AFC Notes: Jowon Briggs, Jets Roster Projection, Mac Jones, Patriots

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Jets The Jets acquired DL Jowon Briggs from the Browns in 2025, and he recorded 4 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, and 38 tackles last season. Briggs thinks he has a better understanding of the game as he enters the third year of his career. “Any chance I get to expand my football repertoire, it’s always open arms,” Briggs said, via Jack Bell of the team’s site. “I mean, it’s just a good challenge, because the more I know about football, this is Year 3 for me, the more I know, the more I can do. And it’s as simple as that for how I look at it.” Briggs said his father always taught him to avoid getting stagnant and that he is looking to keep that mindset going into 2026. “My dad used to tell me when I was younger that enough is not enough, and it was never a negative thing,” Briggs said. “It was always just letting me know, hey, ‘I realized that you’ve done this and you’ve done whatever successfully, but don’t get stagnant, that’s not enough.’ I always felt as if what I was doing, or what I’ve done — sacks, TFL, pressures, starting however many games was never enough, so I’m always at that internal competition with myself. I’m never ever looking at what somebody said. I might have short arms, that’s neither here nor there. All I try to make sure is that when you cut on the tape, am I winning the rep.” As for his time in Cleveland, Briggs said he learned a lot from Myles Garrett . “Shoot, I mean being able to play with Myles, it was a pleasure being able to learn. I mean, there’s not many guys you could go ahead and say, ‘Oh yeah, I mean, I learned from the greatest pass rusher in the league at that time when I was at the Browns.’ It’s a beautiful thing. … He’s an intellectual individual. He’s just a freak of an athlete.” Jets Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic attempted to work out a 53-man roster projection for the Jets this season, starting with the team moving on from Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook at quarterback in favor of rookie Cade Klubnik as the backup to veteran Geno Smith . The odd man out among the running backs will be Chip Trayanum , who has $175,000 guaranteed for an undrafted free agent, but Rosenblatt doesn’t see him making the roster. Another former Buckeye who Rosenblatt feels has not made the final roster is wide receiver Gee Scott Jr. , who primarily played tight end at Ohio State. With both Mason Taylor and Kenyon Sadiq being high draft picks, Rosenblatt still thinks the Jets will keep a Buckeye, TE Jeremy Ruckert . On the outs in this scenario of keeping three tight ends would be Jelani Woods . Taylor and Sadiq are no doubt going to be taking on a majority of the offensive workload. On the offensive line, one player Rosenblatt could see pushing for a roster spot given his size, experience, and versatility is Landon Young . However, Rosenblatt has Young listed as a roster cut at this time. No surprises are mentioned among outside linebackers and defensive backs, yet a notable name at inside linebacker whom Rosenblatt listed among the cuts is veteran Mykal Walker . One of the most important battles will be at kicker between Jason Sanders and Cade York , with Rosenblatt choosing Sanders as the eventual winner despite a hip injury that cost him the entire 2025 season. Patriots Former Patriots QB Mac Jones talked about his benching in New England and how it was an awkward situation for him and QB Bailey Zappe . “ It was really weird. The communication wasn’t great, ” Jones said, via Patriots Wire . “ [My relationship with Zappe] w…