Written by Rich Cimini at ESPN.com
The New York Jets have released high-priced left tackle Ryan Clady, the start of what figures to be an offseason roster purge.
On Wednesday, the team informed Clady’s agent it won’t pay a $1 million roster bonus, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. By not paying the bonus, due Wednesday, the Jets made Clady a free agent.
Clady, 30, whom they acquired only 10 months ago in a trade with the Denver Broncos, also was scheduled to make a non-guaranteed $10 million in base salary in the final year of the contract he signed last April to facilitate the trade.
The Jets cleared $10 million in cap space by cutting Clady, which should get them under the projected salary cap for 2017. Previously, they were about $7 million over the cap.
This was the first significant salary dump in what figures to be a major overhaul. High-profile players such as Darrelle Revis, Nick Mangold and Brandon Marshall could follow him out the door.
The Jets, unsuccessful in their attempt to convince Clady to take a pay cut, could re-sign him at a later date. Clady, who missed the final seven games after tearing a rotator cuff, is recovering from surgery.
For now, they have a gaping hole at left tackle. Ben Ijalana, who replaced Clady at left tackle, is a pending free agent. There is no heir apparent on the roster.
This is a rare case of instability for the Jets.
For 10 years, the left-tackle position was manned by D’Brickashaw Ferguson, but he retired abruptly last April. The Jets took a chance on the talented, injury-plagued Clady, trading a fifth-round pick to the Broncos. The Jets also received a seventh-rounder in return.
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