The Jets seem to finish with Trumaine Johnson

Before Monday night's game against the Browns, the Jets had to know that the result would depend largely on their ability to contain Odell Beckham Jr. That was not so good! Beckham caught six balls for 161 yards and a score in Cleveland's 23-3 win. After the game, all the questions asked head coach Adam Gase were about why he had what he had on Beckham and he did not want to give any answers.

Nominal CB1 Trumaine Johnson, who signed a $ 72.5 million five-year contract barely a year ago, was nowhere to be found. Nate Hairston, acquired for a sixth round pick just three weeks ago in what was supposed to be a deep move, was compared to Beckham for most of the game. Hairston played every moment Until the start in the fourth quarter, injured, and it was only then that Johnson came into play for the last four decisive shots.

So where was Johnson?

"It was just our decision," coach Adam Gase said when asked why Johnson was not playing.

"We just decided not to play it."

This is not particularly enlightening. Maybe Johnson can explain?

"You'd have to ask Coach Gase and my DB coach.

"I was going with the [starters] come and go throughout the week in practice, "said Johnson. "I got dressed, so I thought I was going to play. I have not played. "

Gase said that Johnson was not on the table for disciplinary reasons, which, through his elimination process, gives the answer: Johnson just was not very good. The free agent, at a high price, practically went bankrupt last year and was not much better in week 1. Add to his disappointing game the fact that Gase finally wants to eliminate the former guys from general manager Mike Maccagnan ( and that Maccagnan was inexplicably authorized to launch the project and free will this spring before being fired), and Johnson does not have much of a role to play in the future of the Jets.

But what exactly can they do with him? Johnson said after last night's match that he would not ask for an exchange, but it was just theoretical. If it was exchangeable, the Jets would have already done so. New York is barely a third of the way through an agreement that will pay Johnson $ 45 million in its first three years, before its decision is accepted after 2020. The Jets could from Johnson after this season, but it would cost $ 12 million of dead space for next year, saving just $ 3 million.

So, more DNP could be in Johnson's future. Because in truth, Hairston was not so bad last night. He just did not get a lot of help. For example, what Hairston was supposed to do more when Beckham shot in a 33-yard pass with a hand? And on 89-yard touchdown by Beckham, the receiver lined up in the slot and surpassed the securities; Hairston had nothing to do with that.

It does not matter in itself that the Jets place their third highest-paid player in favor of a guy they had after an exchange at the end of the pre-season. NFL teams too often hunt out sunk costs, and if Hairston should be the guy if he gives them a better chance of winning. The problem is that teams that continue to be in situations where they have to make decisions like this do not usually have a very good chance of winning.