Keep Or Cut: A deep look at 7 NY Jets players who offer cap savings

4. Duane Brown, OT, NY Jets

• Cap Savings: $5.2 million before Jun. 1, $10 million after Jun. 1
• Dead Cap: $6.3 million before Jun. 1, $1.5 million after Jun. 1

Another bad 2022 signing, Duane Brown was signed with a bum shoulder and remarkably played 12 games with that torn rotator cuff. He was good at first, and slowly disintegrated into one of the bigger liabilities on a decrepit offensive line.

Due to the nature of the deal (the jets seriously needed an OT), Joe Douglas had to think outside the box to make it happen. To not only overpay but offer multiple years was something that went overlooked because it so desperately filled a need but now puts them in a tough situation.

The ideal situation is to hope Brown retires this offseason. He can designate it now so that the Jets get that $10 million and spend it on someone who will (hopefully) play well. While the $1.5 million in dead cap this year is manageable, the remainder of the original $6.3 million dead cap number will be dead in 2024.

Still, that is probably better than spending $11.5 million against the cap for a 38-year-old man to be less than good for another year. The first-round pick of this year's draft should certainly be an offensive tackle, and then you have Mekhi Becton and Max Mitchell (maybe Alijah Vera-Tucker?) as options for that other tackle spot.

It should also be noted that quality offensive tackles can be signed for modest deals in free agency. I still lose sleep over the Jets letting their former tackle Morgan Moses walk to the Baltimore Ravens on a three-year $15 million dollar deal. With the $10 million freed up from Brown, they could make two of those types of deals and get quality players.

The Verdict

Cut him. It's arguable he should've never even been signed. Had Joe Douglas properly fortified the position (i.e. re-signing Moses at least) he would've never had to sign a very old, very injured replacement. Take the $10 million.