Jets re-sign former Frank Reich tight end amid flurry of moves before free agency

The Jets had to take care of a few things before the real work begins.

Charlie Baduini

Former Indianapolis Colts tight end Jelani Woods / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

In the days leading up to NFL free agency, there were a few in-house moves the New York Jets had to make.

Per the team website, tight end Jelani Woods has been re-signed, while the Jets also exercised the exclusive rights tender on defensive tackle Jowon Briggs and linebacker Marcelino McCrary-Ball.

Both the Briggs and McCrary-Ball tenders were no-brainers. Both players each served a role on defense and special teams, respectively, in 2025.

Jets make three roster moves ahead of the start of free agency

Woods was claimed off waivers from the Indianapolis Colts last August, but didn't see much action throughout the season. He appeared in only four games, catching one pass for four yards.

The six-foot-seven tight end was a third-round pick for the Colts in the 2022 NFL Draft, when Frank Reich was still the head coach. Clearly, the Jets' new offensive coordinator feels he could get more use out of the tight end.

Woods missed the 2023 and 2024 seasons with injuries, but in his rookie year under Reich, he hauled in 25 receptions for 312 yards and three touchdowns.

Briggs, a solid trade pick-up from the Cleveland Browns at the end of training camp, ended up playing a decent-sized role on the Jets' defensive line in 2025.

The 2024 seventh-round pick received the most playing time of his career and capitalized with four sacks, 10 quarterback hits, and eight tackles for loss in 17 games. He figures to be a major piece in the Jets' defensive line rotation in 2026.

McCrary-Ball, an undrafted free agent out of Indiana in 2023, was unfortunately limited to only five games this season for the Jets due to a hamstring injury.

The third-year linebacker is a key contributor on punt and kick units, and was even voted the special teams captain coming out of training camp.

The tendering of Briggs and McCrary-Ball was expected moves. The Woods re-signing was not. It remains unclear if the Jets now feel their tight end room is complete with 2025 second-round pick Mason Taylor, recently extended Jeremey Ruckert, and Woods as the third tight end.

We'll see how the Jets attack the position in the coming weeks.

Charlie Baduini

Charlie Baduini covers the New York Jets as a site expert for The Jet Press and FanSided. He is a sports journalist based in Northern New Jersey with a wide variety of sports reporting experience in print and broadcast journalism. Baduini’s byline can also be seen on Heavy and The Sporting News, where he covers several teams across the NFL and NBA. His work has been featured in Heavy, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, Yahoo Sports, MSN, and Yardbarker. He also serves as a seasonal intern for ESPN, working as a production assistant for the Heisman Trophy Ceremony every year since 2022. Baduini has been a Jets fan for as long as he can remember, with his family's fandom dating back to the 1960s when his grandfather, Louis, became a season ticket holder. His family has since held on to the tickets to this day. He is an avid fan of the New York Knicks and New York Mets.