Potential Jets Cap Cut: Nate Hairston

We continue our series looking at potential Jets cap cuts this offseason with Nate Hairston.

Cap charge if on the team in 2020: $2.14 million

Cap savings if cut: $2.14 million ($0 in dead money)

Why cutting Hairston would make sense: Hairston got fairly extensive playing time after the Jets acquired him in a late August trade from the Indianapolis Colts, seeing approximately one-third of the defensive snaps. His play was erratic. He was notably benched in the win over the Giants after being repeatedly beaten. This made the way for rookie Bless Austin to enter the lineup.

Why cutting Hairston wouldn’t make sense: Unlike other veteran potential cap cuts we have profiled in this series such as Josh Bellamy and Jonotthan Harrison, I think you can make an argument that Hairston is a quality backup. He had a couple of good games for the Jets both on the outside in place of Trumaine Johnson and in the slot replacing Brian Poole. While you probably don’t want to depend on him for a full season, you might be able to squeeze a game or two out of him in a pinch. His ability to line up both inside and outside might make him worth keeping as a backup, even for slightly more than the league minimum.

What do you think?