Tag: C.J. Uzomah

Will New York Jets’ new-look tight end corps matter in fantasy football?

How does New York’s revamped cast of tight ends translate to fantasy football?

Last season was yet another tough one for the New York Jets, which missed the playoffs for an 11th straight year and posted a non-winning record for the 10th time during that stretch. There was a lot of overhauling heading into 2021, including the hiring of new head coach Robert Saleh, and the drafting of quarterback Zach Wilson, and the work has continued this offseason as well.

One of the focal points has been surrounding Wilson with more talent, and to that end the Jets spent a first-round pick on wide receiver Garrett Wilson, and a second-rounder on running back Breece Hall. The team also handed out money in free agency to address the tight end position by signing C.J. Uzomah (Cincinnati Bengals) to a three-year, $24 million deal, and Tyler Conklin (Minnesota Vikings) to a three-year, $20.3 million contract.

That’s a significant financial commitment from the front office, but given how little the team received from the position last season it seems warranted. In 2021, now-Chicago Bears tight end Ryan Griffin led the group with a 27-261-2 line; those 27 catches were good for eighth on the club. Tyler Kroft, now with the San Francisco 49ers, finished behind Griffin with 16 catches, 173 yards, and a score. Expect the tandem of Uzomah and Conklin to far exceed what their counterparts produced.

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Bengals hoped C.J. Uzomah would return even after agreeing with Jets

The Bengals still had hope despite C.J. Uzomah agreeing with the Jets.

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It’s no great secret the Cincinnati Bengals were surprised that tight end C.J. Uzomah decided to leave for the New York Jets in free agency.

And as it turns out, those Bengals were hoping Uzomah would change his mind, even after agreeing to sign with the Jets.

This little detail came out over the weekend courtesy of NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, who wrote the following: “Yup, the Bengals were hoping he’d go back even after he agreed to terms with NYJ. We saw a few of those this free agency but Uzomah was set on the Jets and the NY market.”

There were a couple instances this offseason of players agreeing with one team, only to go and end up with another, as nothing’s final until a contract gets signed.

The fact the Bengals were hoping Uzomah would do the same speaks to how much they wanted him back for a number of reasons. After he elected to head for New York, the Bengals pivoted and signed Hayden Hurst.

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7 Jets poised for breakout seasons in 2022

These Jets could enjoy a career year in 2022:

Potential and promise are two words that sum up the Jets’ possibilities in 2022.

The team is chock-full of young talent across the roster but lacks clear-cut superstars. That could change this upcoming season, however, if the right players develop and are healthy enough to put together career years.

Here are seven Jets who are poised for a breakout season.

C.J. Uzomah happy to reunite with Carl Lawson: ‘He’s built like an action figure’

C.J. Uzomah has seen a lot of Carl Lawson throughout his career. He can’t wait to see more of the pass rusher now that they’re both Jets.

C.J. Uzomah has seen a lot of Carl Lawson throughout his career.

The two first became acquainted as college kids at Auburn. Then they shared stripes with the Bengals. Now they’re back in the same locker room after Uzomah signed with the Jets earlier this offseason. The 29-year-old will be New York’s starting tight end. Lawson, meanwhile, signed with the Jets last offseason but missed the 2021 campaign after tearing his Achilles last summer.

Now Lawson is on the mend, and Uzomah can’t wait to see his new and old teammate return.

“Carl is a monster. He’s built like an action figure. If you go on Madden and you try to build a player, that is Carl,” Uzomah said of the pass rusher on Wednesday. “He’s just a freak.”

Lawson also spoke on Wednesday. He expects to be on the field when training camp starts at the end of July. “I’ll be ready to go when my number is called,” Lawson said.

Lawson was a training camp terror before getting hurt last summer and in 2020, his most recent season. He only recorded 5.5 sacks in his final year with the Bengals, but he totaled 32 QB hits and 44 pressures. Those numbers had the Jets dreaming about what the 26-year-old could do in Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich’s defense.

The hope now is that they get to find out after a year-long delay. Like everyone else, Uzomah also has high expectations for Lawson’s return.

“To get him back on the field, our defensive line is going to be really freaking good,” the tight end said.

