Tag: 2021 New York Jets

Zach Wilson wants to get Jets together for pre-training camp workouts

Zach Wilson plans on getting together with New York’s skill position players for private workouts in an effort to develop better chemistry.

Zach Wilson wants to build as much chemistry as possible with his weapons before the Jets open the season against the Carolina Panthers.

Wilson said he would like to hold informal workouts with his wide receivers, tight ends and running backs prior to training camp. Wilson has not picked a date yet, but the Jets start training camp on July 27.

“We’ll find some time to get together,” Wilson said Wednesday, the final day of minicamp.

The Jets’ rookie quarterback is making an extra effort to develop better chemistry with New York’s skill position players. With the Jets bringing in a rookie quarterback, along with a brand new offensive system, it will take some time for the offense to get where it needs to be.

There will be a learning curve for Wilson and his peers when it comes to Mike LaFleur’s offense. However, the hope is for those players to narrow that gap before the regular season begins. Having informal workouts should help in doing so.

The NFL did not allow players to get together for private workouts outside the team facilities last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tennessee Titans were one of the teams that violated that rule, and it lead to a COVID-19 outbreak within the organization.

This year, however, new NFL protocols will allow players to gather outside team facilities, permitted they are vaccinated. Unvaccinated players can not get together for meetings, practice, or training activities outside the team facilities.

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Greg Van Roten, childhood Islanders fan, glad to see Dan Feeney embraced

Unlike fellow Jets lineman Greg Van Roten, Dan Feeney wasn’t always an Islanders fan.

Dan Feeney has only attended two Islanders playoff games, yet he has already become the new face of the fanbase.

Several Jets, including rookie QB Zach Wilson, have made themselves heard at a couple of the Islanders’ playoff games in recent weeks. Feeney has grabbed the attention of the cameras, though, crushing beers on his head and chugging them. He’s gone viral more than once, and the backup offensive lineman has become a well-known name in New York despite not playing a game here yet.

The Islanders have enjoyed Feeney’s presence so much that they collaborated with the Jets on a t-shirt featuring Feeney’s signature mullet.

Feeney, however, is not the longest-tenured Islanders fan in the Jets’ trenches.

“He was a Blackhawks fan,” fellow lineman Greg Van Roten, who spent his childhood on Long Island, revealed Tuesday. “Now he’s coming in, and Islander Nation has embraced him. I’m not jealous or bitter, but I grew up an Islanders fan!”

Van Roten has been the orchestrator behind the Jets’ adventures to Nassau Coliseum. He joked about using the Jets’ public relations team to get tickets to see his favorite NHL squad.

But Van Roten views these gatherings with his teammates as more than just going to see a hockey game. The 2020 Jets were limited in the time they spent around each other due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so they had a harder time connecting away from the field or team facility.

With fewer pandemic restrictions now in place, this current Jets team can come together for events like Islanders playoff games.

“It’s an opportunity to bond,” Van Roten said. “We didn’t have this opportunity last spring, and it definitely hurt us as a team throughout the season. You get to spend time with your position group a lot but maybe not with guys from other position groups or across the ball. This has been a no-brainer as far as, ‘Hey, let’s get together on a weekend to go see a game, and blow off some steam together and get to know each other on a more personal level, not around football.'”

The Islanders lost Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals on Tuesday to the Tampa Bay Lightning by a final score of 4-2. The series is now tied 1-1 and Game 3 will be at Nassau Coliseum on Thursday night at 8 p.m.

For those wondering, the answer is yes, according to the New York Post: Feeney and other Jets will return to The Barn to root on the Islanders.

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Brant Boyer was ‘ecstatic’ when Jets signed Justin Hardee

Justin Hardee has been one of the NFL’s best gunners over the past few seasons.

Brant Boyer’s unit got some much-needed help this offseason when the Jets signed Justin Hardee.

According to Lineups.com, Boyer’s special teams unit ranked 31st in opponent punt return yards, allowing 446 of them in 2020. Punter Braden Mann bailed out the Jets’ gunners on multiple occasions, as he recorded four tackles in his rookie season. However, with Hardee aboard, there should be some stability to the gunner position.

That’s why Boyer was giddy when he heard about the signing back in March.

“I was ecstatic on that one, I have to be honest with you,” Boyer said Thursday. “We played 13 different gunners last year, so it was a real struggle. He’s been fantastic, and what he’s done is he’s taken over a leadership role in the room, and that’s what the biggest thing we needed in our room especially losing a bunch of our core guys and things like that… He’s done a great job. I expect big things out of him. Now we just need somebody to emerge at that other gunner, so they can’t double him every time and things like that, and we’ll see what happens, which I fully expect someone will do.”

