Jets Send Important Message to Team After UDFA Decisions

Across the NFL, teams have decided which positions, players, and styles they want to have on their 53-man rosters. The New York Jets are no different.

Gang Green announced to the world Tuesday afternoon that they believe themselves prepared to compete for a Super Bowl in 2024. Their last roster decisions just so happened to also send a message to the rest of the locker room as well.

With the decision to keep undrafted free-agent defensive linemen like Eric Watts, Braiden McGregor, and Leonard Taylor III, the Jets have decided to show that training camp results and preseason performance matter when making roster decisions.

If they didn't, seventh-round rookie Jaylen Key would have made the team.

Or last year's seventh-round pick Zack Kuntz as well. At Florham Park, the only thing that matters is that you produce on the field.

It's why the Jets have one of the deepest teams in the NFL and one of the best track records of getting top players who weren't drafted into roles that could help them going into the new season.

While Watts, McGregor, and Taylor could all be on the chopping block in the future, making the team at this point is a sign that they did enough to garner a roster spot now for the organization.

Related: Jets Announce Official 53-Man Roster

Instead of giving a spot to another player at a different position, or waiting to bring on a player from another team, the Jets rewarded talented individuals who showed up in camp.

And that alone is a powerful message few other teams have done to this point.