The New York Jets continue to make roster moves ahead of the Week 5 Dallas Cowboys game.
Gang Green announced on social media that they have signed former Philadelphia Eagles running back Avery Williams to the practice squad. In a corresponding roster move, the team has released Lawrance Toafili.
Jets Add Player With Impressive Credentials
The name, Avery Williams, might not jump off the page, but his credentials sure will.
“Williams (5-9, 195) was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The Boise State product was initially drafted as a cornerback, but he was moved to running back during his second pro season. Williams has appeared in 49 games during his pro career, primarily as a returner. He led the NFL in average yards per punt return in 2022 (16.2), and he has returned 58 punts for 630 yards throughout his career. Williams has also returned 54 kicks for 1211 yards, averaging 22.4 yards per return. He was signed by the Eagles in March before he was released by the team in August,” Jets editorial contributor Susanna Weir wrote in a press release.
The Jets Have Brought in Plenty of Experience at Returner
Gang Green has suffered through some serious special teams issues this season. Two fumbles on kickoffs have cost the team dearly.
Xavier Gipson was thrown out the door shortly after Week 1. Isaiah Williams remains on the roster, for now. However, there is a chance he is a healthy scratch in Week 5 to hold him accountable for his fumble and fair catch at the two-yard line mistake from Week 4.
The Jets added veteran Khalil Herbert to the 53-man roster this week. He has experience running the football, catching it, and returning kicks.
This should provide the team with multiple avenues to replace Williams at least temporarily as they seek answers on special teams.
Main Reason for All of the Jets RB Roster Moves
The Jets are doing their due diligence to improve special teams, but the majority of their moves at running back were sparked by the Braelon Allen injury.
Head coach Aaron Glenn revealed on Friday, October 3, that Allen has two paths to consider for his rehab from the knee injury. He could undergo surgery or undergo non-surgical rehab, and the recovery timelines would be the same either way.
Glenn said they won’t make the decision; instead, they will leave that to Allen and his agent to decide what works best.
Glenn said the recovery timeline is between 8 to 12 weeks for Allen.
“So we’re talking about late November/early December in a best-case scenario,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini said on social media.
Glenn Heaps High Praise on New Jets RB Addition
“Man, I remember him [Herbert] and D-Mo, David Montgomery, that the Lions have right now going against both of those guys. You know it’s funny because I just told him this today, that man we thought he was just as good as David was, so I’m happy we got this player. He still has a lot of meat on the bone left, so with the injuries that we have had, and to be able to get a player like this was critical for us. So I look forward to seeing him play,” Coach Glenn told the media.
Glenn was noncommittal on Herbert making his Jets debut in Week 5 against the Cowboys, “Well, we’ll see. We will see, I mean, he just got here. There is a lot that goes into what we’re doing, and we will see.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Jets Sign Ex-Eagles Return Man Days Before Cowboys Tilt appeared first on Heavy Sports.