The New York Jets abruptly cut ties with defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III this week.
It didn’t take long for him to find a new NFL home. NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero shared on social media that Taylor signed with the New England Patriots’ practice squad.
Jets Fans Aren’t Pleased With How Things Turned Out
“Well this blows,” The Jet Press posted on social media.
“I don’t know how this doesn’t piss you off 😡😡😡 #JetUP,” a Jets fan responded.
“Of course,” Antwan Staley of the New York Daily News reacted to the news.
Taylor Is Brimming With NFL Upside
The former Miami product didn’t go undrafted in 2024 due to a lack of talent. Bluntly, he didn’t show consistency in his performance.
“Sky-high missed tackle rate and leaves production on the field … Uneven production and performance,” Dane Brugler wrote in “The Beast” via The Athletic.
Coming out of high school, Taylor was a five-star recruit. In the 2021 recruiting class, he was the “No. 3 recruit in Florida (behind JC Latham and Dallas Turner). He was the No. 11 recruit nationally,” Brugler revealed.
Latham and Turner ended up being future first-round draft choices in the NFL.
“Picturesque frame with long arms and room for additional mass … flashes juice in lower body with an explosive get-off … plays balanced on his feet with the shoulder/body flexibility to maneuver through tight spaces … flashes the semblance of pass-rush transitions and should get better with continued coaching (see 2023 Temple tape),” Brugler highlighted.
Jets Better Hope Their Evaluation Was Right
Taylor, 23, showed flashes with the Jets of the player who was considered first-round worthy at points during his college career.
The former Miami product collected four quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks, and four tackles for loss as a rookie in 2024. During the offseason, the Jets flipped coaching staffs, which meant that Taylor had to prove himself again.
Taylor cracked the 53-man roster and figured to be a key piece of the rotation at defensive tackle. However, right before the season, general manager Darren Mougey brought in some hired guns.
Mougey struck a deal with the Minnesota Vikings for proven veteran big man Harrison Phillips. Then he struck another trade to acquire another defensive tackle: Jowon Briggs from the Cleveland Browns.
Those unexpected new pieces stole roles and reps from the other defensive tackles that were already on the Jets roster.
That ultimately made Taylor expendable. In four of the first six games of the season, Taylor was a healthy scratch. He couldn’t even get on the field to strut his stuff.
Now he’s off the team but now with a bitter rival. The Jets better hope they did their evaluation correctly. If Taylor starts popping with a division rival and shoves it in the Jets’ face twice a year, they will never hear the end of it.
The Jets and Patriots have a long, storied rivalry with players switching sides over the years. Taylor has a chance to add another chapter to that story. He will start off on the Patriots’ practice squad with a chance to eventually join the team’s 53-man roster.
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