After a bye week and ahead of their Week 10 clash against the Cleveland Browns, Head coach Aaron Glenn and the New York Jets made a flurry of roster changes during what turned out to be a historic trade deadline for the franchise. On Wednesday, November 5, the Jets announced three moves. They signed safety Dean Clark to the active roster and placed safety Andre Cisco on injured reserve. On top of that, Glenn’s staff has also signed S Jarius Monroe to the practice squad.

The three bold moves were a response to a string of injuries that left the Jets thin on defense, especially in the secondary. With multiple starters sidelined and depth becoming a real concern, the front office had little choice but to act quickly.

The 24-year-old safety Clark spent three collegiate seasons at Kent State and two at Fresno State before arriving in the NFL. The Jets’ safety tallied 303 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 18 pass defenses, and 5 interceptions in 58 games across five years of his collegiate career. However, Clark failed to attract any NFL teams during the draft week.

The Jets then signed him as an undrafted free agent. Earlier this season, the team promoted Clark for three games. In the process, he managed to play 44 special teams snaps for the Jets. Fast forward to now, and he’s been promoted to the active roster ahead of the Browns game.

Meanwhile, Cisco joined the Jets as an unrestricted free agent in March this year. A former third-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars from the 2021 NFL draft, Cisco has played every defensive snap this season but 1 and has recorded 1 TFL, 1 fumble recovery, and 41 tackles.

However, the 25-year-old went down with a pectoral injury during the fourth quarter of the Jets’ Week 8 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Subsequently, Aaron Glenn and his crew placed him on the injured reserve just days before their Week 10 matchup.

Last but not least, promoting Clark to the active roster allowed Glenn to bolster the secondary with extra depth from the practice squad in the form of Monroe.

Monroe joined the Jets last year as an undrafted free agent. He then spent most of his rookie season on the practice squad before earning a late-season call-up in Week 17. He was waived with an injury settlement back in August. But now, has found his way back onto the Jets’ practice squad.

Looking at the recent flurry of roster moves, it’s fair to say Glenn and the Jets have pulled off a few eye-catching decisions lately.  In the process, the team parted ways with several key defensive players.

Aaron Glenn parts ways with his defensive players

The Jets have a history of trading away their star players in their prime. We’re talking about safety Jamal Adams (2020), cornerback Darrelle Revis (2013), and linebacker Jonathan Vilma (2008). The 2025 season under the new regime is no different.

The Jets traded a couple of their defensive players, Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, on Tuesday, November 4. Aaron Glenn’s team sent Williams to the Dallas Cowboys for DT Mazi Smith, a second-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft, and a conditional first-round pick in the 2027 NFL draft.

Meanwhile, the team traded away their star cornerback to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for wide receiver Adonai Mitchell and two first-round picks (in 2026 and 2027). This happened even though both Williams and Gardner were young, in their prime, and signed through the 2027 and 2030 seasons, respectively.

Gardner signed a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension with the Jets in July this year. Williams, on the other hand, signed a four-year, $96 million contract extension a couple of years back. But just a couple of years later, both stars are suiting up elsewhere.