Jets Country

Jets Re-Sign Veteran Offensive Lineman, Release Rookie Playmaker

New York brought Conor McDermott back to bolster their depth on the offensive line, parting ways with rookie Zonovan "Bam" Knight.

Max Goodman

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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. 

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher  of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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