MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- A look at what's happening around the New York Jets:
1. Taylor-made homecoming: Mason Taylor has never played at Hard Rock Stadium, but he attended countless games as a kid. His favorite memory was watching his father, Miami Dolphins legend Jason Taylor, get carried off the field by teammates after his final game in the NFL.
It was Jan. 1, 2012, and it happened to be against the Jets -- an ugly day in which disgruntled Jets receiver Santonio Holmes was thrown out of the huddle by his own teammates. Mason, only 6, doesn't recall any of that nonsense. He was focused on his dad.
"That was probably my last memory [of the stadium], but definitely a lot of cool memories there as a kid," Taylor said.
The Jets' rookie tight end will try to make new ones when he returns Monday night for another Jets-Dolphins game. He has had a quiet start to his career (six catches for 43 yards), but the coaches want to get him more involved.
"We have to get Mason the ball, we have to get [Breece Hall] the ball," coach Aaron Glenn said. "Those guys are good playmakers for us, and we're doing everything we can to make sure we do that."
Glenn called Taylor "a dynamic player for us when he gets the ball in his hands." That's one of the reasons why they drafted him in the second round, 42nd overall. Their hope is that he can develop into a reliable option in the passing game, reducing the pressure on wide receiver Garrett Wilson.
Wilson's target share (37.2%) ranks second in the league, behind the Los Angeles Rams' Puka Nacua (37.6%) -- the two highest target shares since 2012. It's a delicate balance. They want the ball in Wilson's hands because he's so talented, but they don't want to be predictable. It's also good for morale when everybody eats.
Taylor was happy to hear that he might have a bigger role.
"It definitely means I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing," Taylor said. "But I mean, at the end of the day, whether I'm blocking 40 snaps a game or having 12 receptions, it's whatever I have to do to make this team win and provide for this team what it's looking for."
2. Let's make a deal: General manager Darren Mougey has been on the job for only eight months, but one tendency already is apparent -- he likes trading late-round draft picks for players. The latest arrived a few days ago, cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (Tennessee Titans). Before that, he acquired defensive tackles Harrison Phillips (Minnesota Vikings) and Jowon Briggs (Cleveland Browns). Each transaction involved sixth- and seventh-round picks.
It's a sound strategy. Instead of drafting players with the late-round picks, where the hit rates are very low, Mougey dealt them for Brownlee and Briggs, players under team control beyond this season. In fact, Brownlee is signed through 2027. Phillips is under contract through 2026, but that's a veteran deal that will pay him a non-guaranteed $7 million.
Even if Brownlee and Briggs remain only depth players, the Jets will have filled a couple of roster spots with cost-efficient contracts.
3. Pick-six: With so much wheeling and dealing, it's hard to keep track of the Jets' 2026 draft choices. Currently, they have six picks -- first round, second, fourth, sixth and seventh (two choices). They're also expected to receive two compensatory picks, according to projections by Over The Cap.
4. How Brownlee fits: Glenn called the Brownlee trade a "no-brainer." It always makes you wonder why a team would trade a starting corner, only 24, but it was a low-risk move for the Jets -- a 2026 sixth-round pick for Brownlee and a 2027 seventh-rounder.
Brownlee is an aggressive run defender and a good tackler (the Jets could use one of those). He can play the slot -- "his best spot," said one opposing coach, who has studied him. They wanted a viable backup for nickelback Michael Carter II, who tends to get banged up. If Brownlee works out, it could make Carter ($12.3 million cap charge in 2026) a casualty in the offseason.
"They always say there aren't a lot of corners in the NFL that love to hit or like contact. Me? I'm a different breed," Brownlee said. "I just love hitting. I love making the opponent feel me. ... I feel like me missing a tackle just puts a grudge in my heart, and I feel some type of way about that."
The knock on Brownlee is that he's undisciplined -- 11 accepted penalties in 19 career games. Only two corners in the league have more over that span. It should be an interesting marriage with the Jets, who are trying to curb penalties.
Brownlee, who said he was surprised and "a little bit hurt" that the Titans gave up on him, is week-to-week with an ankle injury.
5. In the same (leaky) boat: The Jets and Dolphins have a lot in common -- both 0-3 teams that have yet to produce a takeaway. How rare is that?
They're just the ninth and 10th teams to start a season this way since 1933, when turnovers became an official stat. It's the first time it has happened to two teams in the same year.
If the Jets don't produce a takeaway on Monday night, it will be their longest drought since 2018. They had only 17 last season. Different coaches, different scheme, same results. Maybe it's time to acknowledge they just don't have enough playmakers on defense.
6. Never say never: The Jets have a 7.3% chance to make the playoffs, according to ESPN's Football Power Index. If they drop to 0-4, it would be just about hopeless, right? Don't tell that to receivers coach Shawn Jefferson. He played for the 1992 San Diego Chargers, who are the only team to make the playoffs after an 0-4 start since 1990.
Jefferson has shared that with his players, hoping to inspire a comeback. He used a boxing analogy, how Buster Douglas overcame long odds to stun Mike Tyson.
"This is a game of attrition," Jefferson said. "You're going to get knocked down a little bit, but you have to keep pounding."
7. Did you know? The Jets haven't won in Miami since 2014, Rex Ryan's final game as coach. Rather remarkable.
8. Look who it is: The Jets will see their former quarterback, Zach Wilson, for the first time in an opposing uniform. Wilson visited MetLife Stadium last season as a member of the Denver Broncos, but he was inactive. This time, he will be active as the Dolphins' QB2.
After three disappointing seasons, Wilson, drafted No. 2 overall in 2021, was traded to the Broncos for pennies on the dollar. The Jets received a 2024 sixth-round pick, which they never used to select a player. They sent it to the Vikings as a throw-in as part of a draft-day trade that allowed the Vikings to trade up one spot for quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
9. Will the Thrill: Will McDonald IV never considered himself "one of those extreme jumpers" even though he excelled in the high jump, long jump and hurdles in high school. In college, he was known to jump stationary cars. That, he said, was "easy."
He displayed his hops last week, leaping over a blocker in a single bound to block a field goal attempt. His block, scoop and score left teammates in awe. McDonald, too, was impressed, calling it a "legendary" play.
.@WILL_JUN1OR is a different kind of athletic 🤯 pic.twitter.com/28Z5Uubghc
— New York Jets (@nyjets) April 28, 2023
10. The last word: "I didn't have my Apple Watch on -- we're not supposed to on the sideline -- but if I would've, it probably would have called 911 because of how high my heart rate was." -- Special teams coordinator Chris Banjo on his reaction to McDonald's touchdown.