Tag: Ashtyn Davis

Jets training camp 90-man roster preview: Safeties

Lamarcus Joyner and Marcus Maye give the Jets a solid safety tandem, but New York’s depth at the position is a question mark.

The Jets have struggled mightily in the secondary in recent years, but safety play has, for the most part, not been the main reason for New York’s shortcomings.

Marcus Maye was one of the Jets’ best players last season and is back to lead New York’s safety room in 2021. This upcoming season could be his last with New York depending on how contract negotiations play out, but the Jets can rest easy knowing they have at least one reliable defender on the back end of their secondary. Lamarcus Joyner also brings a lot to the table playing next to Maye, and Ashtyn Davis still carries plenty of potential with him into the new era of Jets football under Robert Saleh.

Here is a look at each safety currently on New York’s 90-man roster ahead of training camp.

All injured Jets expected to be ready for training camp

The Jets are making sure their players will be healthy before the 2021 season.

Robert Saleh expects every Jet who is recovering from an injury to be ready in time for training camp on July 27. He said the team does not have any Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) candidates.

This is fantastic news for the Jets considering two of the team’s best young stars, Mekhi Becton and Quinnen Williams, are dealing with injuries. Becton has been dealing with plantar fasciitis, while Williams underwent successful surgery in early May for a broken foot. Neither will practice this week at minicamp.

“We’re very confident [Becton will] be ready to go [by training camp],” Saleh said. “He’s just got a little nagging foot injury. It’s not worth it to put him out there and make something so small a lot worse.”

Corey Davis, who’s dealt with a shoulder injury for a few weeks, will only do individual drills this week. Safety Ashtyn Davis missed voluntary camp while rehabbing his late-season foot injury, but he is also expected to be at camp. The Jets don’t want to push any players who are just returning to practice or from injury.

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6 Jets who need to impress at OTAs

Which Jets need to impress at OTAs in order to improve their prospects of seeing the field under New York’s new coaching staff?

With OTAs underway at One Jets Drive, now is the time for a handful of players on New York’s roster to step up and prove their worth to Gang Green’s new regime.

The Jets will host nine more practices over the next three weeks before the offseason concludes with a mandatory minicamp from June 15-17. That gives New York’s fringe players — young ones and veterans alike — ample opportunities to earn a prominent position on the depth chart and prove they deserve a roster spot.

Robert Saleh and his coaching staff will have plenty to take in over the next couple of weeks as they work to shape the Jets’ 2021 roster. Here are six players who need to impress at OTAs to improve their standing entering training camp.

Jets to sign veteran DB Lamarcus Joyner

Lamarcus Joyner gives the Jets depth at the safety position alongside Marcus Maye and Ashtyn Davis.

The Jets added some secondary depth, agreeing to sign defensive back Lamarcus Joyner to a one-year, $4.5 million deal, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Joyner will likely play safety, Rapoport said, after struggling as a nickel cornerback for the Raiders in 2020. He finished with just 66 combined tackles, five defended passes and zero sacks or interceptions in just six starts. He had a 53.8 Pro Football Focus grade.

Joyner has the potential to be a starter for the Jets alongside Maye in the deep secondary in the Jimmie Ward mold. He started 27 games for the Rams from 2017-2018 before joining the Raiders and registered 97 combined tackles, four interceptions and 12 defended passes from that position.

Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich’s defense needs as many defensive backs as it can handle, and Joyner gives the Jets a crucial depth piece with starter potential alongside Maye and Davis. Plus, he’s an added veteran presence as Davis enters his second season.

Jets Wire Rookie Power Rankings: The final 2020 report card

Jets Wire breaks down the Jets’ rookie class for the final time this season with its final report card.

The regular season is in the books, which means it’s time to evaluate the overall body of work that each Jets rookie put together in 2020.

Almost all of New York’s rookie class endured an up-and-down first season in the NFL. Mekhi Becton, Denzel Mims and others occasionally starred, but also took their lumps throughout the year. There is still plenty of hope for the future with this class, though, as it is filled with talented players who have the potential to make an impact for the Jets as soon as next season.

So, where do New York’s neophytes stand with 2020 in the rearview? Let’s take a look in the final Jets Wire rookie power rankings of the year.

Jets injury report: Jamison Crowder questionable vs. Seahawks

Jamison Crowder is listed as questionable against the Seahawks with a calf injury.

After finally getting all three of their starting wide receivers on the field the past few weeks, the Jets could be down two of their top wideouts Sunday in Seattle.

WR Jamison Crowder did not practice on Friday after he injured his calf on Thursday. He is listed as questionable against the Seahawks, but not practicing on Friday doesn’t help his chances of playing. WR Denzel Mims, meanwhile, has already been ruled out as he tends to a family emergency in Texas. Breshad Perriman could be the Jets’ only starting wide receiver who plays on Sunday.

OL Pat Elflein (shoulder/ankle) and RB Frank Gore (concussion) are both questionable. Elflein practiced on a limited basis, while Gore was a full participant.

