New York Jets Veterans Who Have Been Put on Notice This Offseason

The last regime's treasure can be the next regime's trash. 

That's not to suggest that the New York Jets will completely gut their roster simply because Mike Maccagnan is the general manager instead of John Idzik and Todd Bowles is the head coach instead of Rex Ryan, but it does serve as a reminder of life in the NFL.

No matter how safe you think you are, you're only as safe as the people who added you to the team in the first place. As executives change and as coaches change, so do the visions of the franchise and the blueprint by which the roster is built.

For that reason, while some players may still be safe, that does not mean they can kick back and rest on their laurels. Whether it's a player on the roster bubble, a player in danger of a diminished role or someone who may not be with the team a year or two down the line, the Jets put different players on notice at all levels of the depth chart.

Jason Babin

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

The Jets may need edge pass-rushers like a gambling addict needs a trip to the race track, but after adding Louisville outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft, it may be time to begin building toward the future.

If veteran defensive end Jason Babin is going to sit on the bench, the Jets may need to consider shedding his cap hit to allow Mauldin as much of an opportunity as possible to hone his skills and become the every-down edge defender the Jets need. 

Babin played 470 snaps in 2014 and notched 27 hurries, seven hits and three sacks. Those numbers were relatively productive on a per-snap basis (18th out of 47 3-4 outside linebackers), but his small role in the defense is indicative of his lack of overall value to the Jets.

Granted, he may be a bigger part of Todd Bowles' defensive game plan than he was under Rex Ryan, but with a $1.625 million cap hit—of which the Jets can save $1.5 million in 2015—the Jets may want to consider moving on to save some of that money.

Willie Colon

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Another offseason brings another one-year deal for veteran guard Willie Colon. The Jets signed Colon to a one-year deal worth $950,000 this offseason, and it has become increasingly clear each year that the Jets are continuing their search for youth at Colon's position.

Two years ago, the Jets drafted guard Brian Winters in the third round. In 2014, it was Oday Aboushi in the fifth round. This year, Texas A&M's Jarvis Harrison was the guard of choice in the fifth round.

Winters, Aboushi and Harrison have a combined three years of NFL experience, which is one-third the experience of nine-year veteran Colon, but despite his experience, the Jets are hesitant to hitch the wagon to Colon at the guard spot.

With three straight one-year deals, it's clear that the Jets do not view him as a long-term option and would rather find a younger replacement option sooner than later. Well, with three young guards on the roster, the Jets may get their wish. 

Bilal Powell

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Chris Ivory, Stevan Ridley, Zac Stacy and Bilal Powell comprise a very deep—and very one-dimensional—stable of running backs. How many of them will the Jets aim to keep on their final roster? It's possible that all four running backs will find a home with the Jets at the end of training camp, but the Jets have created a competition for roster spots that should have everyone looking over his shoulder.

Ivory, Ridley and Stacy have all been productive at the NFL level, but Powell has seniority over all of them with the Jets. Now that Rex Ryan is out as head coach, seniority doesn't mean anything. 

Powell's cap hit for 2015 is $2 million, and according to Over The Cap, the Jets can save every penny of that cap hit by cutting him. Powell could prove to be worth the money, but only if he carves out a niche on passing downs. 

He began that process last year, but he'll have to push forward in his development as a scatback in 2015. Powell went out for a pass or was kept in the backfield in pass protection on 187 of his 242 snaps last season. All those snaps on passing downs and Powell still only managed 11 receptions in 2014. Powell will need to be a productive receiving back if he wants to remain a part of the Jets' roster in 2015 and beyond.

Jeremy Kerley

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Jeremy Kerley is in no danger of being cut—not with $2.4 million in dead money and only $200,000 in savings for 2015—but there's a sneaky possibility that he could be surpassed on the Jets' depth chart.

With the Jets' aggressive pursuit of wide receivers—Eric Decker last year, Brandon Marshall this year and Devin Smith in the 2015 NFL draft—the depth chart is much more stocked than it's been in recent years.

Over the past three years, Kerley has been one of the Jets' most reliable and productive wide receivers. That's saying a lot considering he's managed 137 receptions for 1,739 yards and six touchdowns since 2012, which is actually approximal to the production posted by Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown in 2014 alone (129 receptions, 1,698 yards, 13 touchdowns). 

Take nothing away from Kerley, who has the skill set to be an effective slot receiver, but it says a lot about the passing game when an average of 46 receptions per year, 586 yards per year and two touchdowns per year ends up being the most productive receiver on the roster.

The Jets will run a spread offense under offensive coordinator Chan Gailey; that means that a number of receivers will get their opportunity to prove themselves in the Jets offense. That being said, with so many more talented options this year than in years past, Kerley's opportunities could dwindle. 

Besides, Kerley's contract only gets more expendable in future years, and it wasn't even this regime that signed him to that deal in the first place. 

Muhammad Wilkerson

Muhammad Wilkerson is not in any danger of being released. I repeat: Before you run to the comment section, I'm not an idiot who thinks Wilkerson will be cut. 

So why is Wilkerson on notice? Simple: Any time a player is in a contractual dispute with his team, both sides will do what they can to leverage negotiations in their favor. The Jets may not have entered the 2015 NFL draft with the plan of selecting the best defensive lineman in the class, but that's exactly what happened when Southern California's Leonard Williams fell to the Jets at No. 6 overall. 

Now, the Jets feature one of the most loaded defensive lines in all of football, and they could very well be looking to move on from Wilkerson after he plays out the fifth-year team option on his contract. There's still the possibility that the Jets could use the franchise tag on Wilkerson, but at a figure that could be in excess of $15 million, the question is whether the Jets can afford it given all their prior financial commitments.

In short, Wilkerson has been put on notice that he may have to come down off of his asking price if he wants to remain a part of the Jets' defensive line beyond 2015.

Unless otherwise noted, all advanced statistics provided by Pro Football Focus. All salary cap and contract information provided by Over The Cap.