5 roster moves to save the NY Jets $45 million in cap space

The NY Jets enter the 2023 offseason as one of 14 NFL teams currently over the salary cap. The Jets are roughly $1.4 million over the cap and will need to create some space ahead of free agency and the 2023 NFL Draft.

That means the Jets will have to make some difficult decisions. The good news is that general manager Joe Douglas has afforded himself plenty of roster flexibility to create that space.

From roster cuts to extensions and restructures, the Jets can explore a number of different avenues to not only get themselves under the cap but also create additional space to make some moves this offseason.

But that cap space doesn't just appear. How can the Jets create the necessary funds to have an active offseason? We break down five moves the Jets can make that would save them nearly $45 million in cap space.

First, a couple of honorable mentions.

Honorable Mention: NY Jets cut Duane Brown (post-Jun. 1)

• Cap Savings: $9.71 million
• Dead Cap: $1.58 million

Releasing Duane Brown before Jun. 1 doesn't make much sense for the Jets, as doing so would create more dead money than cap savings. However, they could release him with a post-Jun. 1 designation and save almost $10 million.

Brown is a bit of a wild card this offseason with his NFL future up in the air. The Jets might also want to keep him around at a relatively affordable cap number given the uncertainty at both tackle positions.

Don't be surprised if he's rendered a post-Jun. 1 cut, however. It would make plenty of sense for the organization.

Honorable Mention: NY Jets restructure C.J. Mosley's contract

• Cap Savings: $11.88 million
• Dead Cap: $0 millio

The Jets already restructured C.J. Mosley's contract last September, pushing more dead money into future years, and ballooning his 2023 cap hit to $21.48 million. The Jets would love to lower that number, but it's not quite that simple.

They might want to avoid restructuring again and pushing more money into the future. I wouldn't rule out a straight-up pay cut or even a post-June 1st release (the Jets could always re-sign him at a lower price tag), but a restructure feels less likely.