11 veteran Jets fighting for their roster spot this training camp

Jets Wire takes a look at 11 veterans who will be fighting for their roster spot when New York reports to training camp in late July.

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.

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6 starting spots up for grabs as Jets enter training camp

Jets Wire takes a look at six starting spots still up for grabs as the Jets get set to report to training camp.

The Jets have a lot of things to figure out once they report to training camp on July 28 — especially when it comes to their starting lineup.

General manager Joe Douglas spent the offseason improving New York’s roster, but there is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding who is starting at multiple positions on both sides of the ball. Fortunately for the Jets, training camp is the ideal time for position battles to unfold and for starting jobs to be won.

So, which starting positions will be up for grabs once training camp kicks off in less than three weeks? Here are the six to keep an eye on.

No. 2 Wide Receiver

Jamison Crowder is entrenched as a starter in the slot and speed demon Breshad Perriman is a lock to start on the outside. That leaves the No. 2 spot on New York’s depth chart open for the taking.

Quincy Enunwa and Denzel Mims were set to battle for the job until a neck injury put Enunwa out for the season. Mims now has a major inside track at beginning 2020 starting opposite Perriman, but the likes of Braxton Berrios, Josh Doctson and Vyncint Smith will have something to say about that throughout training camp and the preseason.

Mims is likely to emerge as the winner of this position battle, but that is not a foregone conclusion. Nothing is going to be handed to the rookie in his first NFL training camp. If he slips up at any point, New York’s “veterans” will be chomping at the bit to impress and take the spot.

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Gov. Phil Murphy says Jets, Giants won’t have to quarantine before training camp

According to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, the Jets will not have to quarantine before the beginning of training camp.

Despite New Jersey’s quarantine rule requiring individuals traveling from states seeing high COVID-19 numbers to isolate for 14 days, the Jets and Giants will not have to worry about quarantining before the beginning of training camp.

According to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, New Jersey’s quarantine rule has a “carve-out out for essential travel.” Pro sports teams qualify for that carve-out, meaning both the Jets, whose facilities are located in Florham Park, and the Giants, who reside in East Rutherford, are exempt from isolating.

“We do have a carve-out for essential travel and a professional sports team would qualify for that carve-out,” Murphy said while appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Friday. “We’d probably, without putting this in stone, I’m sure we’d probably want to do one, and more than one, test for the virus when they got here. Or ask them to take it as they’re leaving wherever their host state is. That’s the minimum standard.”

The Jets and Giants are scheduled to report to training camp on July 28. The same essential travel “carve-out” also applies to players traveling to New York and Connecticut, like members of the Buffalo Bills, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport confirmed with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office.

“A 14-day quarantine doesn’t work in an NFL schedule,” Murphy said. “So, at least the testing piece would have to be there, and I think if anyone is symptomatic or they’ve tested positive already, I’d hope they wouldn’t get on the plane.”

Jamal Adams skipping Jets’ virtual program doesn’t mean much — yet

Jamal Adams wants a new deal, and the report he’ll miss a voluntary program doesn’t mean a trade is imminent.

The rift between Jamal Adams and the Jets opened again Friday. Or did it?

Adams, who is seeking a contract extension, will skip the Jets’ virtual offseason program. On its surface, this looks bad. Especially considering the drama at the October trade deadline that left Adams feeling disrespected by the team that drafted him sixth overall in 2016.

But this development doesn’t necessarily signal an imminent trade, nor does it mean the Jets and Adams can’t work out a contract. The virtual program, a result of the ongoing pandemic, is voluntary for all players and teams, according to a memo obtained by ESPN, and lasts from April 20-May 15. Adams could just as easily have other offseason workouts planned on his own and doesn’t need to call into daily Zoom meetings with Gregg Williams and the rest of the defense. In reality, it’s likely just a play by Adams’ camp to incentivize Joe Douglas and the Jets to move forward the preliminary extension discussions the two sides had at the NFL combine in March.

That isn’t to say this news means nothing, though. Adams and the Jets already have a fragile relationship stemming from the 2019 trade deadline, and Adams made it clear he wants a new contract this offseason. He still has one year left on his rookie deal and a fifth-year team option in 2021 but is already a two-time Pro Bowler as a ball-hawking safety.

Adam’s relationship with the Jets first fractured in October when he heard reports that Douglas fielded trade offers for him at the deadline. He felt disrespected by Douglas because of his status as the face of the franchise, refused to talk to Douglas and Adam Gase for weeks, and spoke vaguely about his future with the team. Tensions softened early this offseason, though, when Adams mentioned he and the team had preliminary discussions about an extension and Douglas said he wanted Adams to be a “Jet for life.” Adams appreciated that comment, but also acknowledged the uncertainty ahead.

Douglas said in his media teleconference on April 1 that “nothing has really changed” on the Adams extension front and ESPN’s Rich Cimini added Friday that the Jets general manager plans to wait until after the draft on April 25 before having further discussions with Adams.

News of Adams skipping the virtual program likely surfaced to re-ignite those talks, but it doesn’t mean the Jets won’t once again entertain offers for the 24-year-old Adams.

The Cowboys will probably be in hot pursuit once again, and there are other teams who’d love to add Adams to their defense. Douglas said he’ll always pick up the phone if a team calls, and he’s proven to be a shrewd manipulator of the salary cap and touts flexibility in the draft. Adams would fetch a pretty penny, one Douglas could use to overhaul a Jets roster littered with holes.

Trading Adams would mean losing the identity of the Jets defense, though. Adams led the team or tied the team-high in solo tackles, tackles for a loss, forced fumbles and quarterback hits in 2019. He also finished with 6.5 sacks. He is invaluable for Williams’ defense and would be hard to replace both from a production and a leadership standpoint.

Adams is the Jets’ best player and any whiff of a holdout is bad. However, missing a voluntary virtual offseason program is only a big deal if the Jets truly have no plans to pay Adams what he wants. Then, things could get ugly again. For now, this looks like a move by Adams to push along extension discussions that were likely halted by the coronavirus pandemic and Douglas’ first draft as the Jets’ general manager.