By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. – AP Pro Football Writer
FLORHAM PARK, NJ (AP) — Chris Streveler will always have a special place in New York Jets preseason lore.
The former CFL quarterback, who led New York to three fourth-quarter wins this summer, was among the team’s cutoffs as it reached the mandatory roster of 53 players on Tuesday.
“Difficult Business” Streveler wrote: on Twitter. “So grateful for the opportunities this pre-season. It’s just another leg of the journey. The work and the mindset don’t change!
Other notable Jets cuts included: running backs Tevin Coleman and La’Mical Perine; wide receiver Calvin Jackson Jr.; tight end Trevon Wesco; defensive linemen Jonathan Marshall, Jabari Zuniga and Bradlee Anae; linebacker Hamsah Nasirildeen; cornerbacks Isaiah Dunn and Javelin Guidry; and safeties Will Parks and Jason Pinnock.
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Pinnock (fifth round), Nasirildeen (sixth) and Marshall (sixth) were all late draft picks by general manager Joe Douglas last year.
When the Jets signed the 27-year-old Streveler shortly before training camp, the move went without much fanfare. He was seen by many as a mere ‘arm of camp’, with starter Zach Wilson and substitutes Joe Flacco and Mike White ahead of him on the depth chart.
“That’s how it starts, then you let a guy go and it’s up to him to take the opportunity and make the most of his opportunity,” coach Robert Saleh said. “And it was really cool to see what he did.”
In the preseason opener in Philadelphia, Wilson injured his knee and Flacco was out of uniform for that game. So White stepped in – and was then replaced by Streveler, who threw two fourth-quarter TD passes in the win. This came after Streveler had taken no photos during team drills at camp up to that point.
The former South Dakota star led another late-game comeback against Atlanta, then threw two more touchdown passes to lead the Jets from behind to beat the Giants in the preseason finale. He was 24 of 33 for 277 yards with five touchdowns and one interception in three games this summer.
This prompted Saleh to say that Streveler “probably had one of the greatest pre-seasons in football history”.
It just wasn’t enough to get Streveler on the Jets’ initial 53-man roster, even with some fans wanting him to make the team over White. But Saleh made it clear that Streveler — who had already played three NFL games, including seven regular-season games with Arizona — would be welcome on the practice squad if he clears the waivers.
“Strev is awesome,” Saleh said. “I had a great conversation with him. Hoping to get him back. That’s the whole job too, and he definitely played – I don’t want to take that away from him. But when you look at Mike White d a year ago, OTA, training camp, he had two tough games (pre-season), but had a very good game against the Giants.
“Mike just has a global job, really understands what we’re trying to do.”
Meanwhile, Wilson remains sidelined after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus. He also has a bone bruise and the Jets won’t rush him to the field.
“As soon as he feels he’s ready to go,” Saleh said. “There is no timetable. We saw him on the bike, he rides around, he was in training today. He assimilates all the information, he does guided tours, he is at every meeting. So as soon as he’s cleared by the doctors and feels good, he’ll be there.
So there remains a very strong chance that Flacco will be under center for the Jets in their regular season opener at home against Baltimore on Sept. 11.
“If Zach isn’t ready by Week 1 and we have a lot to see over the next week,” Saleh said, “then yes, Joe will be the starter.”
NOTES: WR Denzel Mims remains on the roster despite being traded last week. Saleh was asked if he thought Mims was being held “hostage” by the Jets for not granting his treatment request. “Is he frustrated? Is he frustrated with all of us? Of course, I’m sure he is,” Saleh said. “He wants to play and for that, I don’t think he’s a hostage. It’s a lot easier to kick someone out if they want a trade if they’re Jerks and it’s not Denzel. He’s a good young man and I like the way he approaches everything, even with that, the way he came, very professional, comes to meetings, trains, does everything. So I guess I just don’t consider him a hostage.”
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