Predicting NY Jets next 3 moves after releasing Laken Tomlinson

The NY Jets made their first major move of the offseason on Monday, releasing starting offensive guard Laken Tomlinson. Tomlinson's departure opens up another hole in the Jets' offensive line and sets the stage for what promises to be a busy offseason.

The Jets realistically need to add three new starting offensive linemen, and that's just the beginning for an organization that is attempting to compete for a Super Bowl next season.

General manager Joe Douglas and the rest of this Jets staff have their work cut out for them this offseason. From releases to restructures to re-signing, there is still plenty of work to be done, even before free agency begins next month.

It can be difficult to predict the exact order of every offseason move, but here is our best attempt at predicting the next three moves the Jets will make after Tomlinson's release.

3. The NY Jets will re-sign a low-tier internal free agent

Before the Jets begin evaluating potential external free-agent targets, they must first analyze their own internal free agents. There are a few players the Jets should look to re-sign before free agency begins.

Special-teams standouts Thomas Morstead, Greg Zuerlein, and Justin Hardee feel like the most likely players to be brought back before they hit the open market. The Jets have one of the best special-teams units in the league, and those three are big reasons for it.

Perhaps the Jets could also re-sign a rotational defender like Solomon Thomas or Ashtyn Davis. Thomas is well-liked in the Jets' locker room and feels like a safe bet to be brought back. Davis is a favorite of Brant Boyer's, and he showcased his value on defense as well in 2023.

Elsewhere, players like Quinton Jefferson, Connor McGovern, and Aaron Rodgers favorites Billy Turner and Randall Cobb are all candidates to be re-signed. The safest bet is probably on one (or more) of the specialists filling this role.

2. The NY Jets will restructure the contracts of C.J. Mosley, John Franklin-Myers, and others

The Jets saved over $8 million by releasing Laken Tomlinson, bringing their total cap space up to over $20 million. There is still work to be done, however, as the Jets will need to find other ways to cut costs.

While that could entail more releases (more on that in a moment), the Jets will also likely take full advantage of contract restructures again this offseason, much like they did last year.

Two players who will almost definitely have their contracts restructured are linebacker C.J. Mosley and defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers. Mosley's cap hit stands at $21.48 million and is the highest on the team. Franklin-Myers' cap hit is the fourth-highest at $16.36 million.

The Jets can save over $10.5 million by restructuring Mosley's contract and pushing more dead money into the future. Similarly, they would save $9.2 million by doing the same with Franklin-Myers.

It's theoretically possible that the Jets simply release both players and save money that way, but each of Mosley and Franklin-Myers is crucial to the team's defensive success. A restructure is the most likely route.

Other players who are restructure candidates include Quinnen Williams, Allen Lazard, and D.J. Reed. Reed is entering the final year of his contract, and it might make more sense for the Jets to lower his cap hit via an extension as opposed to a restructure.

Either way, the Jets will almost certainly restructure a few contracts before the start of free agency. They need to find ways to create cap space before the new league year begins.

1. The NY Jets will release C.J. Uzomah

The Jets' decision to release Laken Tomlinson came as a bit of a surprise as, even though his performance on the field was lackluster, he was the only consistent member of the offensive line over the last two seasons. The release was justified, but it still caught some off guard.

The same can't be said about the seemingly inevitable release of tight end C.J. Uzomah. Now that the Jets have begun their cap-saving process, Uzomah feels like the next veteran to be shown the door.

The Jets originally signed Uzomah to a three-year, $$24 million contract prior to the 2022 season. Uzomah played an important role in the Jets' offense in his first season, even if his box-score production was rather nondescript.

Unfortunately, Uzomah's second season with the Jets was far less impactful. The veteran tight end struggled mightily as both a receiver and blocker and eventually found himself benched in favor of the younger Jeremy Ruckert.

Uzomah hauled in just eight catches for 58 yards in 12 games before a knee injury ended his season prematurely. The injury, combined with his lackluster performance, makes this an easy decision for the Jets.

Uzomah's cap hit balloons to $11.2 million in 2023, but the Jets can save $5.3 million by releasing him. They could've saved even more had Joe Douglas not already restructured his contract last offseason.

The Jets can move forward with Tyler Conklin and Ruckert as their top two tight ends and potentially look to add another piece in the offseason. As for Uzomah, his time with the Jets has likely come to an end.