5 players the NY Jets could trade before the 2023 season

The NY Jets made a variety of moves this offseason to set their roster up for success in 2023, none more so than the addition of future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

But as most NFL fans know, the roster fine-tuning process is one that never really ends. Teams are always looking for ways to improve their squads, whether it's March or August.

While late free-agency signings typically garner the majority of headlines (see: Dalvin Cook and DeAndre Hopkins), you can never rule out the possibility of a summer trade or two.

The Jets have a number of players on their roster who could be offloaded for the right price. Let's take a look at five players the Jets could consider trading this summer.

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

To be candid, I don't think this one happens. The Jets aren't exactly looking to get rid of key offensive pieces — let alone one that played 53 percent of the team's offensive snaps last season.

That said, there is a scenario where the Jets could consider trading tight end C.J. Uzomah if the right offer comes their way. Trading Uzomah would save the Jets $3.5 million in 2023 cap space and incur a dead cap charge of $5.92 million in 2024.

That's a dead cap hit the Jets will have to take on regardless if they plan to move on from Uzomah after this upcoming season. This really comes down to Jeremy Ruckert. If the Jets believe he's ready to take on a larger role, trading Uzomah to free up snaps is something they could consider.

The Jets should be looking to retain as much talent as possible, but if some team offers a good enough deal and the Jets are confident in Ruckert, trading Uzomah is a possibility.

4. Denzel Mims, WR, NY Jets

Denzel Mims has been the subject of trade rumors for the better part of the last two years now. Could this summer finally be the time that he's traded? Better late than never, I suppose.

Mims finds himself firmly on the roster bubble entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2023. The former second-round pick has been buried on the depth chart ever since his somewhat promising rookie season a few years ago.

At the time of writing, Mims is penciled in as the sixth wide receiver on the depth chart, behind the likes of Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman, Corey Davis, and Randall Cobb.

There's no guarantee the Jets decide to carry six wide receivers, and even if they do, it's also far from a guarantee that Mims is that sixth receiver. Undrafted rookies Jason Brownlee, Xavier Gipson, and Jerome Kapp flashed in OTAs, while Mims was not in attendance for unknown reasons.

Mims might actually be on the outside looking in entering the summer, and given that he's set to be a free agent at the end of the year anyway, the Jets should explore any and all trade options regarding the former Baylor star.

The Jets did receive trade inquiries for Mims last summer following his trade request but reportedly balked at the idea after they didn't receive an offer that matched their hefty asking price of a fourth-round pick. It's safe to say no team is offering anything close to that this summer.

If the Jets can get anything at all for Mims, it's probably worth it. After all, he might not even be on the roster come Week 1, and it's hard to envision a scenario where he's with the team in 2024.

3. Bryce Hall, CB, NY Jets

The Jets have the luxury of depth at a number of positions, but perhaps no position on the roster is stronger than cornerback. Not only do the Jets have likely the best starting duo in the NFL in Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed, but they have impressive depth behind them.

Brandin Echols and Bryce Hall each have starting experience, although both enter the season as backups for the second consecutive year. Hall, in particular, could be trade fodder.

A fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Hall started 24 games over the first two seasons of his career, including all 17 games in 2021 as the team's de facto No. 1 cornerback.

While Hall was clearly not a true top corner, he definitely played at a starting-caliber level. The additions of Gardner and Reed relegated him to a backup role in 2022, and his lack of special teams experience rendered him a healthy scratch for much of the year.

Hall played just 15 defensive snaps last season — a far cry from the team-leading 1,169 snaps he had played the year prior. He just doesn't have a role in a healthy Jets cornerback room.

The Jets might prefer to keep Hall around as excellent depth, but given that he's entering the final year of his rookie contract, it might be worth exploring what the team could get for him. After all, will he even be on the roster in 2024?

Hall could legitimately push for a starting job on a handful of NFL rosters. Don't be shocked if he's traded before the start of the season.

2. Michael Carter, RB, NY Jets

The Jets had high hopes for Michael Carter following a promising rookie season that saw him finish with 639 yards and four touchdowns on a healthy 4.3 yards per carry.

Even following the addition of Breece Hall, Carter was expected to serve an important role in a dynamic one-two punch for Gang Green. Unfortunately, Carter's sophomore NFL season fell well short of expectations.

The former fourth-round pick averaged a woeful 3.5 yards per carry even when asked to take on a larger role following Hall's season-ending injury. Carter was one of the Jets' biggest disappointments in 2022.

The Jets added rookie Israel Abanikanda in the fifth round of this year's draft to provide competition for Carter and Zonovan Knight. At the moment, Carter is penciled in as the Jets' RB2 behind Hall once again.

That could change, though. The Jets remain interested in signing free-agent running back Dalvin Cook, and if they do get a deal done, one of Carter or Knight will become expendable.

Carter figures to have the most trade value and could find himself on the market if Cook is signed. If he isn't traded, there's a chance the Jets straight-up cut him before the season starts if he loses out to Knight.

Michael Carter still has an important role in the Jets' offense right now, but that could change very quickly if Dalvin Cook is signed.

1. Bryce Huff, DE, NY Jets

Bryce Huff was legitimately one of the most efficient pass rushers in the NFL last season. The former undrafted free agent recorded a 25.6 percent pass-rush win rate which was the highest among every edge defender in football, per Pro Football Focus.

His pressure rate was higher than bonafide superstars such as Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, Micah Parsons, and even Nick Bosa. It's hard to overstate how effective Huff was in a part-time role in 2022.

Despite this, he doesn't have a defined role entering the 2023 season. In fact, it seems likely that he will begin the year as a healthy scratch on game days, assuming full health for the Jets' defensive line.

The Jets essentially drafted Will McDonald to fill Huff's role in his first year. Carl Lawson, John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson, and Micheal Clemons will all be active on game days as part of the rotation. The same goes for defensive tackles Quinnen Williams, Al Woods, Quinton Jefferson, and probably Solomon Thomas as well.

Huff was genuinely great in 2022, but there isn't a spot for him in this Jets' defensive line rotation. Combine that with the fact that he's set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, and it would make sense to explore trade possibilities.

Teams have reportedly called the Jets about trade offers for Huff, and while nothing has materialized to this point, it wouldn't be shocking in the slightest if an agreement was eventually reached.

The Jets have simply buried Bryce Huff on the depth chart. A split makes a ton of sense for both parties.