The Jets at the start of the unrestricted free agency signing period have brought in two AFC players who were starters for their first NFL teams and will compete for starting roles with the Green & White. Here are a half dozen points to ponder about S Andre Cisco and CB Brandon Stephens.

ANDRE CISCO

Returning to the Island
Before Cisco returned home by signing with the Jets, he was back on Long Island last summer, hosting a football camp for youth players from Valley Stream, NY, where he grew up. One of the messages Cisco imparted to camp-goers: "On the mindset side, it's hard work and dedication. Those early mornings, that discipline is second to none. What else is an 18-year-old getting up for at 5 a.m. consistently?"

"He's from here," Valley Stream Central HS head coach Tom Schiavo told LIHerald.com about what the campers could learn from Cisco. "He's walked the streets, he's gone to the same church, so the struggle is familiar. ... He's also battled through a lot of difficulty in his life and he knows what works. And he's a good person with an excellent reputation and good morals and values."

Making Up for Lost Time
Football camp is where Andre's mother, Myriam, sent him in the summers while she worked full-time. Cisco has said he had no scholarship offers coming out of high school, but he quickly got up to speed at Syracuse with a 2018 freshman season during which he started 11 of 13 games and snared 7 interceptions, tied for the most in FBS. He also was named All-ACC and the conference's Defensive Rookie of the Year and became the first Orange player to attain All-America status as a true freshman.

So what video did the SU coaches show him after that season? Cutups of not one of his INTs but a lot of plays he needed to work on. "They wanted to see how I would come out in the spring," Cisco said, "like would I be complacent or not." Not. He went out and made All-ACC again, this time with 5 INTs, giving him 12 in back-to-back seasons, at least two more picks than any other FBS player in 2018-19.

Dynamic Duos?
Heading into his second season with the Jags in '22, Cisco was starting to get noticed not just by his coaches but by his teammates, especially with the working relationship he had with CB Tyson Campbell, taken one round ahead of him by Jacksonville in ''21.

"Football is a team sport and chemistry is everything," said S Rayshawn Jenkins. "This isn't boxing, this isn't golf. Cisco and Tyson are really turning into some young professionals."

It would be great to see the same kind of dynamic duo in green and white in Cisco and Stephens ... not to mention Cisco and Sauce Gardner, Michael Carter, Tony Adams and the rest of the Jets secondary.

BRANDON STEPHENS

Ravin' About His Last 2 Years in Baltimore
The Jets, like more than a few NFL teams, have gone to the Baltimore free agency well to great effect in the last decade and a half of offseasons. Among the former Ravens who've become Jets are LBs Bart Scott and C.J. Mosley, S Jim Leonhard, S Chuck Clark (trade), and last year Morgan Moses, returning via trade for his second hitch as the Jets' RT.

Add Stephens to that list. The past two seasons he's started 37 of the Ravens' 39 games, including 4 playoff games, and notched 2 INTs and 21 PDs. Last season was strong but '23 was outstanding, especially because Stephens contributed to a Baltimore defense that became the first in NFL history to lead the league in scoring (16.5 points/game), sacks (60) and takeaways (31).

Playbook? No Problem
Stephens won't have any issues with new DC Steve Wilks' playbook. He had a strong history in college as a student/athlete, being named to the National Football Foundation Honor Society in 2020 and to the American Athletic Conference's All-Academic Team in '19. He graduated with his degree in liberal science from SMU.

And the endeavors of the mind run in his family. Stephens' sister, Chelsea, is a molecular geneticist.

And on the Community Playing Fields...
Stephens has an insatiable and wide-ranging interest in community work. As a Raven, he was involved in many off-field endeavors, including annual contributions at team Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday events. A few more events:

■ Distributing coats and cold-weather gear at the Helping Up Mission addiction and homeless shelter.

■ Helping socialize dogs and making dog toys with the Warrior Canine Connection at the Under Armour Performance Center.

■ Hosting football camps not only in the Baltimore area but back home in Plano, TX.

■ Participating in "A Purple Evening," the Ravens' annual event dedicated to female fans.