Jets claim Antonio Garcia off waivers from New England, waive Nick Rose

The Jets made a transaction on Monday, claiming offensive lineman Antonio Garcia off waivers from New England. New York also waived kicker Nick Rose in a corresponding move.

Rose’s days seemed to be numbered after the Jets signed kicker Tyler Bertolet recently. The team already had Cairo Santos, and there would have been no logic in keeping three kickers.

The addition of Garcia to the roster is about as intriguing as a May waiver wire acquisition could be. The tackle was a third round pick of the Patriots just a year ago out of Troy. A blood clot on his lungs cost him his entire rookie year. It was odd to see him waived because of reports that indicated he has been cleared to play.

We can’t ignore that the Patriots did waive him. With that said, this is pretty much a no-risk play with good upside for the Jets. Just as we cannot ignore the fact New England waived Garcia, we also cannot ignore the fact he was a third round pick just a year ago who became available for reasons that have nothing to do with his talent.

It is essentially a free bonus Draft pick for the Jets and a nice use of the team’s priority in the waiver process.