These recent Jets signings are already cut candidates ahead of camp

The New York Jets took a low-risk, volume-heavy approach to free agency this offseason, as the team handed out a slew of short-term contracts to fringe roster players.

While none of these moves made major headlines, they were designed to bolster depth and create competition at key spots ahead of training camp. After all, this is a Jets team that isn't necessarily trying to compete for a Super Bowl in 2025.

But not every flier sticks. With roster spots limited and an abundance of young players pushing for spots, several of these recent signings likely won't even make the final 53-man roster.

From defensive line depth to an intriguing wide receiver, we take a look at six under-the-radar additions who could find themselves on the outside looking in by the end of the summer.

NY Jets offseason additions who might not make the 53-man roster

1. DT Byron Cowart

The Jets signed Byron Cowart to a one-year veteran minimum deal with just $167,500 guaranteed, suggesting that he's far from a roster lock. The former Patriots draft pick spent last season as a rotational piece on a Bears defensive line that was among the league’s worst.

Still, Cowart has reportedly made a strong early impression. Some insiders even believe he could be the frontrunner for the starting defensive tackle job next to Quinnen Williams heading into training camp.

But with a crowded defensive tackle room, Cowart’s range of outcomes is all over the map, much like the others we will talk about in a moment. He could be a Week 1 starter or not even make the 53-man roster.

2. DT Derrick Nnadi

Of the Jets’ three defensive tackle signings this offseason, Derrick Nnadi is the closest thing to a presumed roster lock, but even that feels premature to say.

Nnadi signed a one-year deal with $417,500 guaranteed and brings the most starting experience of the group, having started 87 games and appeared in 115 over seven seasons with the Chiefs.

Nnadi is a prototypical 1-tech run-stuffer who fits the mold of what the Jets need next to Quinnen Williams. He should be viewed as the early favorite for that job heading into training camp.

Still, with minimal guaranteed money in his deal, Nnadi will need to earn his role. His roster spot is safer than most on this list, but it’s far from guaranteed.

3. DT Jay Tufele

The most under-the-radar of the Jets’ trio of defensive tackle additions, Jay Tufele enters camp as a somewhat of a long shot to make the 53-man roster.

A former fourth-round pick of the Jaguars in 2021, Tufele spent the last three seasons with the Bengals, where he carved out a limited rotational role. He played a career-high 29% of defensive snaps last season and recorded his first career half-sack.

Tufele is younger than both Cowart and Nnadi — he turns 26 in a few weeks — and might have a bit more untapped upside, but with zero guaranteed money in his deal, he enters training camp squarely on the roster bubble. Of the three defensive tackles, Tufele has the most to prove this summer and the longest path to a spot on the 53-man roster.

4. DE Rashad Weaver

A former fourth-round pick of the Tennessee Titans, Rashad Weaver showed some promise in 2022 when he racked up 5.5 sacks as a rotational pass rusher. Since then, however, his career has stalled.

Weaver has failed to record a sack since that year and spent most of the 2024 season bouncing between practice squads, ultimately appearing in just three games with the Houston Texans.

That said, the Jets’ defensive end room is razor-thin behind starters Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald, giving Weaver a legitimate opportunity to carve out a role.

He reportedly impressed during spring practices and will look to carry that momentum into training camp. Like Tufele, Weaver has no guaranteed money in his contract, so his performance this summer will go a long way toward determining his roster status.

5. WR Tyler Johnson

Another position group where the Jets are short on proven talent is wide receiver, but that opens the door for added competition. Tyler Johnson, a former fifth-round pick of the Buccaneers, is a young depth option who has flashed when given opportunities.

He recorded 26 catches for 291 yards and a touchdown in 15 games with the Los Angeles Rams last season. Johnson signed a veteran minimum deal with $367,500 in guarantees back in March, and he'll look to beat out some of the other young receivers on the team for a roster spot.

He’ll be competing with the likes of rookie Arian Smith, Malachi Corley, Xavier Gipson, and a host of others for one of the final depth spots in the Jets’ WR room. As things stand, Johnson probably has a better-than-not chance of sticking, but a quiet summer could easily change that.

6. CB Kris Boyd

Kris Boyd is primarily a special-teams specialist. The 28-year-old cornerback will be suiting up for his fourth team in four years this season, and while he does have some experience at cornerback, his recent NFL usage has been almost exclusively special teams. He’s not quite on the level of a Justin Hardee, but that’s the role he’s competing for in New York.

Unfortunately for Boyd, the Jets’ cornerback room is one of the deepest on the roster, and it’s hard to envision him jumping ahead of five or six other names at the position.

His $330,000 in guarantees isn’t insignificant, but it doesn’t lock him into a roster spot either. He’ll need to impress new special-teams coordinator Chris Banjo to have any shot of making the 53-man roster.