The Jets released wide receiver Jason Hill and linebacker Marcus Downtin on Tuesday and activated defensive back Donnie Fletcher from the practice squad.

Hill missed practice Monday for what was later described as a lower back injury. According to Conor Orr, the back injury occurred in warm ups prior to Sunday’s game. I can only assume at this point that Hill’s injury lead to his release (as opposed to his being not very g00d). Orr also reported on a disagreement over an injury settlement for Hill, for which Hill will vile a grievance against the team.

Dowtin, also known as “the hybrid,” has been a favorite with fans since he was signed to the team this spring. Dowtin was activated to the 53-man roster several weeks ago after injuries piled up and while he did not play a lot with the defensive unit, he did make some contributions on special teams. After he was declared inactive for the Rams game, many suspected that perhaps Dowtin was injured. However, it has since been determined it was not injury related, muddying the prospect of his being resigned to the practice squad.

Update: Per Rich Cimini, Dowtin’s release is related to a special teams meeting last week.  From Cimini: “He either missed a meeting or was kicked out of a meeting, and that was the reason he didn’t travel to St. Louis, according to a source.”

Fletcher provides the team with some depth at cornerback  in preparation for the New England game and after several injuries have further depleted depth at the position.

Hill’s release does leave the Jets pretty thin at WR and it’s even more puzzling when you also consider how poorly Stephen Hill has performed lately. However, the Jets worked out Patrick Turner today – per Brian Costello – and with these two cuts and thge roster currently at 50, the assumption is that the Jets have something up their sleeve.

I previewed the Jets-Patriots game with the guys from “The Football Juice” last night. The chat is embedded below for your convenience.