How much cap space do the NY Jets have after Laken Tomlinson release?

The NY Jets have begun the process of creating cap space ahead of what is expected to be a busy and important offseason for the organization.

That process began on Monday following the team's reported release of veteran offensive guard Laken Tomlinson. Tomlinson had appeared in all 34 games for the Jets over the last two seasons, but his performance on the field never matched his contract.

The Jets will continue to find ways to create cap space over the coming weeks as the team gears up for a critical offseason. The Tomlinson release was just the beginning.

But where does the team stand now? How much cap space do the Jets have after the Tomlinson release, and what other moves will the team make to save money?

How much cap space do the NY Jets have?

Over The Cap currently has the Jets with a little over $12.7 million in cap space before the Tomlinson release. Once that money is off the books, the team's cap space will shoot up to around $20.86 million.

That's a sizable chunk of savings, but the Jets could theoretically create as much as $79 million in cap space through simple restructures. They might not go all-in on creating that much space, but their cap figure will rise significantly over the coming weeks.

The easiest way to save money is by releasing more players, but there's really only one likely candidate to be a cap casualty. That player is tight end C.J. Uzomah, whose release would create an additional $5.3 million in cap space.

Others like John Franklin-Myers and C.J. Mosley could save the Jets money if they were released, but the most likely option with them would see the team restructure their contracts and push dead money into the future.

A Franklin-Myers restructure would save the Jets $9.2 million in 2024 cap space, while a Mosley restructure would create $10.5 million in savings. Those two moves alone would essentially double the Jets' available cap space.

Other restructure candidates include Quinnen Williams, D.J. Reed, Allen Lazard, Tyler Conklin, and Quincy Williams. Reed and Conklin are entering the final year of their contracts, and it might make sense for the Jets to explore an extension as a way to lower their 2024 cap hits.

Lazard is set to count $12.18 million against the cap in 2024, and while a restructure would save the Jets $6.6 million in cap space, it might make sense to hold off since the team is almost guaranteed to release him after next season anyway. They don't want a repeat of the Uzomah situation.

The Jets currently rank 18th in available cap space (once the Tomlinson release becomes official), but there are numerous ways the team could continue to create more savings.

Expect the Jets to have plenty of financial flexibility by the time the start of free agency rolls around in March.