Jets Elevate Receiver and Offensive Guard for Week 8 Bout vs. Giants
The New York Jets made a pair of Practice Squad elevations ahead of Sunday's game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
Wide receiver Malik Taylor and offensive guard Xavier Newman were designated as gameday callups for the October 29 "road" contest that will kick off at 1:00 pm ET.
The move to activate Taylor was likely influenced by receiver Irv Charles's doubtful status. Charles, who has stepped up on special teams in Justin Hardee's absence, is dealing with a shoulder injury and did not practice on Friday in Florham Park.
Taylor spent the preseason with the Jets but did not survive the final roster cutdown. Prior to missing the second half of August due to a minor injury, he totaled two catches for 67 yards over two games, including a beautiful 57-yard bomb from Zach Wilson during the Hall of Fame Game on August 3.
Taylor, who hails from Division II Ferris State, entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He eventually landed with the Green Bay Packers, making 25 regular season appearances over a two-year span (2020-21). The Jets signed Taylor to the Practice Squad late in the 2022 season. The Green & White re-added the pass-catcher to the 16-man unit on September 12.
With starting right guard Joe Tippmann ruled out on Friday, Newman will provide some gameday insurance on the interior of the offensive line. The second-year pro played in four regular season games for the Tennessee Titans, who released the Baylor product on October 2. The Jets inked Newman to a PS deal on October 5.
Gang Green is set to welcome back three cornerbacks in Week 8. Starters Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed have cleared concussion protocol while backup Brandon Echols is no longer hampered by a hamstring injury.
Last time out, Craig James and Tae Hayes were the Jets' two gameday elevations. The two PS cornerbacks filled in admirably for Gardner and Reed during the 20-14 victory over Philadelphia on October 15.
"I thought Craig James was fearless. He had a huge pass breakup in the endzone. Had a couple of nice tackles," said head coach Robert Saleh about the success of the substitutes against the Eagles. "Tae Hayes has only been here a couple of weeks to learn our system, which is complicated from a zone standpoint. It’s not like you’re coming out here playing man. He has to learn it all. Kudos to that group."
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