Hardee has been one of the NFL’s best gunners over the past few seasons with the Saints. He ranked seventh in the NFL with 32 special teams tackles from 2017-2020. The Saints also allowed the fewest punt return yards last season (46), and Hardee played a big part in that with eight total tackles.

As a result of Hardee’s strong play with the Saints, the Jets gave him one of the top contracts in the NFL for a special teamer. New York signed Hardee to a three-year deal worth $5.25 million with $1 million guaranteed.

Boyer has high expectations for Hardee in his first season with the Jets, and rightly so. The Jets wouldn’t have signed Hardee if they didn’t think he could help improve their special teams unit. We’ll see what happens throughout the 2021 season, but Hardee should be a difference-maker for the Jets in that facet of the game.

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Mike LaFleur blown away by Zach Wilson’s eagerness to study film

Zach Wilson is quickly earning a reputation as a film junkie.

Zach Wilson has only been a Jet for a month, but he has already made a strong impression on offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.

One of Wilson’s responsibilities as a rookie quarterback is learning LaFleur’s West Coast offense. With some rookie quarterbacks, you have to be careful about throwing too much information at them at once. Wilson seems to be the opposite, though. LaFleur said on Thursday after the Jets’ OTA practice that Wilson wants to study more than just the bare minimum of the playbook.

“He wanted to do that on his own,” LaFleur said, per NJ.com’s Joey Chandler. “He wanted to learn the stuff that there is no way he can learn on his own and wanted to hear from us so he could start to process all that.”

 LaFleur added that he is happy with where Wilson is at and with how much time the quarterback is dedicating to learning the offense.

“I don’t feel like we rushed it with him by any means, but there is no doubt, obviously the more film you get to watch with the guy, the more he wants to take in,” LaFleur said. “We are going to adjust what he can take in, and I think he has done really well with it.”

LaFleur even had a conversation with his brother, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, about Wilson’s study habits. Matt told his brother to be wary of giving Wilson too much, but Mike said Wilson wants more information thrown his way.

“He wants film to the face, and it is almost like, I was talking to my brother, and he was like: ‘You better not burn this guy out. You are taking a lot of film with him,'” LaFleur said “And it’s like, he is the one that wants to watch this film, so it is unique. It’s cool to watch him be able to sit there and stay focused and process all the information we are trying to give him.”

It is clear early on that Wilson wants to be as prepared as possible before he starts his first game for the Jets, especially with there being less on-field time this offseason. The NFL preseason is now three games instead of four, as well, so Wilson is trying to gain additional experience and information any way he can.

Based on his OC’s reviews, it sounds like he’s off to a strong start.

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Jets’ Zach Wilson not quite up to speed with New Jersey driving

Zach Wilson thinks the biggest difference between New Jersey and Utah is the driving, adding that he doesn’t feel homesick.

Zach Wilson has lived in Utah all his life, but New Jersey doesn’t feel that much different for the young Jets quarterback.

Wilson spoke after the Jets held their first open OTA practice on Monday. The Jets’ No. 2 overall pick was asked about some of the differences between living in Utah and New Jersey. Wilson mentioned how the size and feel of New Jersey is similar to that of Utah. Wilson added that New Jersey doesn’t have a lot of traffic, is calm and greener than home.

However, Wilson has noticed that the drivers in the area are relentless behind the wheel.

“There’s definitely some aggressive drivers here, that’s for sure,” Wilson said, per SNY. “I’m getting used tot hat, getting cut off everywhere you go.”

Wilson will get accustomed to New York/New Jersey driving over time, but he’s certainly not alone in the way he feels about it.

Other than that, Wilson has enjoyed life in the metro area thus far despite living thousands of miles from Utah now. He’s been spotted on social media bonding with his fellow rookies and accompanied his offensive linemen when they attended the Islanders playoff game against the Penguins at Nassau Coliseum on Saturday.

“I feel like I’m at home,” Wilson said. “I don’t feel homesick. I don’t feel like I’m missing anything. I’m having a blast, and I think the coaches and the players just make it easy to fit in and get going with everything.”

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4 things to know about Jets’ UDFA S Jordyn Peters

The Jets signed Auburn safety Jordyn Peters as an undrafted free agent. Here are four things to know about the Jets’ newest defensive back.

The Jets drafted one Auburn safety in Jamien Sherwood. Then they signed his teammate, Jordyn Peters, as an undrafted free agent.

