The Jets addressed one remaining hole in their roster on Thursday, agreeing to a one-year deal with veteran linebacker Kwon Alexander.
The 27-year-old Alexander gives the Jets some needed depth at inside linebacker, where they have starters C.J. Mosley and Quincy Williams and not much else.
Alexander knows Robert Saleh’s system after playing for the Jets coach in San Francisco in 2019 and 2020. The Jets have had their eyes on Alexander for a while, working him out in the spring. It was a matter of him coming around to accept their contract offer.
Alexander has played seven seasons in the NFL and appeared in 78 games for the Buccaneers, 49ers and Saints. He played 12 games for the Saints last year, registering 50 tackles, 3.5 sacks and one interception.
He will join Marcell Harris, Hamsah Nasirildeen and Jamien Sherwood in the linebacker room.
Kwon Alexander has played seven years in the NFL. Getty Images
Robert Saleh (middle) coached Kwon Alexander (56) while with the 49ers. Getty ImagesSaleh is not exactly Rex Ryan when it comes to talking about his expectations for the 2022 season.
Unlike the former Jets coach, the current one did not guarantee any Lombardi trophies when asked how he would define a successful season.
“Obviously, every team has goals. The Super Bowl is everything,” Saleh said. “Playoffs, winning football games, Super Bowls, we all get that. That’s obvious. If that’s not part of your overall long-term goal, then what are you here for? But you have to be disciplined enough to bring it back to what gets you to those moments. What gets you to the moments is the everyday process, staying focused on the things that you have full control over, dominate your moments, go to bed better than when you woke up. If you do that, you’ll trust the results that happen.”
Saleh said he wants his team to dream about big goals but also to remain focused on the present.
“The things that we talk about from a success standpoint, I’ll leave it all for you guys to judge,” said Saleh, who went 4-13 in his first season with the Jets. “But for us, it’s all about dominating the day, getting better every day and finding ways to get better every day.”
RT Mekhi Becton looked like he was struggling to get through practice at some points Thursday. That should not be a surprise — it was a hot, humid day. It was also just Becton’s second practice since his knee injury last September. Becton did not miss any time in practice, but he was on one knee quite often and looked like he was trying to catch his breath between drills quite a bit.
“It’s been a year since he’s played,” Saleh said. “It was little sticky today. He’s a big man. I didn’t notice a limp. He got all his work in. He got all his reps in. He got all his individual in. He got all his group install. He did the whole list of things that we had planned out for him, and I thought he did a good job with it.”
LT George Fant is not participating in team drills. He is doing everything else in practice but working on a side field during the team periods. Fant had offseason knee injury and missed the spring. … WR Braxton Berrios is also sitting out team drills. Saleh would not reveal if Berrios has an injury, only saying “We’re just working through some stuff with him, too.” Berrios is wearing a sleeve on his left leg.







