Joe Douglas and Adam Gase will be challenged this training camp with limited practices and no preseason games.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL eliminated all preseason games in 2020. Meanwhile, all 32 teams will have to wait longer than usual before holding on-field practices with contact. So the evaluation period for Douglas and Gase will be a lot different this training camp.
However, Gase had a similar experience with the lockout in 2011 and is confident players can adapt to the given situation.
“We had the lockout year. We never even had any meeting time. It was basically a deal got done, we got thrown on the field the next day,” Gase said, per NJ.com. “Football players, they figure out a way to get it done. They figure out a way to adjust to the situation that’s at hand and that’s what I expect our guys to be able to do. I do think we got the right kind of guys in this locker room that they’re gonna do everything they can to put ourselves in position so once we get rolling in this thing, we’ll be ready to go.”
As for Douglas, he is more worried for the younger players who don’t have a lot of on-field NFL experience. He said the virtual meetings have been going well, but there’s nothing like an NFL practice. So they’re going to have to get up to speed rather quickly.
“It’s a challenge to get young guys on the field,” Douglas said. “The feedback has been outstanding, regarding our virtual meetings with the rookies and the entire team throughout the spring, but obviously you can’t duplicate the reps on the field. And so we need to get on the field. We need to build an on-field chemistry, and we need to do that soon.”
All 32 teams are going through the same thing the Jets are, but New York is still trying to figure out its roster outlook. The Jets don’t have a lot of players locked into a certain position. There is going to be a lot of competition at One Jets Drive with so many positions up for grabs.
Without all the reps that the players are usually accustomed to, it’s going to make Douglas and Gase’s jobs that much more difficult when it’s time for roster cuts.