The Jets and free agent defensive lineman Stephen Bowen have agreed to a contract, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link), who cites Bowen’s Instagram account. Washington’s official website passes along a screenshot of Bowen’s Instagram post, which shows him signing his new contract with the Jets.
Bowen, who turns 31 this Saturday, was raised in Dix Hills, New York, and played his college ball at Hofstra, so signing with the Jets means returning to his home team. The veteran lineman reached the free agent market last month, when Washington released him for cap purposes.
Bowen missed a chunk of the 2014 season while he recovered from knee surgery, and didn’t come off the physically unable to perform list until October. It was the second straight injury-plagued season for the former Cowboy, who played just 18 games over the last two years, and has recorded only a single sack in his last three seasons. In his 243 defensive snaps in ’14, Bowen recorded a -6.1 grade, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
The Jets have been on the lookout for defensive line depth recently, offering contracts to multiple lower-tier free agents, including Lawrence Guy, who decided to return to the Ravens.
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