Tag: Brian Winters injury

John Idzik’s draft picks essentially all gone after Jets release Brian Winters

John Idzik only has one draft pick left on the Jets following the release of Brian Winters.

Two players from the John Idzik era remained on the Jets’ roster before the team decided to cut Brian Winters on Sunday. Now only one is left — and he’s not even going to play in 2020.

Winters was officially cut by the Jets on Sunday. The move saved the Jets $7.2 million in cap space.

Idzik, now a consultant for the Jaguars, picked Winters out of Kent State in the third round of his first-ever draft as Jets GM in 2013. Winters became a fixture on New York’s offensive line for seven years and one of just a few good picks made by Idzik.

Winters started in 79 of the 89 games he played in for New York. He only played in six games in 2014 due to a torn ACL. In 2017, Winters missed three games because of an abdomen injury. Last season, Winters was out for seven games because of a shoulder injury.

Idzik was a poor drafter in his two years as Jets general manager. Of Idzik’s 19 total draft picks, only six are still in the NFL. That includes Winters, Quincy Enunwa, Oday Aboushi, Geno Smith, Dakota Dozier and Sheldon Richardson. Enunwa remains the lone Idzik draft pick under contract with the Jets, but he will miss the 2020 season due to another neck injury. There is a strong possibility his career is over.

In other words, not a single Idzik pick will play for the Jets this year.

Jets G Brian Winters played through torn shoulder all season

Jets guard Brian Winters was playing with a torn shoulder throughout the season before re-disclocating it again.

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Jets guard Brian Winters was playing through more than a dislocated shoulder this season.

According to the Daily News’ Manish Mehta, Winters tore the entire front part of his shoulder during the preseason. However, Winters played through it by wearing a brace that gave it some extra protection.

Winters re-dislocated his shoulder on Sunday against the Giants and is more likely out for the rest of the season. He might need surgery to repair his shoulder, but that has yet to be determined at this point.

The 28-year-old is the second-longest tenured Jet on the roster behind Bilal Powell. But injuries have derailed his career, as he’s only been able to play in three full seasons in seven years.

Sunday could have been Winters’ final game in a Jets uniform. He has one year left on his four-year contract, but his $7 million base salary is non-guaranteed. He also has a $500,000 roster bonus, so the Jets can cut him and wouldn’t be hit with any dead money.

Winters has always been a tough-nosed football player since the day he arrived in New York. But his play on the field hasn’t been what the Jets expect from him. With that and his latest injury in mind, the Jets are going to be in the market for a new left guard come March.