Jets Set 53-Man Roster
The 2023 campaign obviously didn’t go as planned for the Jets, but the organization is hoping for much more success with a healthy Aaron Rodgers under center in 2024. Of course, before they can take the field, the team had to set their 53-man roster. The Jets announced the following roster moves today:
Released:
- LB Sam Eguavoen
- TE Anthony Firkser
- OL Jake Hanson
- DL Jalyn Holmes
- K Austin Seibert
- CB Kendall Sheffield
- DL Tanzel Smart
Waived:
- CB Shemar Bartholomew
- S Al Blades Jr.
- OL Austin Deculus
- OL Obinna Eze
- OL Chris Glaser
- WR Tyler Harrell
- DL Bruce Hector
- LB Anthony Hines
- RB Deon Jackson
- S Jaylen Key
- TE Zack Kuntz
- S Jarius Monroe
- OL Brady Latham
- OL Kohl Levao
- QB Adrian Martinez
- LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
- WR Lance McCutcheon
- QB Andrew Peasley
- TE Lincoln Sefcik
- CB Nehemiah Shelton
- LB Jackson Sirmon
- WR Brandon Smith
- DB Tre Swilling
- DL Jaylen Twyman
- OL Willie Tyler III
- RB Xazavian Valladay
- WR Isaiah Winstead
Placed on reserve/NFI list:
- DL Leki Fotu
- QB Jordan Travis
- TE Kenny Yeboah
Following today’s moves, the Jets are temporarily rostering only a pair of tight ends in Tyler Conklin and Jeremy Ruckert. Anthony Firkser isn’t an especially surprising cut, but the veteran could have provided some experience to the position grouping. After topping 30 receptions with the Titans in 2020 and 2021, Firkser was limited to nine catches in 2022 before appearing in only a pair of games with the Lions in 2023. The Jets also moved on from 2023 seventh-round pick Zack Kuntz, although there’s a chance the six-foot-eight tight end lands back on the team’s practice squad.
The Jets also moved on from a notable rookie in Jaylen Key, who had the distinction of being this year’s Mr. Irrelevant. The safety had a strong one-season stint at Alabama, where he collected 60 tackles and one interception.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived (with injury settlement): OL Carter O’Donnell
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OT Julién Davenport
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from PUP: WR Jalen Coker, Chau Smith-Wade
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on NFI: OT Trent Brown
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: QB Jacob Eason
- Waived: LS Peter Bowden
Houston Texans
- Reverted to IR: WR Jared Wayne
- Released from IR: WR Jaxon Janke
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on PUP: LB Darien Butler, OL Jacob Johanning, OL Jackson Powers-Johnson, WR Jalen Guyton, T Kolton Miller
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on PUP: TE Tyler Higbee
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Kyric McGowan
- Placed on PUP: WR Odell Beckham, LB David Long
- Placed on IR: WR Tahj Washington
- Activated off NFI: RB Salvon Ahmed, S Mark Perry
New England Patriots
- Placed on PUP: C Jake Andrews, WR Kendrick Bourne, G Cole Strange, LB Sione Takitaki
- Placed on NFI: RB Antonio Gibson
New York Giants
- Placed on PUP: T Evan Neal▪️, CB Aaron Robinson
- Placed on NFI: DB Jalen Mills, DB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
New York Jets
- Signed: CB Nehemiah Shelton
- Activated from PUP: WR Tyler Harrell, DT Leonard Taylor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on NFI: DB Cooper DeJean
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on PUP: LB Dre Greenlaw, S Talanoa Hufanga
- Placed on NFI: WR Ricky Pearsall
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Marcus Simms, OT Jalen Sundell
- Activated from PUP: LB Jerome Baker, CB Lance Boykin, LB Tyrel Dodson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on NFI: QB Zack Annexstad, TE Tanner Taula
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on PUP: WR Colton Dowell, OT Nicholas Petit-Frere
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/18/24
Today’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Reverted to IR: WR Jaxon Janke
- Reverted to NFI: OL LaDarius Henderson
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on PUP: LB Bradley Chubb, LB Cameron Goode, LB Jaelan Phillips, OL Isaiah Wynn
- Placed on NFI: RB Salvon Ahmed
New York Jets
- Placed on PUP: RB Nick Bawden, DL Leonard Taylor, WR Mike Williams
- Placed on NFI: WR Tyler Harrell, QB Jordan Travis
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on PUP: LB Jerome Baker, CB Lance Boykin, LB Tyrel Dodson, RT Abe Lucas, S Jerrick Reed II, LB Drake Thomas, NT Cameron Young
- Placed on NFI: G Anthony Bradford, LB Easton Gibbs, CB D.J. James, CB Nehemiah Pritchett, WR Dee Williams
As a reminder, players who land on the physically unable to perform list or the non-football injury list can be activated at any time during training camp or the preseason. If players remain on either of those two lists following initial 53-man rosters, they’ll be forced to sit out the first four games of the 2024 season.
