Category: Jets Training Camp

What makes Carl Lawson so good? ‘Being strong as [expletive]’

Carl Lawson says he feels “unchained” and “unleashed” in the Jets defense. “Being strong as [expletive]” helps, too.

Carl Lawson has been the talk of Jets training camp, and his strength is a big reason why.

The pass rusher has been unblockable against the Jets’ offensive line, and Robert Saleh has commended Lawson’s work ethic. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich believes national attention is coming his way. But why does Lawson look so unstoppable despite never wracking up more than 5.5 sacks in a season?

Part of it is the Jets’ scheme, which Lawson said makes him feel “unchained” and “unleashed.” The other part, Lawson said, is his jacked 6-foot-2, 265-pound frame, among other facors.

“Leverage, hand placement and hand angles,” Lawson said Thursday. “And just overall being strong as [expletive].”

Lawson added that he’s honed his craft to the point that he’s able to “execute on command.”

“It’s kind of like Neo in The Matrix, in the next movie, where he’s just doing it,” Lawson said. “That’s what I’m kind of getting to as a player.”

Lawson’s body will play a major role, but it will take more than that to attack quarterbacks in games. Lawson has added a few new pass-rush moves to his arsenal, but, as he noted, the methods for his domination are pretty simple.

He’s just going to out-muscle the opposition.

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Jets WR Elijah Moore to get MRI following quad injury

Elijah Moore’s preseason debut is in doubt after the Jets rookie left Thursday’s practice with a quad injury.

Elijah Moore’s preseason debut is in doubt after the rookie left Thursday’s practice early.

The rookie receiver is being evaluated for a quad injury. Robert Saleh said Moore is expected to get an MRI soon to determine the severity of the injury. Moore’s prognosis will determine his availability for the Jets’ first preseason match against the Giants on August 14.

“Whether it was nothing or something, they’re always going to check,” Saleh added. “I’m an optimist, so I’m never worried until I’m worried. We’ll see.”

Other Jets’ battling injuries who definitely won’t play this weekend include receiver Braxton Berrios (groin), tackle Alija Vera-Tucker (pec strain) tackle Chuma Edoga (knee) and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (foot), per Saleh.

Williams is expected to return to practice next week after missing most of the offseason following foot surgery. Berrios should also return next week, while Edoga won’t be recovered from his knee scope until the end of training camp. The Jets hope Vera-Tucker will return for the Packers preseason game next week, but Saleh still considers him day-to-day.

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Jets S Lamarcus Joyner no longer a ‘misfit’ after stint with Raiders

The Jets signed Lamarcus Joyner to be a safety after he felt out of place playing cornerback for the Raiders.

Lamarcus Joyner’s defensive position has ping-ponged between cornerback and safety throughout his seven-year NFL career.

The Rams drafted Joyner as a safety in 2014 but moved him to nickel cornerback for the first three seasons of his career. He switched to free safety under new coach Sean McVay in 2017 and excelled. But when he signed with the Raiders in 2019, the team moved him back to nickel cornerback, where he struggled for two seasons.

“It was a misfit,” he said Wednesday about his role with the Raiders. “But I don’t think I’m trying to turn my career around [in New York]. I think I did everything, to my knowledge, that I wanted to do throughout my career.”

Fortunately for Joyner, the Jets signed him to be a safety this offseason. He’s welcoming the return, as well as an opportunity to play for Robert Saleh.

“I’m so happy to be here with coach Saleh,” Joyner said. “Being that free safety is a natural feel. It makes it easier to come to work every day because that’s where I fit.”

Joyner’s relationship with the nickel cornerback role is complicated. He wasn’t shy about wanting to switch back to safety in 2017 before Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips eventually made the change. But Joyner called the nickel back a “natural and instinctual” position for himself when he signed with the Raiders in 2019 and appeared excited to play both positions.  He struggled in the 28 games he played for the team, however.

