after the draft. That's hardly an ideal scenario for McGovern, but it's one the Jets could explore.

Ultimately, I'd expect McGovern to be on the Jets' roster in 2022. But it's not a given, which is why he lands on this list.