Mekhi Becton, Carl Lawson, C.J. Uzomah are all ready for the start of #Jets training camp:
The New York Jets will have a trio of big-name players back in the fold for the start of their 2022 training camp on Wednesday.
The team announced on Tuesday that offensive lineman Mekhi Becton, defensive end Carl Lawson, and tight end CJ Uzomah were all activated from the team’s PUP list (physically unable to perform).
Becton has been a lightning rod for attention over the past year because of his knee injury. An issue that wasn’t supposed to end his 2021 season and eventually did. Then reports of weight concerns surfaced.
Due to all that, Becton being 100 percent ready for the start of camp is certainly the most-welcomed news of the bunch.
Earlier this offseason the Jets did say Lawson might be brought along slowly during training camp.
That still might be the plan for New York because the team wants him ready for Week 1 above all else–but coming of the PUP list is still a good update.
Lawson signed with the Jets a year ago but has yet to make his debut in New York due to an Achilles injury he suffered last offseason.
Uzomah was just signed by the Jets this offseason. He also had a previous knee injury he was dealing with.
Offensive lineman George Fant is the lone player remaining on the PUP list.
CJ Uzomah made the perfect entrance at #Jets camp:
The New York Jets are about to embark on their 2022 training camp journey. On Tuesday, players are reporting to the team’s facility in Florham Park ahead of their first practice the following day.
Of everyone, no one beat C.J. Uzomah’s entrance.
The tight end, who signed in New York this offseason, had the perfect shirt on.
Uzomah has become close friends with quarterback Zach Wilson very quickly since joining the Jets. The pair have been spotted enjoying some free time together like at some New York baseball games, but they’ve also put in some work together throughout the offseason as well.
That got taken to the next level when Uzomah showed up for camp.
He wore a shirt with Wilson on it as the “Person of the Year.”
The team went and shared it on social media. Check it out below:
The New York Jets will begin training camp on July 26. Leading up to that, Jets Wire will provide some quick hitting analysis on each position for New York.
PFF really likes the #Jets’ moves at tight end this offseason:
Pro Football Focus believes the New York Jets got it right at the tight end spot.
This spring the Jets used free agency to revamp the position. Both CJ Uzomah and Tyler Conklin were signed.
Those moves were named the team’s best decisions this offseason by PFF.
While a double-dip at the same position, the football analytics outlet thinks it could pay dividends. PFF called both Uzomah and Conklin fits for New York’s offense in more ways than one.
We already knew their pass-catching prowess was there. We did not need the fancy stats to see that. However, their abilities against the run are overlooked but important says PFF.
Not to mention, adding those two will give rookie Jeremy Ruckert time to develop as well.
Here’s how PFF broke down the Jets’ moves at tight end this spring:
SIGNING TES C.J. UZOMAH AND TYLER CONKLIN
The Jets somewhat replicated the division rival New England Patriots in the 2021 offseason when they added two tight ends in Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith, only it came at a fraction of the cost.
Uzomah and Conklin are complete players at the tight end spot, capable of adequate blocking in offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur’s wide zone run scheme, while also contributing as big-bodied safety valves for quarterback Zach Wilson on third downs and in the red zone.
In 2021, the Jets tight end room earned a 56.8 overall grade which ranked 30th, with their 50 receptions and 534 receiving yards both 31st. Conklin recorded 61 receptions for 593 yards in 2021 and Uzomah had 49 receptions for 493 yards, each effectively matching the Jets’ entire tight end group’s production alone.
Another former Auburn Tiger inks a new contract in the NFL
Former Tigers defensive linemen, Montravius Adams, re-signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday afternoon.
The Georgia native signed a new deal for two years worth $5 million. The twenty-six-year-old was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 2017. He would then spend four seasons in Green Bay. After that, he bounced around amongst three teams in 2021. Those teams were the New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, and the Steelers. Now, it appears that he is locked in with the Steelers for at least two more years.
Throughout his NFL career, Adams has recorded 57 tackles. Along with that, he also has 1.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble. The majority of his production came from his time with the Packers. However, he hopes to get back to his old ways in the black and yellow uniforms.
In 2021, Adams started four games for the Steelers. The main reason was due to the fact that the Steelers starting defensive tackles were injured (Stephon Tuitt and Tyson Alualu). With the two likely to be back in time for the start of the season, he will likely be a backup at the defensive tackle position.