Joyner won’t have to worry about his role in New York. With a young secondary, the Jets need him as a veteran presence in the defensive backfield alongside Marcus Maye. The safety position plays a large role in the defense the Jets will run under Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich – both in coverage and for support against the run.

After thriving as a free safety in 2017 and 2018, the Jets are hoping the 30-year-old Joyner can return to form in New York. He’s shown in training camp that he still possesses a lot of the skills required to shine in the Jets’ defense, but he’ll need to put it all together in the regular season to tie the rest of the Gang Green’s defense together.

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Jets WR Denzel Mims ‘catching up’ after losing 20 pounds to food poisoning

Jets WR Denzel Mims said he has “a lot of catching up to do” after missing time and losing weight due to food poisoning.

Denzel Mims had to scale back his offseason training after a fishy encounter left him sick.

The second-year wideout missed most of OTAs after contracting food poisoning from what he said was bad salmon. That lost offseason time set Mims back and left many wondering about his fit on the team after he took early training camp reps with the reserve units.

Now a couple of weeks removed from being sick, Mims believes he’s heading in the right direction.

“I feel like I’m getting a lot more comfortable,” he said Wednesday before admitting that he still has “a lot of catching up to do.”

Mims’ status on New York’s depth chart remained a serious question mark throughout the first week or so of training camp. He took reps with the third-team offense at one point, which left some wondering if Mims was struggling to learn or fit into Gang Green’s new scheme. Robert Saleh explained Mims’ practice usage earlier this week and shut down any notion that the Jets could move on from the sophomore this year.

“Absolutely not,” Saleh said Wednesday when asked about giving up on Mims. “There isn’t a player in this organization that anyone’s ready to give up on.”

When Mims isn’t running routes during drills, he said he’s getting extra reps after practice and on the sideline with the quarterbacks between plays. Those aren’t mandated by the coaching staff, Mims said, but it’s what he believes he needs to do in order to catch up.

“I’m just trying to do everything I can to make sure I’m ready,” he added.

Mims lost a lot of weight during his time away from the team. Mims said he dropped from 217 pounds to 197 pounds. That 20-pound difference is huge for receivers like Mims who want to win 50-50 balls against defensive backs and push through tackles. Mims said he’s back up to 208 and comfortable with that number. He also said his confidence remains high despite his down summer.

“You can’t lose confidence in yourself in this game,” Mims said. “You lose confidence in yourself, you ain’t going to be a good player. You have to continue to have high confidence in yourself… My confidence is high.”

There is one thing, however, that the wideout no longer has faith in.

“Nah,” a laughing Mims said when asked if he would keep eating the food that sickened him. “I haven’t touched salmon ever since then.”

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Robert Saleh can’t stop praising Carl Lawson

Carl Lawson has been tearing up training camp, but Robert Saleh is more impressed by the Jets pass rusher’s work off the field.

Robert Saleh can’t say stop saying enough positive things about Carl Lawson.

The Jets’ newest passer rusher continues to be one of the most dominant forces in practice and looks deserving of the $45 million contract he signed over the offseason. Lawson has consistently wracked up would-be sacks at practice and his battles with left tackle Mekhi Becton have been one of the most fun for Saleh to watch.

But the Jets head coach believes what Lawson does behind the scenes is even more impressive.

“You watch the tape, he beats everybody,” Saleh said Tuesday. “What’s cool, though, is his work ethic and the way he goes about his day-to-day process.”

Saleh applauded Lawson’s dedication to learning the defense and keeping his body in the best shape possible. Saleh called the 6-foot-2, 265-pound Lawson “sawed-off” when describing him recently.

“He’s relentless with his body, he’s relentless with his work ethic,” Saleh added. “He’s an absolute professional.”

Lawson will be a featured player on a Jets defensive line that hasn’t had a potent pass rusher in a long time. Lawson should play the role of the speed defensive end – a position at which edge rushers like Dee Ford and Nick Bosa excelled for Saleh in San Francisco. Lawson wasn’t known as a sack artist during his time with the Bengals, but Saleh believes his work on and off the field should pay dividends in his first season with the Jets.

