Where The Jets Stand Heading Into The Quiet Part Of Summer
For the next month, all should be quiet at One Jets Drive, which would present a healthy reprieve for angst-ridden fans.
We can take a break from worrying about the status of edge rusher Haason Reddick’s contract holdout, the health of certain key personnel, and what planet quarterback Aaron Rodgers is on. With last week’s conclusion of the mandatory mini-camp, players are on their own until they report for training camp on July 23.
The two former All-Pro’s absences from the mini-camp (Rodgers at least participated in all of the team’s other voluntary organized team activities) created quite a stir, but the work otherwise proceeded uneventfully. Without real contact, we can’t read too much into any reports, other than that certain players might push themselves into training camp competitions for roster spots.
Future injuries and cuts from around the league make every team’s 53-man sheet a fluid situation. That being said, here’s my first stab at what the Jets could look like for their September 9 opener at San Francisco:
Quarterback (2): Aaron Rodgers, Tyrod Taylor
Jordan Travis, Gang Green’s fifth-round pick, seems to be a prime candidate for the team’s PUP list when camp opens, as he spent a good chunk of his OTA time riding an exercise bike as part of the rehab from the broken leg he suffered at Florida State in November. Such a designation would open up a spot that could be used for depth at another position while the team stashed its Trevor Simien-type QB3 on the practice squad. If the Jets end up needing that player to take snaps in the first four weeks, you could just write off another season right then and there.
Running Back (4): Breece Hall, Braelon Allen, Isaiah Davis, Tarik Cohen
Cohen’s name is in pencil, since he hasn’t played since September 2020 due to injuries. If he’s healthy, it sounded like the team’s coaching staff was intrigued by what he could do in the return game. Either way, it appears like the writing is on the wall for 2023 fifth-round pick Izzy Abanikanda. As much as General Manager Joe Douglas hates seeing his draft picks cut, he doesn’t take TWO RBs in Allen and Davis 39 picks apart if he was satisfied with the position. For the umpteenth consecutive year, I’m axing fullback Nick Bawden, leaving open the possibility that I will again be wrong.
Wide receiver (6): Garrett Wilson, Mike Williams, Xavier Gipson, Allen Lazard, Malachi Corley, Irv Charles
Barring injuries, it’s going to be tough for Jason Brownlee, last year’s Hard Knocks star, to make it. Charles is being groomed as Justin Hardee’s replacement as special teams ace and Lazard is too expensive to cut. Watch out for Malik Taylor, a Rodgers favorite. A veteran addition is always possible, especially if Williams (torn ACL) isn’t ready out of the gate.
Tight end (4): Tyler Conklin, Jeremy Ruckert, Kenny Yeboah, Zack Kuntz
The team adores Yeboah for some unknown reason, while 2023 seventh-round pick Zack Kuntz reportedly still struggles with assignments—do the Jets think they can sneak the 6-foot 7 freak athlete past the league and onto the practice squad for a second straight season? This slot could easily come down to Kuntz versus Bawden.
Offensive line (10): Tyron Smith, John Simpson, Joe Tippmann, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Morgan Moses, Olu Fashanu, Carter Warren, Wes Schweitzer, Max Mitchell, Jake Hanson
Ten might be deemed a large room, but the Jets have been burned two years in a row by inadequate depth. Not that these backups are anything outstanding (first-round pick Fashanu at least landed in a great place to learn from an All-Pro like Smith). Mitchell and Hanson are clearly bubble players heading into camp. Between injuries and improvements popping up on the waiver wire, I expect this unit to see the most alterations.
Defensive line (10): Haason Reddick, Quinnen Williams, Javon Kinlaw, Jermaine Johnson, Will McDonald IV, Leki Fotu, Solomon Thomas, Michael Clemons, Leonard Taylor III, Eric Watts
Unlike last season, this group comes with questions. A lot is expected of McDonald to be a reasonable facsimile of departed free agent Bryce Huff as an edge pass rusher, Fotu to be a run stuffer, and Clemons to fill the versatile shoes of John Franklin-Myers. I’m fully expecting Kinlaw to be a $7.5 million bust, but there’s a chance that one or more of the undrafted rookies Taylor, Watts, and Braiden McGregor will step up and make some noise this preseason.
Linebackers (5): C.J. Mosley, Quincy Williams, Jamien Sherwood, Zaire Barnes, Chazz Surratt
One less d-linemen than last season paves the way for Surratt, who counts Head Coach Robert Saleh as a fan, to make it. Pray for the continued health of the Pro Bowl duo of Mosley and Williams.
Cornerbacks (5): Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, D.J. Reed, Michael Carter II, Brandin Echols, Qwan’tez Stiggers
This room may have supplanted the d-line as the team’s cornerstone, no pun intended. You won’t find a more elite starting trio in the league and Echols is entrenched as the top backup. Well, unless Stiggers, a CFL import whose story and performances were the talk of OTAs, pushes him out. I also like Tae Hayes from the little I saw of him in last season’s miracle victory over Philadelphia, but my vote doesn’t count.
Safeties (4): Tony Adams, Chuck Clark, Ashtyn Davis, Isaiah Oliver
The Clark/Davis battle for the starting job opposite Adams might be the most competitive in camp. Moving Oliver from corner to safety isn’t a great sign for 2023 sixth-rounder Jarrick Bernard-Converse.
Specialists (3): Greg Zuerlein, Thomas Morstead, Thomas Hennessy
The rare case where the Jets enter a season comfortable with “same as last year.”