Other former Tigers that have signed contracts are Carlton Davis and CJ Uzomah. Davis signed with the Bucaneers on a three-year $45 million dollar deal, while Uzomah signed with the Jets on a three-year $24 million dollar deal. The Steelers certainly hope to see Adams develop into a rotational defensive lineman. Adams is a big presence at the Nose Tackle position and could certainly help the Steelers in the 2022 season.
Defensive lineman Montravius Adams is signing back with the Steelers on a 2-year, $5 million contract, per his agents @DrewJRosenhaus and @RyanMatha.
This will be wild if the Bengals win the Super Bowl. CJ Uzomah made a crazy promise.
Former Auburn Tiger CJ Uzomah is heading to his first Super Bowl with the Cincinnati Bengals. While his status was relatively unknown for the game, Uzomah was recently upgraded on the injury report and appears good to go for Sunday.
He has been limited in practice but as Uzomah has said, he won’t miss the biggest game of his life. “It’s the Super Bowl, I’m doing everything I can,” he said in regards to his availability. “I’m not missing the biggest game of my life.”
The offense has missed having Uzomah on the field as he has been a safety valve for the offense led by former SEC foes, Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. This year, the former Auburn tight end has racked up 49 receptions for 493 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games for the Bengals.
This is his seventh season with Cincinnati and he set career-highs in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Uzomah was one target away from tying his career-high of 64 targets in the 2018 season.
While discussing what the former four-star athlete would do, he said that he would take a bath in Skyline Chili and he is “NOT” playing. If the Bengals pull this off seeing CJ Uzomah take a bath in chili will definitely be a site to see.
During his four-year career at Auburn, Uzomah caught a total of 29 passes for 435 yards and seven touchdowns. As a senior in 2014, he tallied 11 receptions for 145 yards and three touchdowns in seven games.
Taking a look at the elite of the elite for Auburn on offense during the eight years of the Gus Malzahn era on the Plains.
The Gus Malzahn era at Auburn started out with a bang on the offensive side of the ball has Nick Marshall, Tre Mason and company lit the scoreboard on fire on their way to a SEC title and spot in the BCS National Championship Game.
While the Tigers’ offense would never reach those heights again under Malzahn during his eight years in charge, there were still plenty of great offensive players to come to the Plains during that time.
But who is the top of the top and the elite of the elite? We name our All-Auburn Offensive Team from the Malzahn era along with who would serve as second string.
(Note: When it comes to offensive linemen, we did not choose someone for each position but the top five guys that made the biggest impact.)
The Tigers matchup against Mississippi State in 2013 served as Nick Marshall’s coming out party as the quarterback at Auburn.
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We’re only ten days away from the start of this football season, so to get that football feeling going I’m counting down 10 of my favorite Auburn games within the last 20 years!
#10: Auburn vs Mississippi State 2013
Why it’s up there:
This game happened my sophomore year at Auburn. The Tigers went 3-9 my freshman year and had lost 10 consecutive conference games in a row. It was Gus Malzahn’s first year as head coach and everyone was desperately looking for a glimmer of hope from this 3-0 Auburn team.
We were still familiarizing ourselves with a quarterback named Nick Marshall who’d transferred from Garden City Community College out in Kansas. All eyes were upon him in his SEC debut against a talented Dak Prescott. Little did we know this would become Marshall’s coming out party.
College football world, meet Nick Marshall.
The game:
Marshall and the Tigers heated up early on offense. With a Cody Parkey field goal and a 76-yard touchdown pass to Quan Bray, the Tigers led the Bulldogs 11-6 at the end of the first quarter.
Dak and the Bulldogs found their rhythm early in the third quarter and you could feel the pressure mounting against Auburn. Two interceptions and fumble looked like they would kill the Tigers and the defense was getting absolutely torched on the ground, but then this play happened and the stadium once again came to life.
Yes, Nick Marshall threw a pass which was deflected by a Mississippi State defender but instead of letting the ball go to the ground the former defensive back turned quarterback caught the ball and rushed for 37 yards. You know who makes plays like that? Freak athletes like Nick Marshall. Unreal, I will never forget this play for as long as I live.
The Tigers settled for a field goal on that drive to make the score 20-17. The score continued to stay at 20-17 until there were only ten seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The student section was absolutely bananas during this final drive. I’d finished my hotdogs by this point and had been reduced to a nervous wreck. Nobody in that stadium wanted to go to overtime against Mississippi State, especially CJ Uzomah who caught the game winning pass.
This play was the catalyst for Auburn’s success in the 2013 season. I watched it at least a hundred times before going to bed that night because I was still in disbelief that the Tigers were winning again! Football was exciting again on the Plains and this game was just the beginning of a season that eternally lives on in college football folklore.
