The New York Jets have made their first move following the Week 6 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Gang Green announced on social media that they have released defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III.
“Additionally, we signed WR Trenton Irwin to the practice squad and released RB Avery Williams from the practice squad,” the Jets posted on social media.
Taylor, 23, has been a healthy scratch for four of the first six games of the 2025 season.
Jets Never Got to See Taylor’s Full Potential
The former Miami product was considered a future first-round talent in college.
However, Dane Brugler of The Athletic wrote in “The Beast” that Taylor had “uneven production and performance … struggled to find any consistency … disappeared for stretches … Taylor has the individual traits to be a disruptive presence against the run and rushing the passer. However, he struggles to use all his gifts in unison and is often a step behind as he reacts to plays instead of staying ahead. Overall, Taylor doesn’t lack for talent, but the raw physical tools aren’t enough and won’t deliver consistent on-field production until he develops a more disciplined approach. While there is untapped potential there, it will require a patient coaching staff and complete buy-in from the player for him to work his way into an NFL rotation.”
In his rookie campaign with the Jets in 2024, Taylor finished with 1.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, and four quarterback hits. He only appeared in 28% of the defensive snaps, and there was a belief that more talent was beneath the surface.
Those flashes didn’t translate with the new regime, and Taylor struggled to get on the field.
Nothing Personal, Just a Numbers Game
Taylor is supremely talented, and this appeared to be his year to break out for the Jets.
One of the biggest positions of need for the green and white this offseason was defensive tackle. Despite that reality, the team ignored the position for the majority of the offseason.
That opened the door for Taylor to make some noise next to Quinnen Williams. Evidently, Taylor didn’t do enough to impress, and the front office made an aggressive move to fill the void ahead of the season.
Right before the start of the 2025 campaign, general manager Darren Mougey struck a pair of trades to add some brutus beefcake at defensive tackle. The team acquired Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs.
Those surprise moves took away two roster spots that were previously accounted for, and most importantly for Taylor, that took away key reps at defensive tackle.
In this new world, Taylor was buried on the depth chart and couldn’t get on the field.
Jets Still Have a Corresponding Roster Move to Make at Some Point
The green and white still have an open spot on the 53-man roster. Taylor’s release opens the door for someone else.
Gang Green announced a swap on the practice squad, but that is unrelated to the Taylor move.
The signing of Trenton Irwin adds some much-needed insurance in the wide receiver room for the Jets.
Jets editorial contributor Susanna Weir wrote in a press release, “Irwin (6-2, 204) originally signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent out of Stanford in 2019. After being released by the team in August of that year, he was signed to the Bengals’ practice squad in October and spent the next 6 seasons in Cincinnati. Irwin appeared in 41 games, 16 of which were during the 2023 season, and he has recorded 46 receptions for 601 yards and 5 TDs over his career. He had a brief stint with the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad last season, and he spent this past summer with the Jacksonville Jaguars before he was released in August.”
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