The New York Jets have signed former New England Patriots tackle Yodny Cajuste as the AFC East franchise beef up their roster ahead of the 2023 NFL season.
Cajuste signed with the Jets on Tuesday after visiting the team last week. He also visited with the Giants after being released by the Pats earlier this month, but no deal came to fruition with Big Blue.
Cajuste was a third-round pick for the Patriots in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he did not make his regular season debut until 2021. The 27-year-old appeared in 17 games and made five starts for New England over the last two seasons.
Last season, Cajuste - who played for West Virginia in college - played in 10 games with three starts, tallying 191 snaps. According to ESPN Stats, he allowed five sacks with a pass-block win rate of 82.3 percent, which is marginally lower than the NFL average for OTs (90.8 percent).
Cajuste did not play in a game across his first two seasons with the Patriots due to injuries, but ultimately struggled when he appeared for the franchise last season. He was waived by New England in May.
After signing with the Jets, Cajuste joins Mekhi Becton, Duane Brown, Max Mitchell, Billy Turner and fourth-round pick Carter Warren as tackle options for the franchise. New York released tackle Eric Smith to make room for Cajuste .
Smith spent the 2022 season bouncing on and off the Jets’ practice squad after spending time on the active roster in 2018. He originally signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent out of Virginia in 2017 before signing with the Jets, Giants and Dallas Cowboys.
While it is unclear - and perhaps unlikely - to assume Cajuste will make an appearance for the Jets or even make their 2023 active roster, the team appear to be doing their due diligence when it comes to beefing up their offensive line to protect Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers was the subject of a high-profile trade from the Green Bay Packers and Jets fans will hope the four-time MVP's arrival will signal a new era for the franchise.