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Jets TE C.J. Uzomah gushes over Zach Wilson: ‘He’s talented as hell’

C.J. Uzomah already likes what he’s seen from Jets QB Zach Wilson.

C.J. Uzomah already likes what he’s seen from Jets QB Zach Wilson in their limited time together this offseason.

The new Jets tight end thinks Wilson will make “huge strides” during his sophomore season. Uzomah is partly basing that on the film he watched in order to learn Mike LaFleur’s offense.

“He’s talented as hell,” Uzomah said Wednesday. “He’s smart. He’s a smart kid. He’s an unbelievable player and he has an unbelievable football mind and I’ve been excited just over the couple months I’ve been here of what he knows and what he’s expecting of us.”

The two have talked a lot this offseason already as Uzomah picks up the offensive playbook and Wilson looks to learn from Uzomah’s experience in Cincinnati. The former Bengal should play an integral role – alongside fellow TE Tyler Conklin – in Wilson’s development during his second season. Wilson didn’t have much reliable pass-catching or blocking talent at tight end in 2021, something Uzomah and Conklin will offer this upcoming season.

The Jets put Wilson in a great position to succeed with the additions of Uzomah, Conklin and OG Laken Tomlinson. They also used early picks on WR Garrett Wilson and RB Breece Hall. Now, Wilson needs to apply all that intellect and talent Uzomah spoke about and bolster his production.

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A look at the highest-rated recruits in Auburn football history

Here are some of the highest-rated recruits in Auburn football history.

In the past 21 years, Auburn has had 80 players drafted, almost four players a year. Some were ranked as four-stars out of high school like Kerryon Johnson, Carlton Davis, and Braden Smith. Those three are currently playing in the NFL. Others, like [autotag]Montravius Adams[/autotag], [autotag]Carl Lawson[/autotag], and [autotag]Derrick Brown[/autotag] were all regarded as five-stars. Interestingly enough, all six of them have had successful careers in both college and the pros.

On the other hand, several of Auburn’s best players over the past few years were not ranked high at all. Both C.J. Uzomah and Dee Ford were both ranked as three-stars by 247Sports Player Rankings. Those two have had successful careers at both levels as well. However, not all of the top-rated recruits in Auburn history have seen their own share of success. Today, we will look at 247Sports’s list of the highest-rated recruits in Auburn football history based on their composite rankings. Ahead, we take a peek at the top ten highest-ranked recruits in Auburn history.

At long last, the Jets have tight ends they can rely on

C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin can immediately help the Jets offense next season at a tight end position the team previously neglected.

C.J. Uzomah said it best in his introductory press conference: it’s about to be dirty in the Jets tight end room.

In Uzomah and Tyler Conklin – both recently signed – the Jets finally have some good pass-catchers at the position.

How bad has it been for the Gang Green in recent memory? Jets tight ends have caught a league-low 489 receptions since 2012, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini. The last Jets tight end to eclipse 500 receiving yards in a single season was Chris Herndon in 2018. The last one to finish with more than 50 receptions in a single season was Austin Seferian-Jenkins in 2017. The last to do both in one season was Dustin Keller in 2011.

Enter Uzomah and Conklin, whose solid 2021 seasons would have been among the best in recent Jets memory. Conklin’s 593 receiving yards would have tied Rich Caster’s 1973 season for the 12th-most in franchise history, and his 61 receptions would have been sixth. Those numbers are also better than the combined production of the Jets’ entire tight end group this past season.

While Uzomah’s 493 yards would have finished 19th in franchise history, his 49 receptions would have been ninth-most. He finished with 41 fewer yards than the combined Jets tight end room and also tallied 24 more yards after the catch and five more missed tackles than the entire group, per Jets X-Factor’s Michael Nania.

None of those stats are position-breaking numbers by any means, but it’s a testament to the drought the Jets endured this past season and for the franchise’s entire history. The top-three tight ends in franchise history all played in the 1970s before being followed by Keller.

Joe Douglas tried to fix the position during his first two offseasons with Herndon and Ryan Griffin, but neither worked. Then he tried again by adding Tyler Kroft last offseason. That failed as well. Uzomah and Conklin aren’t Travis Kelce or George Kittle, but they are significant upgrades at the position – both in production, scheme fit and leadership. The two are already tweeting at each other and both mentioned each other by name when speaking for the first time as a Jet.

