New York Jets: Initial 53-man roster has some surprises

The New York Jets have finalized their 53-man roster for 2018, and there are two major surprises based on how things were going in preseason games.

It’s that time of the year again. The NFL rosters have been trimmed down from 90 to 53 players, and the New York Jets surprised many with two of their cuts. The Jets waived Frankie Luvu and Tre McBride, both of whom were having a good summer.

McBride had a connection with rookie quarterback Sam Darnold, and many expected him to make the team as a lower option and on special teams, but that wasn’t meant to be. When it comes to Luvu, there’s no doubt he was the best performing edge rusher in preseason games. If they clear waivers, they can still be added to the practice squad. So, there’s still hope for them.

Another two surprises are Elijah McGuire and Jermaine Kearse. It’s not a surprise that they’re on the team, but the biggest surprise is that neither was given the Reserved/Injured, Designated to Return designation. One still might, but if not, then the Jets believe they could be back as early as Week 2.

Even though I wrote that he earned a spot on the roster with his performance against the Eagles, the biggest surprise among those the Jets kept was Lawrence Thomas. I thought he earned the job, but there still might not be enough room for him on the roster. He may just be a Week 1 placeholder though until Kevin Pierre-Louis comes off the Reserve/Suspend by the Commissioner list.

There should be no surprise that the Jets surprised us at this time of the year. However, this is just the beginning of the moves. More moves are likely to come before they begin preparations for the Lions on Sept. 10. There’s only one question left. Are you ready for some football?!