Peters started at safety during his senior season at Auburn and recorded 42 tackles, four pass breakups, and one interception. For Peters’ entire college career, he had 101 total tackles, eight pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, two sacks, one forced fumble and one interception. Peters was also a key special teams player, as he had four career blocked punts and returned one for a touchdown.

With the Jets likely set at both safety positions, Peters’ best chance at making the team is as an asset on special teams given his production in college.

For now, let’s take a look at four things to know about Peters.

4 things to know about Jets’ UDFA S Jordyn Peters

The Jets signed Auburn safety Jordyn Peters as an undrafted free agent. Here are four things to know about the Jets’ newest defensive back.

The Jets drafted one Auburn safety in Jamien Sherwood. Then they signed his teammate, Jordyn Peters, as an undrafted free agent.

Peters started at safety during his senior season at Auburn and recorded 42 tackles, four pass breakups, and one interception. For Peters’ entire college career, he had 101 total tackles, eight pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, two sacks, one forced fumble and one interception. Peters was also a key special teams player, as he had four career blocked punts and returned one for a touchdown.

With the Jets likely set at both safety positions, Peters’ best chance at making the team is as an asset on special teams given his production in college.

For now, let’s take a look at four things to know about Peters.

The 6 best games on the Jets’ 2021 schedule

A look at the best matchups on Gang Green’s 2021 slate.

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The Jets have known for a while who they’ll be playing in 2021, but now they know their entire schedule.

New York will play each team in its division twice, as it does every season. The Jets will also play against the AFC South and the NFC South. The other two opponents the Jets will play in the AFC are the Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos. The Jets’ 17th game is against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Let’s take a look at the six best games on the Jets’ 2021 schedule.

Jets to face Sam Darnold, Panthers in Week 1 opener

The Jets are playing Sam Darnold and the Carolina Panthers on the road in their Week 1 opener.

The Jets won’t have to wait very long to see their former quarterback, Sam Darnold.

The team announced Wednesday morning that it will play Darnold and the Carolina Panthers on the road in Week 1 of the 2021 regular season. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST on Sunday, Sept. 12, on CBS.

Robert Saleh will make his Jets head coaching debut against Matt Rhule, who almost became New York’s head coach in 2019 before the organization hired Adam Gase. The game could also be the debut of Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson.

The Jets traded Darnold to the Panthers last month in exchange for a 2021 sixth-round pick, a 2022 second-round pick and a 2022 fourth-round pick. New York faced a huge decision this offseason: keep Darnold or draft a new quarterback. In the end, Joe Douglas decided to draft Wilson, allowing the Jets to hit the reset button financially at quarterback.

Darnold was drafted by the Jets in 2018 out of USC with the expectation of being their future franchise quarterback. However, it didn’t work out that way, as Darnold’s three years in New York were underwhelming. He received little to no support in terms of playmakers and a stable offensive line. He also dealt with poor coaching and ever-changing schemes and staffs between Todd Bowles and Gase.

Of course, Darnold often struggled on his own as well. In 38 career starts, he had a 13-25 record, including a 2-10 mark in 2020. Darnold has a 59.8 percent completion percentage to go along with 8,097 yards, 45 touchdowns, and 39 touchdowns.

The Jets will also pay a visit to Robby Anderson for the first time since letting him walk in free agency after the 2019 season. Anderson never recorded a 1,000-yard season in his four years with the Jets but immediately did so in his first season with the Panthers.

This won’t be the first time that the Jets play a recently traded player’s team in the season opener. The Jets played Darrelle Revis and the Buccaneers in Week 1 of the 2013 season after Revis was traded to Tampa Bay the previous offseason.

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Zach Wilson leaning toward wearing No. 2 with Jets

Zach Wilson will more likely than not wear No. 2 for the Jets next season as he continues to decide his jersey number.

Zach Wilson hasn’t officially chosen his jersey number yet, but he seems to be zeroing in on what numeral he’ll be wearing with the Jets.

At BYU, Wilson’s jersey number was No. 1. However, Wilson seems to want to switch up his number with the Jets. While speaking with reporters at Jets rookie minicamp on Saturday, Wilson said he’s leaning toward wearing No. 2.

“I like any single-digit numbers, and I think it’s kind of cool I was the second pick,” Wilson said, per SNY. 

The most notable player in Jets history to wear No. 2 was kicker Nick Folk. He kicked for the Jets from 2010-2016 and was the first player since 1963 to wear No. 2 for more than one season. 

The other players to wear No. 2 in Jets franchise history include Jason Myers, Raul Allegre, Toni Linhart, Ed Chlebek and Billy Atkins.

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