T’Vondre Sweat, the 366-pound nose tackle, made his presence known during his first training camp practice with the New York Jets on Monday, having been activated from the non-football injury list.
Head coach Aaron Glenn highlighted Sweat's ability to occupy two offensive linemen, which in turn allows linebackers to make plays. "He has the ability to take up two gaps for the most part," Glenn stated. "And when you’re able to do that as a big man, that allows the linebackers to get a chance to run. He’s going to take up two blockers, which means they’re missing a blocker when you’re on someone. That’s the reason why he’s here. I don’t want to sit here and just look at him as this big run stopper because he has the ability to push the pocket in the passing game also."
Mana ging Sweat's integration is being approached with care. "We want to make sure that we take our time with him," Glenn said. "I know there were a couple of times that he didn’t want to come out, but that’s just the guy. He’s a competitor."
Running back Braelon Allen noted the difficulty in running against the Jets' defense with Sweat on the field. "Oh yeah, that’s a big dude," Allen commented. "He’s hard to move, for sure."
Sweat is expected to make his regular-season debut against the Titans less than four weeks away. The Titans were the team that traded him for edge rusher Jermaine Johnson. In 29 career games, Sweat has recorded three sacks and ranked sixth among NFL interior defensive linemen against the run last season.
In other practice news, CB Qwan’tez Stiggers worked on the side with trainers while in concussion protocol after collapsing during a joint practice with the Buccaneers. Quarterback Geno Smith, who missed Saturday's preseason game with a sore ankle, participated in team drills during Monday's practice. Glenn indicated that players need to manage soreness carefully to avoid setbacks.
In the kicking competition, Jason Sanders went 7-for-8, with his only miss from 54 yards. Cade York went 5-for-8. Sanders’ missed season last year due to a hip injury appears to have impacted his range compared to other kickers in the league.