FLORHAM PARK -- Steve McLendon's age jumps out when you go down the Jets' roster.

At 31 years old, the nose tackle is one of just four Jets over the age of 30. Quarterback Josh McCown (38), running back Matt Forte (31) and long snapper Tanner Purdom (34) are the others.

Though, McLendon isn't too worried about his age, jokingly comparing himself to a "fine wine" multiple times during the opening day of training camp.

But with the Jets building toward the the future, McLendon understands he'll have to take on a mentorship role.

"When my time is up, my time is up," McLendon said. "I'll move onto another thing, even if it's for another team or retirement. And regardless, you have to help a young man because at some point in the season, something might happen to me because we know what kind of season it is."

There's plenty of young linemen behind McLendon, including 27-year-old Deon Simon, who has developed steadily since being taken in the seventh round of the 2015 draft.

Simon went from a member of the practice squad his rookie season to a reliable option in 2016. He finished the season with 23 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

While McLendon performed well in his first season in New York, tallying 28 tackles and 3.5 sacks, numbers may force him out of town before his three-year, $12 million deal is up after next season.

McLendon has a cap hit of $3.921 million this season, but the Jets can free $3.046 million with his release, per OTC. Considering owner Woody Johnson's sudden desire to save as much money as possible -- see Eric Decker and David Harris' abrupt cuts -- it may make sense to move on from McLendon, especially if Simon, or fellow nose tackle Mike Pennel, outplay him in camp.

Whatever his future holds, McLendon looking forward to working with the young guys.

"It's brutal season," McLendon said. "It's a long season. And if you want to go as far as you want to go, your backups and the guys that can play multiple positions have to be groomed and they have to have that same type of growth."

Mark Fischer may be reached at mfischer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @nhlfisch21. Find NJ.com on Facebook.