“There’s the old saying, ‘Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard,'” Saleh said. “And this dude, not only is he talented, but he works his absolute butt off. Because of it, you see results.”

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Robert Saleh quells concerns about Denzel Mims’ usage in practice

Jets head coach Robert Saleh was ready for questions about Denzel Mims on Tuesday. Here’s what he said about the second-year wideout:

Robert Saleh laughed when he was asked about Denzel Mims on Tuesday.

The coach said he watched Mims practice with the first-team offense and knew a question was coming about the Jets’ 2020 second-round pick. While he didn’t go into detail on Mims’ usage moving forward, Saleh squashed any misconceptions about Mims’ opportunity share.

“He’s been running with the ones,” Saleh said. “These guys are on rotation… They’re all in the same boat.”

Saleh added that the only three receivers who “roll with the ones unconditionally” are Corey Davis, Jamison Crowder and Keelan Cole. That’s not too surprising given all three are experienced veterans who have been in similar offenses before. Davis played under Matt LaFleur in Tennesse and Crowder played under Sean McVay; both coaches are disciples of the Shanahan offense the Jets will use a variation of under offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.

The rest of the receivers, Saleh said, rotate in and out of the lineup. This includes players like Mims, rookie Elijah Moore, Braxton Berrios and Vyncint Smith – all of whom could make the final 53-man roster.

There have been questions about Mims’ fit in the new scheme after he recently practiced with the second- and third-team offenses just a year after being drafted. Mims looked poised for a big year in his second season after a solid rookie campaign, but instead found himself working with the reserves early in camp. Learning a new system likely played a part in that, as did the time he missed earlier this offseason after contracting food poisoning and losing 15 pounds.

Regardless, Saleh refused to discount Mims just because of a few bad practices and the “narrative” surrounding the receiver. Much like the rest of the young players on the Jets, Saleh wants Mims to continue to work hard, learn and stack positive moments throughout the summer.

“He’s working his tail off,” Saleh said, “and the harder he works, the more he puts in, the more opportunities he’s going to get. He’s part of the rotation.”

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Robert Saleh not sweating Zach Wilson’s early struggles: ‘The kid’s going to be fine’

Robert Saleh is not concerned about Jets rookie Zach Wilson following a string of poor performances in training camp.

Zach Wilson hasn’t looked great at practice lately. He’s missed receivers, thrown interceptions, and hasn’t performed up to the level the Jets need him to be at to win games in 2021.

None of that scares Robert Saleh, though. Rather, the Jets head coach has been impressed by Wilson throughout the rookie’s tumultuous training camp.

“A lot of stuff you see is he’s testing what he can and can’t get away with – which I think is awesome,” Saleh said Tuesday. “The kid’s going to be fine.”

Saleh commended Wilson for his resolve in the face of adversity. He added that Wilson spends time in Jeff Ulbrich’s office after practice to talk about the defense and how to learn from his own mistakes. Wilson has also remained unbothered by outside pressure after poor practices.

“He doesn’t care about the noise, he doesn’t care about any of it,” Saleh said. “He’s focused on trying to get himself ready to be the best quarterback in the league and we’re all in love with his process.”

Wilson’s training camp struggles aren’t uncommon for rookies. Saleh preached patience earlier this week when he asked about Wilson’s development. So while the results on the field – completion percentage, touchdowns, first downs, etc. – haven’t fully manifested, Saleh said he’s happy with Wilson’s development so far.

“He’s going in the direction he needs to go. He’s got the right mindset. He’s doing everything he needs to do,” Saleh said. “When it clicks, it clicks.”

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Jets likely won’t see Aaron Rodgers in preseason match vs. Packers

Aaron Rodgers will “most likely” sit out the preseason, meaning the Jets will take on Jordan Love on August 21.

The Jets won’t have to worry about facing Aaron Rodgers in Week 2 of the preseason.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur – the older brother of Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur – said Rodgers will “most likely not” play at all in the preseason, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This means the Jets defense will likely take on second-year quarterback Jordan Love during the exhibition game on August 21.

