Examining the roster ties between Patriots, Jets ahead of Week 3

The 2-0 New England Patriots are familiar with the 0-2 New York Jets for reasons other than the pair of meetings each regular season. Or, for the coaching likes ranging from Andre Carter to Mick Lombardi.

A glance at the rosters says as much entering next Sunday’s meeting at Gillette Stadium.

Six players currently residing in East Rutherford once resided in Foxborough, while two players currently residing in Foxborough once resided in East Rutherford.

Let’s examine those AFC East roster connections leading up to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff.

NEW YORK

Braxton Berrios, wide receiver – Selected by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL draft, Berrios spent the entirety of his rookie campaign on injured reserve before being claimed off waivers by the Jets on Labor Day weekend. The Miami Hurricanes slot receiver has since appeared in both games this fall for the Jets, returning one free kick 10 yards and one punt five yards. Berrios has fair-caught an additional four punts.

Demaryius Thomas, wide receiver – The Patriots and Jets swung a trade for the first time since Bill Belichick became the former’s head coach in 2000. It saw Thomas head to New York in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2021. Thomas had caught seven passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns in his lone preseason appearance for New England, yet the five-time Pro Bowler re-injured his hamstring in his Jets debut Monday night.

Calvin Anderson, offensive tackle – Anderson checks in on New York’s practice squad after entering the league as a member of New England’s undrafted class this spring. The Patriots waived Anderson in the middle of May. The Jets were subsequently awarded the Texas Longhorns product off the waiver wire. Anderson was retained on New York’s 10-man scout team as the calendar flipped from August to September.

Harvey Langi, linebacker – Langi finished 2018 on the Jets’ practice squad-injured list, but he begins 2019 on the active roster. The Brigham Young product first signed with the Patriots as a priority undrafted free agent three years ago. Langi appeared in one game for New England during his rookie regular season before injuries sustained in a car accident sent him to the non-football injury list. Langi has played in both games for the Jets and started the opener.

Albert McClellan, linebacker – A staple on the Baltimore Ravens’ special teams for the better part of nine seasons, McClellan signed with New England following his release last November. The veteran linebacker would go on to earn his second Super Bowl ring while notching five tackles in 10 games through February. The Jets have signed, released and re-signed the 33-year-old McClellan since then. He has seen three-fourths of the action in New York’s kicking game.

Darryl Roberts, cornerback – Picked No. 247 overall in the 2015 draft, Roberts went to injured reserve ahead of his rookie year with New England and was waived at the roster deadline the following year. Roberts would be claimed by the Jets a day later. The former Marshall cornerback has gone on to play in 45 games during his stay with New York, accruing 122 tackles, 22 passes defensed and three interceptions. Roberts has been a full-time Jets starter since last October.

NEW ENGLAND

Matt LaCosse, tight end – LaCosse frequented MetLife Stadium after going undrafted out of Illinois in 2015. He began with the New York Giants, spent six days with the Jets, then reconvened with the Giants on the practice squad midway through his first season. LaCosse proceeded to post a career-high 24 receptions in 2018 with the Denver Broncos, and caught a pair of passes for 33 yards in his Patriots premiere last week.

Terrence Brooks, safety – Brooks garnered $1.3 million in guarantees in his two-year pact with the Patriots this March. Prior to then, the ex-Raven and Philadelphia Eagle spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons with the Jets. Brooks played 684 snaps on special teams during his stay in New York, including a team-leading 79 percent of the work there in 2018. Brooks collected 23 tackles and two interceptions over that stretch for the Jets.