An under-the-radar free agent signing is making an early impression at New York Jets OTAs.
According to The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt, defensive end Rashad Weaver has stood out at 1 Jets Drive.
“[Weaver] stood out to me,” said Rosenblatt on The Flight Plan Podcast. “He had a couple of dominant reps; he beat Armand Membou one time. I think he would’ve had him with two sacks. The first practice I covered, I had him with a couple sacks.”
While Rosenblatt’s comments are certainly encouraging, evaluating trench play without pads at OTAs is challenging, so they should be taken with a grain of salt. Jets X-Factor’s Joe Blewett and Robby Sabo discussed this in-depth during their latest live show.
Weaver, 27, is seeking to establish a role in New York after bouncing between teams in 2024.
Initially drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft, the edge rusher appeared in 33 games over three seasons, tallying 5.5 sacks (all recorded in 2022), along with 49 total tackles (11 for loss) and 15 quarterback hits.
“Weaver is a rotational rusher who has bounced around in the past year,” Titans beat reporter Easton Freeze told me when the Jets signed the pass-rusher. “Nice guy in the locker room. Good teammate by all accounts. Just needs the right coaching to unlock another gear for him to make a bigger impact.”
The Indiana product saw limited action with the Houston Texans last season, logging just 14 snaps across three games before being waived, and finishing the year on the Los Angeles Rams’ practice squad.
Weaver still faces an uphill climb, but with Gang Green’s edge unit uncertain beyond Will McDonald and Jermaine Johnson, a strong summer could land him on the team’s 53-man roster.
