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All teams have injury issues already.
It’s the nature of the NFL.
But some team’s injury situations are worse than others, based on who got hurt, and who is replacing them.
One thing about the Jets, since they aren’t paying a QB the going rate of $55 million a year and also haven’t had to pay “The Big Four” from the 2022 draft – cornerback Sauce Gardner, wide receiver Garrett Wilson, defensive end Jermaine Johnson and running back Breece Hall their second deals yet, they could afford to construct a roster with really good depth.
Their opponent this week, the Denver Broncos, who have a cap nightmare, thanks to trading Russell Wilson early in a megadeal, and have $85 million in dead cap money the next two years, including $35.4 million this year, don’t have a lot of depth.
The Broncos will be without two key players on Sunday – right tackle Mike McGlinchey and inside linebacker Alex Singleton to a knee injury.
That could be a problem against the Jets pass rush and running game. McGlinchey is one of the better right tackles in football and Singleton is a tackling machine. Also out is edge-rusher Baron Browning with a foot injury.
Losing starters happens all the time in the NFL due to the nature of the sport, but the Broncos had no money for depth, so losing three starters is a big deal to them, and could impact the game on Sunday.
The Jets have two starters on the injury report – inside linebacker C.J. Mosley and right tackle Morgan Moses.
But GM Joe Douglas, running a team not in cap hell, has put together a roster rife with quality depth, so the Jets should be fine without either player.
The Jets’ healthy cap situation, and strong roster, allowed them to pick an offensive tackle for depth purposes with the 11th pick of the 2024 first round – Olu Fashanu.
While we all know Fashanu will be a long-time starter for the Jets, but he wasn’t slated to start this year, barring injuries, because the team had Tyron Smith and Moses to handle the starting tackle jobs this year.
And in a cap sport, it’s hard to pick a depth player in the first round. Usually, you need to pick an immediate starter, especially in the top half of the first round.
But the Jets were able to do it, because of their healthy cap situation and a strong roster from top to bottom, even before the draft.
So now the Jets have Fashanu, one of the best offensive tackles in the 2024 draft, filling in for Moses, which is a rare luxury in the NFL, having an 11th pick overall as a backup.
So don’t be surprised if the Broncos’ injuries to three starters hurt them this Sunday, and the Jets’ injuries don’t hurt them at all.
That Wilson cap hit is like a ball-and-chain around the ankles of the Broncos personnel department.
Aside from being at home, having a future Hall-of-Fame QB (Aaron Rodgers) against a rookie QB (Bo Nix), the Jets’ great depth will also give them an advantage on Sunday.
September 25, 2024
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