Jets move George Fant back to right tackle after Duane Brown addition

Duane Brown still had not joined the Jets, but the ripple effect of his addition was evident during Sunday’s practice.

George Fant — who played left tackle last season in Mekhi Becton’s absence and retained the job over Becton at the start of training camp — was moved to right tackle for the first time. After it was discovered last week that Becton likely will miss the season with a knee injury, the Jets signed Brown and decided to keep the 36-year-old four-time Pro Bowler at left tackle and tell Fant to switch sides.

“George’s curse is also a blessing in that he is extremely versatile, very athletic,” coach Robert Saleh said. “He just wants a home, but at the same time he’s the ultimate team guy. I know he is going to put in the work, and he’s going to do everything he can to be the best right tackle he can possibly be. It was a very good, productive conversation.”

Brown was expected Sunday night at the facility after a delay due to personal reasons, the Jets said. The belief is Brown stayed in shape during free agency and will pass the entry conditioning tests without issue.

“We need to get those five [starting linemen] playing together a lot faster,” Saleh said. “We have not had continuity with that group for a while. We just want five guys to play together and build some continuity.”

The message likely was received easier by Fant because he and Brown were aligned that way for three seasons as teammates with the Seahawks, and Fant “really respects Duane and understands how he can help a team win,” former Seattle offensive line coach Mike Solari told The Post.

General manager Joe Douglas signing Brown to replace Becton sent a message to the locker room.

“Joe and Saleh believe that this team can win a lot of football games — and we believe it,” center Connor McGovern said. “It also shows the front office’s belief that this offensive line is special. We think we can do a lot of really good things. For them to go get the next-best possible guy and slide him in, I think that shows what we’re expected to do as an offensive line and a team.”

In talks with Brown, the Jets gained confidence that he will be able to practice more regularly than he did last season with the Seahawks, when he was able to limit wear-and-tear on his knees because he wasn’t learning a new offense. The Seahawks practiced on indoor turf and the Jets typically use grass.

“We feel like we’ll be able to get the work in that we need,” Saleh said, “especially from a protection standpoint and all the different walk-throughs we have.”

Saleh reversed course and did not play defensive end Carl Lawson and linebacker C.J. Mosley against the Eagles. He didn’t tell them until the last minute.

“I woke up [Friday] morning just said, ‘I’m going to let them go through the mental aspect of it to get their bodies right,’ ” Saleh said. “So, they were mentally preparing themselves to play and then in the locker room before kickoff and I told them to leave their helmets.”

Lawson, who missed all of last season, “was pissed” about not playing, Saleh said. He will play Aug. 22 against the Falcons “for sure, for sure, for sure, for sure.”

Saleh laughed at seeing rookie receiver Garrett Wilson face-to-face with defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd in a near-fight despite giving away a big size advantage.

“No offense Garrett, I thought it was kind of cute,” Saleh said. “But I want to celebrate Shep because old Shep would’ve been punching and swinging, and he remained composed, which was awesome.”