Hofstra OL Shawn McMackin was waived by the Jets yesterday afternoon, and with the extra space, the Jets signed “TE” A.J. Schable (6-4, 273) a UDFA with the Cardinals in 2006. Schable saw action in 11 games at DE and FB for the Cardinals in 2006 while recording 12 special teams tackles. In the summer of 2007, the Cardinals released Schable where he stayed unsigned until this offseason by the Eagles, then shortly after, released again.  The funny thing is, Schable was announced as a TE for the team, but looking at his bio for his last stop, Philly, he’s listed as a DE on their site.

Schable seems like a summer fling to me, but a very interesting one at the very least. I’m sure that the team likes his versatility in potentially being able to play offense, defense and special teams. Seeing that he most recently spent time with the Eagles, I’m sure that the new Asst. GM Cohen might have liked him, and wanted to take another look at what he could bring to the team.  To me, it seems that a guy who was announced at a position that he’s yet to really ever play is a sign to me that the team likes his athleticism, and thinks they can teach him what they need to.

I will say, at 270+ as a Tight End, he could be a fearsome blocker, and the team is obviously looking for good blockers to pair with Dustin Keller. Being as he used to be a DE (albeit at a D-II school), he’s probably decently athletic and could pick up pass-blocking more quickly because he understands the counters.