S Ashtyn Davis (foot), S Bennett Jackson (hamstring), LB Jordan Jenkins (shoulder) and OL Greg Van Roten (toe) have all been ruled out.

With the Jets in need of safety help, they signed S J.T. Hassell. He terminated his practice squad contract with the Patriots in order to sign elsewhere. Hassell originally went undrafted in 2019 out of Florida Tech and was signed by the Browns. Hassell appeared in four games for the Browns and registered seven tackles but spent the majority of his rookie season on their practice squad.

As for the Seahawks, OL Jamarco James (groin/pelvis) is the lone player ruled out for Seattle. RB Travis Homer (knee) is doubtful. DE Carlos Dunlap (foot), OL Cedric Ogbuehi (calf), S Ryan Neal (hip) and OL Phil Haynes (hip/groin) are questionable.

Jets injury report: Greg Van Roten, Ashtyn Davis could be done for season

Both Greg Van Roten and Ashtyn Davis could be out for the remainder of the year with injuries.

The Jets may have lost two key starters for the season in Sunday’s 31-28 loss to the Raiders.

Adam Gase said Monday that RG Greg Van Roten (toe), S Ashtyn Davis (foot) and S Bennett Jackson (hamstring) all could be out for the remainder of the season. He did not provide an update on RB Frank Gore, who left Sunday’s game to be evaluated for a concussion.

Josh Andrews took the place of Van Roten, while team captain Mathias Farley subbed in for Davis.

Meanwhile, LB Jordan Jenkins (shoulder) is day to day. The Jets are still evaluating him. So his status for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks remains up in the air.

Young secondary, Sam Darnold among Jets’ Studs & Duds in Week 13 loss to Raiders

Jets Wire takes a look at the Jets studs and duds from the team’s 31-28 loss against the Raiders on Sunday.

While it didn’t happen in the fashion the Jets or Raiders might have envisioned, New York dropped its 12th straight game of the season Sunday while maintaining its lead in the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes. The Raiders were able to knock off the Jets, 31-28, avoiding another East Coast letdown.

The Jets put together quite the comeback effort in the second half behind the team’s rushing attack and Gregg Williams’ defense. The bend but don’t break mentality held until the dam burst on a 3rd and 10 at the end of the game, on which Williams sent an all-out blitz. Derek Carr threw a bomb, Henry Ruggs III was all alone and that was that.

Let’s take a look at New York’s best and worst from the team’s latest loss.

It sounds like Bradley McDougald’s Jets tenure is over

Bradley McDougald’s shoulder injury will keep him out for the rest of year and will likely end his tenure as a Jet.

Bradley McDougald’s Jets tenure is likely over.

Adam Gase said Wednesday that he doesn’t expect the safety to come back from a shoulder injury “any time soon,” per the New York Post’s Brian Costello. McDougald is eligible to come off the injured reserve list, but he doesn’t appear ready. With only fives games left in the season and the Jets out of the playoff hunt, there’s no reason to rush McDougald back.

With McDougald set to become a free agent at the end of the year, his time as a Jet appears over after just seven games. McDougald recorded 36 total tackles, three pass defenses and one fumble recovery. McDougald had a 41.0 overall grade, per Pro Football Focus. That is considered replaceable on the PFF grading scale. McDougald was targeted 16 times and allowed 13 receptions.

McDougald was acquired in the trade that sent Jamal Adams to the Seattle Seahawks. He was expected to be a solid replacement for Adams, but it just didn’t work out that way. Once McDougald went out with the shoulder injury, it was hard to see him regaining his starting job with the Jets having high hopes for rookie Ashtyn Davis.

McDougald will hit the free agent market coming off the shoulder injury with hopes of finding a new team. It’s hard to envision the Jets bringing him back given their situation at safety.

Jets injury report: Blake Cashman injures hamstring again

Oft-injured linebacker Blake Cashman is out again with a separate hamstring injury, while Bradley McDougald is eligible to return from IR.

While the Jets came out their 20-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 12 mostly clean, Blake Cashman finds himself on the shelf again.

It’s been a rough 2020 for the second-year linebacker out of Minnesota. He was placed on injured reserve after injuring his groin in the first quarter of Week 1. Cashman returned for Weeks 6 and 7 before dealing with multiple hamstring injuries, which knocked him out for multiple games.

Now, Cashman is dealing with a separate hamstring injury that will sideline him again for a couple of weeks, according to Adam Gase. Cashman played 52% of New York’s special teams snaps in Sunday’s loss before exiting the game due to injury. He finished the contest with a tackle.

In four games this season, Cashman has played just three snaps on defense. He’s seen a majority of snaps on special teams, where he has six combined tackles.

In another injury news, starting last week, Bradley McDougald was eligible to come off injured reserve. Right now that appears unlikely as he recovers from surgery on his shoulder, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

McDougald’s absence from the lineup has allowed Marcus Maye to return to his natural position, where he’s seen a surge in production. As for Ashtyn Davis, the rookie out of Cal has done a more than adequate job of filling in for the injured McDougald.