The Jets made a pair of roster moves that keep Thomas Hennessy in place and bring in another body for the defensive line.
New York released rookie long snapper Garrison Grimes, which clears the way for Hennessy to remain the team’s long snapper for the 2026 season. Hennessy has handled the job for the Jets every year since 2017, and the New York native out of Don Bosco Prep is set for his tenth NFL season.
Grimes had signed with the Jets this spring as an undrafted free agent out of BYU after the 2026 NFL Draft. He was reportedly one of the most athletic long snappers in NFL history, but his time in New York was short.
To fill the open spot on the roster, the Jets signed defensive tackle Ben Barten, who had just been cut by the New York Giants. Barten also arrived as an undrafted free agent after April’s draft, coming out of Wisconsin.
At 6-foot-5 and 324 pounds, Barten brings size to the defensive front. He spent his entire college career with the Badgers and put together a solid final season, playing 360 defensive snaps while finishing with 24 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack.
He also turned heads at the combine with 33 bench-press reps, a number that would have tied for second among all players at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Even with those traits, Barten has a steep path to the final 53-man roster. T’Vondre Sweat, Harrison Phillips, Jowon Briggs and David Onyemata are described as near-locks, and 2026 fourth-round pick Darrell Jackson Jr. also looks safe after impressing in camp while Sweat deals with a minor hamstring injury.
If Barten is going to stick, he’ll likely have to beat out Mazi Smith, Payton Page and Jack Heflin, and that may only matter if the Jets decide to keep more than five defensive tackles.
How he fits with New York’s new defensive coaching staff will be worth watching over the rest of the summer.
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