Training camp is the time for undrafted free agents and unheralded fringe players to make their case for an active roster spot. It is also the time for veterans to put everything on the line in order to keep their jobs.
When the Jets report to training camp on July 28, there will be just as many young players duking it out for a roster spot as there will be veterans hanging on for dear life. New York has a good amount of positions up for grabs, which means opportunity for the veterans. However, general manager Joe Douglas and company will have no issue siding with a younger player over one with more experience if the younger player dominates while the veteran treads water.
So, which Jets veterans will be fighting for a job in training camp? Here are 11 that are going to have to impress if they want to break camp with New York in September.
Avery Williamson
It’s rare that a player finds himself on the chopping block less than two years after leading his team in tackles, but that is the position Avery Williamson is in entering training camp.
Williamson missed all of 2019 due to a torn ACL, putting his future with the Jets in flux. Blake Cashman shined as a rookie in Williamson’s place, while New York added C.J. Mosley’s former running mate, Patrick Onwuasor, in free agency this offseason. That does not necessarily mean Williamson is on his way out, but it puts him behind the eight ball when it comes to making the 53-man roster.
Considering the financial gain the Jets stand to benefit from by parting ways with Williamson, all signs point toward the 28-year-old not breaking camp with the team. Unless he leaves no doubt that he should be the starting inside linebacker opposite Mosley, Williamson’s time at One Jets Drive could be running short.