Jets Release 18 Players Ahead of Deadline

The Jets have waived 15 players, waived/injured LB Trevor Reilly, and released two veterans, WR/PR Jeremy Ross and RB Antone Smith. DE Sheldon Richardson will begin his one-game NFL suspension at 4 p.m. today and the Jets will have three more transactions by then to get down to the NFL's mandatory 53-player roster limit. Among the 16 waived players were a pair of Jets seventh-round draft picks, FB Tommy Bohanon and Reilly and three other players — TEs Zach Sudfeld and Wes Saxton and WR Kenbrell Thompkins — who played for the Jets in the past two regular seasons. The transactions by position: FB Tommy Bohanon and RB Antone Smith Bohanon was the Jets' seventh-round pick in the 2013 draft. In his three seasons with the Green & White, he had 20 carries for 67 yards and 17 receptions for 155 yards. Smith, a seven-year NFL vet, spent his first five seasons with the Falcons and signed with the Jets in August. This preseason he had 23 carries for 57 yards and four receptions for 10 yards. TEs Zach Sudfeld and Wes Saxton Sudfeld came to the Jets in 2013 and in '14 led the Jets with 20 special teams tackles. After losing all of last season to a knee injury, he returned this offseason and contributed seven preseason catches for 74 yards, including a touchdown in the preseason against Washington. Saxton spent time on both the practice squad and active roster, registering 12 plays against the Dolphins in London last regular season. He had three catches for 24 yards this preseason. Gs Craig Watts and Mike Liedtke Watts, a West Texas A&M product, spent the majority of his career with the Chargers after going undrafted in 2014. Liedtke spent last season on the Dolphins’ and Chiefs’ practice squads after making 39 starts at Illinois State.WRs Kenbrell Thompkins, Jeremy Ross and Chandler Worthy Thompkins went from New England’s practice squad to the Jets’ active roster in a three-week span last season and made some key catches, none bigger than his 43-yarder to set up the game-winning field goal at Dallas. Ross, a return specialist, spent most of his career with the Lions and has appeared in 45 games throughout his career. This preseason he had six receptions for 89 yards, returned four punts for 48 yards and had two kickoff returns for 66 yards, including a 51-yard return in the opener against Jacksonville. Worthy split time between Houston's active roster and practice squad last season and was responsible for kick and punt return duties as well. This summer he had two catches for 29 yards and three punt returns for 52 yards, including a 50-yard sideline tightrope return vs. the Giants DT Tarow Barney and DE Claude Pelon Barney was one of 13 undrafted free agents the Jets signed following April’s draft after appearing in 25 games in his final two seasons at Penn State. Pelon, a JUCO All-American at Mesa (AZ) before transferring to USC, signed with the Jets after going undrafted. LBs Trevor Reilly, Freddie Bishop and Taiwan Jones Reilly, the Jets' seventh-round pick in 2014, played in 29 games the past two seasons and led the special teams with 16 tackles last year and 28 tackles for those two seasons combined. Jones was on the Jets' practice squad for 14 weeks last season and was active but did not play in the last three games. He had an interception and two PDs in the summer finale at Philadelphia. Bishop spent the last two seasons in the CFL and registered 11 sacks in 2015. CBs Bryson Keeton, Darryl Morris and Kevin Short Keeton, a Montana State product, was one of 22 tryout players who participated in rookie minicamp before signing with the Jets. Morris played 23 games, starting one, for the Texans the past two seasons before signing with the Jets in March. Short came to the Green & White practice squad last November after spending two months with the Seahawks. S Doug Middleton Middleton, an Appalachian State product, was an undrafted free agent and was an All-Sun Belt honorable mention in 2015. He had a 40-yard return of a deflected interception out of the end zone late in the preseason opener vs. the Jaguars.

Transactions

Jets Release 18 Players Ahead of Deadline

15 Waived Including Bohanon & Sudfeld, Reilly Is Waived/Injured, Ross & Smith Are Released