Jets make 2 roster moves after Omar Cooper Jr., Minkah Fitzpatrick injuries

The New York Jets are dealing with injuries to Minkah Fitzpatrick and Omar Cooper Jr. after the Week 1 win over the Titans. While both guys are slated to miss some time, it was good news overall for the long term.

In the short term, though, the Jets decided to make two moves. They signed veteran receiver Sterling Shepard to the practice squad, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. To free up space for Shepard on the practice squad, they signed defensive back Jordan Clark to the active roster.

These moves are depth signings that give New York some wiggle room over the next few weeks as Cooper Jr. and Fitzpatrick are sidelined.

New Yorm Jets add Jordan Clark to active roster, while Sterling Shepard joins the practice squad

Aside from Cooper Jr. dealing with an ankle sprain, receiver Tim Patrick was placed on the IR with a groin injury. New York wanted to add a veteran presence to the fold, and that's exactly what Shepard brings.

Garafolo added that New York worked out Shepard and JuJu Smith-Schuster, but the former won the job. This past summer, Shepard spent some time with the Houston Texans before getting cut by them in late August.

Regardless, this signing isn't a long-term one, but it's an addition that makes sense for this team. Shepard is a 10-year vet, spending time with the Giants and Buccaneers. In 117 games with those teams, he finished with 443 receptions for 4,800 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns. Just last year in Tampa Bay, he was still serviceable. Across 13 games, he had 39 grabs for 371 yards and one score.

While only two of those games were starts, he was a solid fallback option who was able to step in when someone went down. The Jets still have Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell, and Isaiah Williams as their top three receivers.

Yet, behind them, it just leaves Arian Smith, who dropped his lone target in Week 1. New York knows they can't afford to rely on just him, which is why the Shepard signing makes sense. Considering that New York hopes Cooper Jr. returns within four weeks, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Shepard gives this offense a player who will be able to quickly pick up the offense and play 15-20 snaps a game if needed.

That may not be the case against Green Bay in Week 2, but that's fine. New York can fill in for the absence of Cooper Jr. with tight ends Kenyon Sadiq, Mason Taylor, Jeremy Ruckert, and Jelani Woods.

Nonetheless, the Jets needed to add a veteran to the receiver room, and they achieved that with Shepard. He's familiar with the area and with playing at MetLife, as he did with the Giants for eight years.

As for Clark, he gives this defensive backfield another option they needed to fill. With Dane Belton expected to have a larger role these next few weeks, Malachi Moore was the only other safety they had on the active roster. Clark is someone who played well this summer and now gets the chance to suit up on game days.

Both moves were minor but were needed. The Jets lost two impact players but didn't waste time adding some depth while those guys recover, which was a smart and necessary move.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow