4 players the NY Jets need to bench after the bye week

Few expected the NY Jets to be 3-3 entering their bye week with Zach Wilson at quarterback. In fact, there were plenty of Jets fans who would have signed up for a 3-3 record through six weeks with Aaron Rodgers under center.

Yet, following the team's thrilling 20-14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6, the Jets are .500 with the toughest part of their schedule in the rearview mirror.

This Jets team has overachieved due in large part to one of the best defenses in football. But for all the positive takeaways so far this season, there are a few players who are clearly holding the team back.

The Jets have some changes to make during their bye week, and that starts with giving the following four players fewer snaps. Let's take a look at four players the Jets should bench coming out of the bye.

4. C.J. Uzomah, TE, NY Jets

C.J. Uzomah is the only player on this list who genuinely still provides value for the Jets. Uzomah is still an above-average run-blocker who does help the team's running game. That said, there's someone better at that role on the roster.

Jeremy Ruckert has taken on a larger role in his second NFL season, and it's become increasingly apparent that he deserves an even larger share of snaps. Ruckert is the Jets' best run-blocking tight end.

His 67.3 Pro Football Focus run-block grade ranks 13th among 67 qualified tight ends. While Uzomah has had his moments, he's coming off a Week 6 performance in which he posted PFF pass-block and run-block grades of 9.3 and 57.1, respectively.

The most telling stat is that the Jets rank eighth in average EPA with Ruckert on the field and 29th with Uzomah on the field. Uzomah doesn't need to be outright benched, but it's time for Ruckert to take over as the Jets' primary TE2.

3. Dalvin Cook, RB, NY Jets

Anyone who watched Dalvin Cook's 2022 tape or paid attention to the myriad of analytics that showcased his decline shouldn't be surprised about how the 2023 season has gone for the former Pro Bowl running back.

At his peak, Cook was one of the most explosive and talented players at his position. Unfortunately, after years of racking up touches, his peak is well behind him at this stage.

The Jets signed Cook to serve as running-back depth while Breece Hall was recovering from his torn ACL. While the team didn't expect prime Dalvin Cook, they at least expected to see a capable complement to their star running back.

That hasn't been the case. Cook ranks dead last in the NFL in RYOE/attempt with a woeful -1.45. That means Cook is averaging 1.45 yards less than he should per carry. His 2.8 yards per carry is also the worst in the entire league.

The Jets are seemingly aware of this, too, given Cook's increasingly limited snap count. He's played fewer snaps in every game since Week 1, posting a season-low nine snaps this past week against the Eagles.

Cook is a liability on the field and quite literally the worst running back in football this season. Again, this shouldn't come as a surprise, given that Cook also ranked last in RYOE last season. The signs of a decline were evident.

The Jets would be wise to give Cook's snaps to Breece Hall, Michael Carter, and even rookie Israel Abanikanda. It's time to end the Cook experiment — an experiment that probably should have never even taken place in the first place.

2. Carl Lawson, DE, NY Jets

The Jets had the opportunity to save $15 million in cap space by releasing Carl Lawson this past offseason. Instead, the Jets decided to take a chance on their former big-money signing, instead agreeing to restructure his contract.

It's likely the Jets regret that decision.

Lawson dealt with a back injury that sidelined him for most of the summer, and it's clear that he still hasn't recovered. He's done his best to play through the injury, but it's evident that he's just not effective right now.

Lawson was a healthy scratch in Week 5, returned in Week 6, and once again did nothing with his snaps. The 28-year-old has played a total of 73 snaps this season and has a whopping two pressures to show for it.

It's a shame the Jets have never been able to see the dominant version of Carl Lawson that was on display in Cincinnati, but it's probably time to stop holding out hope that he regains that form. Lawson is borderline unplayable at this stage.

The Jets will likely seek trade opportunities with Lawson, but it won't be easy to find a taker. Either way, there are nine other defensive linemen on the roster who deserve to be active over Lawson right now.

Give his snaps to rookie first-round pick Will McDonald, who has been an afterthought this year. Lawson shouldn't be active on game days anymore.

1. Randall Cobb, WR, NY Jets

Randall Cobb provides nothing to the Jets' offense. The 13-year NFL veteran has played 49 percent of the Jets offensive snaps this season, and he has a total of three catches and 20 yards to show for it.

To put it bluntly, Cobb is simply taking up space on the field. He contributes nothing as a receiver, is a liability as a blocker, and is taking opportunities away from other players.

Cobb currently ranks 111th out of 112 qualified wide receivers in Pro Football Focus grade. He's dropped a ridiculous 40 percent of his on-target passes this season — easily the lowest mark among qualified receivers.

It's not just that Cobb has been egregiously bad as a receiver this season — he's also the worst run-blocking wide receiver in the NFL right now. That's not an exaggeration, either.

Out of the 129 wide receivers to play at least 30 run-block snaps, Cobb's 31.3 PFF run-block grade ranks dead-last in the NFL. There isn't a single thing that he is currently not among the worst in the league at.

He can't get separation on his routes, leads the league in drop percentage, and is the worst run-blocker at his position. Cobb could make a case for being one of the worst players at any position in the NFL right now.

Whether it's Xavier Gipson, Mecole Hardman, Jason Brownlee, or even Irv Charles, the Jets need to get Cobb off the field. He shouldn't even be active, let alone playing half the team's offensive snaps.

This is the most notable personnel change the Jets must make following their bye week. Randall Cobb belongs on the bench.