Jets sign DT Cowart, TE Smartt and LB Davis

The Jets addressed some needs on both sides of the football on Thursday.

They signed former Bears defensive tackle Byron Cowart. They also reached agreements on one-year deals with ex-Chargers tight end Stone Smartt and linebacker Jamin Davis, league sources said. The Jets claimed Davis off waivers from Minnesota on Dec. 31, but he never appeared in a game for them.

The signings of former Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens and ex-Packers center Josh Myers also became official.

The Jets have a hole at defensive tackle next to Quinnen Williams. Cowart could compete for that spot. The Jets could also draft a tackle in the first round next month.

The 6-3, 300-pound Cowart was a fifth-round pick of New England in 2019. He had 67 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 51 games for the Patriots, Colts and Bears. Cowart played 15 games (seven starts) for Chicago last year and had 26 tackles and 2.5 sacks. New Jets defensive line coach Eric Washington was Chicago’s defensive coordinator.

Smartt, 26, is a big tight end – 6-4, 226 pounds – and has potential. In three seasons with the Chargers, Smartt caught 31 passes for 380 yards and a touchdown.

He was targeted 19 times last season and had 16 receptions for 208 yards. Smartt came on late, catching 13 passes for 164 yards over a four-game stretch in December.

The Jets are thin at the position. Lindenhurst native Jeremy Ruckert was the only tight end on the roster to catch a pass in the NFL before the Jets got Smartt. Tyler Conklin, a productive player for the Jets the past three seasons, remains a free agent.

Davis was a first-round pick of the Commanders in 2021. He had 287 tackles and eight sacks in 54 games for Washington and Minnesota. Between 2022 and 2023, Davis started 28 games and recorded 193 tackles, six sacks and an interception.

The Commanders released Davis in October. He spent time on the Packers’ practice squad and then signed with Minnesota in November. The Vikings released Davis January. He had 18 tackles and a sack in nine games last season.

The Jets need bodies in the linebacker room. They re-signed last year’s leading tackler, Jamien Sherwood, to play alongside Quincy Williams, an All-Pro two seasons ago. The Jets released C.J. Mosley on Wednesday.