The New York Jets acquired Jeff Otah from the Carolina Panthers last Monday but the trade won’t be officially consummated after Otah failed a physical.
Panthers Release Jeff Otah
The Associated Press reports that the Panthers have terminated Otah’s contract and are releasing him outright. Otah has been plagued by knee problems over the past few seasons and has missed 31 of his last 35 NFL games.
The Panthers initially drafted Otah in the 2008 NFL Draft and he had been with the team ever since, playing well in his first two seasons before the injuries set it. It is possible that another team will take a chance on him before the season begins, but at this point, that seems unlikely.
Read Article >Jeff Otah Trade Is Dead; Jets Won’t Keep Him
The problem is that Otah can’t stay healthy. He failed his initial physical with the Jets last week and on Tuesday Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News reports the Jets will not be keeping Otah. This trade, like most trades, was contingent on the player passing a physical by a certain date and it would appear Otah wasn’t able to do that.
Assuming the trade never goes through, the Jets are going to be stuck with Hunter, who his one of the worst offensive tackles in the NFL. Tough situation for the Jets to go from replacing Hunter to now saying, “Wait a minute! You’re our starter again!” I’ll be curious if they make another move to upgrade that spot.
Read Article >Jeff Otah Fails Jets Physical, Could Invalidate Panthers’ Trade
But Otah failed his first physical with the Jets, and Pro Football Talk’s Darin Gantt says that the Panthers may end up with Otah again if he can’t pass another one in a week:
But a league source told PFT the trade was contingent on Otah passing his physical with the Jets in the next seven days, or else he goes back to Carolina.Otah has missed time in all four of his seasons in the NFL, has played just four games since 2009, missed the entire 2010 season with a lingering knee injury and has missed 32 of 64 regular-season contests as a Panther overall. The Panthers are unlikely to keep him if this trade ends up falling through.
Read Article >Carolina Panthers Trade Jeff Otah To New York Jets
June 12, 2012; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan speaks before New York Jets Minicamp at the Atlantic Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-US PRESSWIRE Otah spent the entire 2010 season on the sidelines and played just four games before going on injured reserve last October. He has yet to overcome knee problems that have persisted for nearly two years now. The conditions of the trade aren’t clear, but it’s a deal that still makes sense for both teams. The Panthers didn’t see Otah as a starter this season and are very light on cap room, while the Jets won’t give up much if Otah doesn’t get healthy and contribute. If he does get over his knee problems, he could be a huge bargain.
For more on the Panthers, head over to Cat Scratch Reader. For more on the Jets, check out Gang Green Nation.
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