The Jets won’t avoid Rodgers completely, though. The team is scheduled to practice with the Packers in two joint sessions on August 18 and 19. That should give the defense a few opportunities to battle with Rodgers before taking on Love that weekend.

Rodgers and the Packers will be a little familiar with the Jets defense. The last time Rodgers faced a Robert Saleh-led defense was during the 2019 NFC Championship game. The 49ers held the Packers to seven points through the first three quarters en route to a 37-20 win. Rodgers faced Jeff Ulbrich’s Falcons in Week 3 of the 2020 season, but that was before Ulbrich was promoted to defensive coordinator. Rodgers tore that defense up for 327 passing yards and four passing touchdowns in a blowout win.

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Jets claim OL David Moore off waivers from Panthers

With several offensive linemen hurt, the Jets claimed guard David Moore off waivers from the Panthers.

The Jets replaced one undrafted free agent offensive lineman with another.

New York waived tackle Teton Saltes with an injury designation and claimed guard David Moore off waivers from the Panthers on Monday. Several teams, including the Bears, Browns and Raiders, tried to claim Moore, according to ESPN’s Field Yates, but the Jets had the highest waiver priority.

Moore went undrafted despite turning heads in the Senior Bowl. He was named the best lineman in the game ahead of Raiders’ first-round pick Alex Leatherwood.

Moore played in 24 games for Grambling State from 2017-2019. He declared for the draft after his 2020 season was delayed until the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A developmental left guard prospect, the 6-foot-1, 330-pound Moore could earn a spot on the team after Cameron Clark’s neck injury and Alex Lewis’ exempt/left squad designation.

This may not be the last of Saltes on the Jets’ roster this summer, either. The rookie could return to the team’s injured reserve if he clears waivers. He suffered a knee injury during the Green and White scrimmage.

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Bless Austin exuding confidence ahead of third season: ‘I’m the real deal’

Jets cornerback Bless Austin thinks he can take his game to the next level in his NFL third season.

When the Jets selected Bless Austin in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft, they took a flier on a player with a lengthy knee injury history.

Austin has spent every second since dispelling the notion that he did not have what it takes to perform at the professional level after tearing his ACL twice at Rutgers. Austin’s rookie year was an up-and-down one, but he displayed a unique toughness with his coverage and help in run support through it all. Last year featured a little less up-and-down, as Austin became a more consistent performer — albeit still a work in progress — as one of New York’s starting outside cornerbacks.

With the benefit of finally having a full offseason under his belt, Austin is itching to take things up a notch in his third season with the Jets. In fact, he wants to be recognized as one of the NFL’s top-tier cornerbacks by season’s end.

“I come to camp looking for my next contract,” a confident Austin said Monday. “I don’t worry about who’s starting. I think I’m the real deal. Of course, I make mistakes, but I make a lot of plays on that field that other corners cannot make.”

The Jets opted to trust their youth at cornerback in 2021, not adding a veteran in free agency. Austin is a big part of New York’s plans for the immediate future at the position, as he gives Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich a hard-nosed corner they can trust to leave everything on the field every Sunday.

“He’s got a dog mentality from a football sense,” Saleh said. “He is absolutely fearless. He is very strong at the line of scrimmage. At least from the time I’ve gotten here, it doesn’t really look like he’s bothered by the play before. He can move on. Those attributes, the length, the strength, he’s fast enough. It’s just a matter of working the technique and understanding where you fit in the defense.”

If there is anyone for Austin to fine-tune his technique under, it is Saleh. Gang Green’s rookie head coach has worked with many elite defensive backs in the past, making his praise of Austin’s raw ability noteworthy after just two weeks of training camp practices.

Austin takes the field with the confidence of a lockdown cornerback. Now, it’s time for him to translate that mindset into top-level production. If he can achieve that in year three, Austin won’t have to worry about his next contract with the Jets for too much longer.

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