While the majority of the Dolphins’ injuries were expected, Isaiah Wynn‘s placement on PUP is a bit of a surprise. The offensive lineman continues to recover from a quadriceps injury that ended his 2023 campaign in October, but his rehab is apparently taking longer than expected. After mostly playing offensive tackle to begin his career, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald says the former first-round pick is expected to be the “front-runner” at left guard once he’s healthy enough to see the field. Jackson also passed along that Salvon Ahmed‘s issue isn’t related to his season-ending foot injury from last season and is a result of a “minor medical issue.” The RB is firmly on the roster bubble heading into training camp.
Jets Sign 17 UDFA Rookies
The first five of the Jets’ seven draft picks last week focused on the offensive side of the ball. Luckily, they were able to add a number of defensive rookies who fell out of the draft as undrafted free agents. Here are the 17 players heading to New York as UDFAs:
- Shemar Bartholomew, CB (Georgia Southern)
- Al Blades Jr., S (Duke)
- Jimmy Ciarlo, LB (Army)
- Tyler Harrell, WR (Miami)
- Peewee Jarrett, QB (West Florida)
- Tre Jenkins, LB (San Jose State)
- Tyreek Johnson, DE (South Carolina)
- Myles Jones, CB (Duke)
- Brady Latham, G (Arkansas)
- Braiden McGregor, DE (Michigan)
- Jarius Monroe, S (Tulane)
- Marcus Riley, WR (Florida A&M)
- Lincoln Sefcik, TE (South Alabama)
- Jackson Sirmon, LB (California)
- Leonard Taylor, DT (Miami)
- Willie Tyler, T (Louisville)
- Eric Watts, DT (Connecticut)
Latham, a four-year starter for the Razorbacks spent nearly all of his time as a left guard at the collegiate level. His father was an All-Conference center for Oklahoma back in the 1980’s, and some NFL teams thought Latham had potential to follow his father’s footsteps as a center at the next level.
Many saw McGregor as a draft-and-develop prospect that could go on Day 3 of the draft, but instead the 22-year-old leaves Ann Arbor as an undrafted free agent. He’s long, fast, and explosive but will need to get coached up in order to turn those attributes into starting potential.
Taylor falling out of the draft altogether was one of the more surprising outcomes from last weekend. A former 5-star recruit for the Hurricanes, Taylor racked up five sacks and 20.0 tackles for loss in his first two seasons. A disappointing junior year had teams questioning whether the lack of production came from discipline on the field or perhaps an inability to buy-in. Still, the raw talent available to Taylor was thought to warrant at least an early-Day 3 selection. Instead, he falls to the Jets, where he could find rotational playing time behind two excellent role models in Javon Kinlaw and Quinnen Williams.
Taylor is joined in New York by two former teammates who spent time in the transfer portal. Harrell only spent one year in Coral Gables after transferring from Alabama, where he also spent only one season. A burner with track experience, Harrell showed the most potential during his final year at Louisville in 2021, when he averaged 29.1 yards per catch and caught six touchdowns. Blades spent his final year of eligibility at Duke but played his first four seasons at Miami. He had two strong seasons for the Hurricanes in 2019 and 2020, nabbing four interceptions and 13 passes defensed, but was quiet the following two years until he transferred to Durham, where he led the Blue Devils in passes defensed with 10 in 2023.