Now, the Jets can get to work on building the best version of Mike LaFleur’s offense. Not only do Uzomah and Conklin offer better pass-catching options for Zach Wilson, but the duo will also be significant blocking upgrades.

Uzomah allowed just one pressure on 41 pass-blocking snaps. The Bengals enjoyed their best rushing production on the right side outside of the tight end with 293 yards, 18 first downs and nine runs of at least 10 yards, per Nania. Cincinnati aslo averaged 2.1 more yards per play with Uzomah in the game – the largest advantage of any tight end in 2021, per Next Gen Stats.

Conklin, meanwhile, led the position with 98 pass-blocking snaps in 2021, per Nania, and put together some solid tape against top-tier pass rushers like Nick Bosa, Chandler Jones and the Bengals’ duo of Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson.

This would be a stark difference in the blocking department for New York. Jets tight ends allowed 13 pressures in pass protection this past season and a 9.9 percent pressure rate – the most in the league, per Jets X-Factor. The Jets also only averaged 0.8 yards per contact on rush attempts off the outside of the tight end.

Overall, the Jets found two tight ends who fit their system well and provide substantial upgrades as pass-catchers and blockers. They also give the Jets more veteran offensive leadership in a locker room led by a second-year quarterback, running back and wide receiver, and a young offensive line.

So while Joe Douglas didn’t go out and pay up or trade for some of the best tight ends at the position, he brought in two who should finally end the Jets’ woes at a position they’ve failed to secure in the past decade.

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How the New York Jets are absolutely crushing it in free agency

New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas and his staff are hitting 2022 free agency with a series of big wins. Here’s why it’s such a great haul.

New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas was asked a common question at the scouting combine: How aggressive will his team be in free agency?

“I would say, there’s a lot of different avenues, a lot of different tools to improve your roster,” Douglas said earlier this month. “Free agency is one of those tools. And so, I think we have a good opportunity. We have assets that we’ve acquired and we have financial flexibility. So again, there’s a lot of conversations that need to be had in the next coming days and weeks before this kicks off. But we’re gonna get this team better, any avenue we can.”

So far, the Jets have had hit after hit, at least when projecting these players to their new homes. In the comprehensive list of free agents put together by myself and Mark Schofield, Gang Green’s five signings to date — tight end C.J. Uzomah, guard Laken Tomlinson, cornerback D.J. Reed, safety Jordan Whitehead, and edge-rusher Jacob Martin — all got grades of at least A-, and there are three A+ marks on the list, which is the most for any team so far.

It’s obviously important for a team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2015, and hasn’t made the playoffs since 2010 — back in the Rex Ryan days.

Let’s take a look at each of these new Jets players, why they’re such great signings, and how they fit into what Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh and his staff wish to achieve in 2022…. and beyond.

2022 NFL free agency: Jets signing TE Tyler Conklin

The Jets are adding another pass-catching tight end in Tyler Conklin two days after agreeing to a deal with C.J. Uzomah.

The Jets are adding another free agent tight end in Tyler Conklin, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Conklin, 26, will be the second tight end Joe Douglas signed this offseason after the Jets agreed to terms with C.J. Uzomah on Monday. Conklin caught 61 passes for 593 yards and three touchdowns in his fourth season with the Vikings in 2021. While he isn’t known for his blocking, Conklin is a reliable pass-catcher who only registered one drop this past season and earned a 70.4 receiving grade from Pro Football Focus.

A Central Michigan product, Conklin has 93 career catches for 922 yards and four touchdowns. The Vikings drafted him in the fifth round in 2018.

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6 takeaways from Jets’ C.J. Uzomah deal

The Jets completely changed the makeup of their tight end room by agreeing to a three-year deal with C.J. Uzomah on Monday.

Tight end has been an issue for the Jets for years. New York has received little from the position since Chris Herndon’s standout rookie season in 2018 and its offense has struggled as a result.

Joe Douglas made a move to rectify the problem on the first day of free agency, agreeing to terms on a three-year deal with former Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah. Uzomah helped Cincinnati make the Super Bowl as one of Joe Burrow’s favorite targets and profiles as a player who will make an instant impact in the Big Apple — even if he’s not the biggest name.

Here are six takeaways from the Jets landing Uzomah.