08/30 — Today is "Final Cut Day" in the NFL, and the Jets announced 22 player moves to get down to the NFL's 53-player maximum.

Two Jets veterans are at the top of the list as LB Matt Chatham and DB Hank Poteat were released. Eighteen other players were waived, and veteran S Cameron Worrell was placed on injured reserve (a correction from an earlier report in which we stated he was waived/injured).

Also, as previously announced by an NFL spokesperson, RB Jesse Chatman was suspended four games for violation of the league's steroids policy and will not count on the final-53 roster.

Head coach Eric Mangini is about to hold a conference call now with Jets reporters to comment on the moves.

Here is the list of the 18 players, by position, waived by the Jets:

RB — Jehuu Caulcrick

TE — Jason Pociask, A.J. Schable

WR — David Ball, Larry Brackins, Paul Raymond

OL — Jacob Bender, Stanley Daniels, Kyle DeVan, Nate Garner, Matt McChesney

DL — Thomas Johnson, Bryan Mattison, Ropati Pitoitua

LB — Blair Phillips, Brandon Renkart

DB — Rudy Burgess, James Ihedigbo

The Jets' current roster lists four QBs — Brett Favre, Kellen Clemens, Brett Ratliff and rookie Erik Ainge — two tailbacks in Thomas Jones and Leon Washington, four tight ends (including long-snapper James Dearth), and seven wide receivers — Laveranues Coles, Jerricho Cotchery, Brad Smith, Chansi Stuckey, Wallace Wright, David Clowney and Marcus Henry.

The defensive distribution is more "usual" by football standards — seven linemen, eight LBs, nine DBs — although the moving of David Barrett around the secondary in camp and in the last two preseason games is reflected in the secondary numbers. There are only three safeties on the roster in Kerry Rhodes, Eric Smith and Abram Elam, but Barrett has passed his audition and now appears to be a safety as well as a corner.

There are 26 offensive players, 25 defensive players and two kickers on this roster, which still can change before the season-opening kickoff Sept. 7 at Miami. Five of the six members of the Jets' 2008 Jets draft class are on the active roster, with only seventh-round OL Nate Garner being waived.

One undrafted rookie free agent made this roster: DE/LB Kenwin Cummings, who had a team-leading six tackles in the final preseason game at Philadelphia. Also, the roster has three first-year players: Ratliff and WR David Clowney, who teamed up for 222 yards, eight completions and two 70-yard TDs in the first 1½ games before Clowney injured his shoulder, plus OL Robert Turner, who played in two games last season but still retains his first-year status this season.

All teams had until 4 p.m. EDT today to reach the maximum of 53 players on their Active/Inactive Lists, and after noon Sunday all teams may establish their eight-player practice squads.

Eric Allen and I are on the conference call, and EA will have a news story on Coach Mangini's comments shortly after the call ends this evening.