The Jets made a roster move on Monday, prioritizing their depth on the offensive line over a playmaker in their running back room.
New York re-signed offensive tackle Conor McDermott, releasing undrafted running back Zonovan "Bam" Knight.
McDermott, set to enter his sixth NFL season, was one of 27 players that the Jets either waived or released last week, cutting their roster down to 53. Before they brought McDermott back, the Jets only had one swing tackle on their roster: rookie Max Mitchell.
Now, McDermott provides more insurance in case New York needs to combat any additional adversity on their offensive line this year. New York lost Mekhi Becton for the season due to another knee injury, signing veteran Duane Brown who will start at left tackle (moving George Fant over to the right side).
If Mitchell, a fourth-round pick from the 2022 NFL draft, ends up needing more time to develop, the Jets can deploy McDermott at tackle and on special teams.
Meanwhile, Knight was poised to have an impact in a young running back room, helping out on special teams as well. The rookie out of N.C. State earned a roster spot after a strong camp and preseason. He accumulated 53 rushing yards and scored one touchdown on 15 carries in addition to 141 kick return yards during the preseason.
In college, Knight ran for a total of 2,286 yards with 18 touchdowns on 419 carries over three seasons. He scored three touchdowns returning kicks as well, averaging 30.8 yards per kick return.
Without Knight, the Jets will use rookie Breece Hall, sophomore Michael Carter and veteran Ty Johnson in the backfield.
More must-reads: