Jay Gruden says he would like to utilize D.J. Chark in the slot more

Jay Gruden is really impressed by the film he’s seen on D.J. Chark but feels there are more ways he could be utilized.

Jacksonville Jaguars receiver D.J. Chark Jr. was undoubtedly the team’s most improved player in 2019. After a 2018 rookie season in which he struggled and only caught 14 passes, he bounced back last year by leading the receiving corps with 73 catches for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns. He also went to the Pro Bowl alongside defensive linemen Calais Campbell and Josh Allen.

Despite that success, coordinator Jay Gruden believes Chark is just scratching the surface and could be utilized in the slot just as well as on the outside.

“He’s got the skill set with the size, speed and ability to come in and out of cuts,” Gruden said. “I think we can do a little bit more with him. I’d like to get him inside and do some more things with him in the slot. But he’s an excellent specimen. And the thing that I have come to know about DJ in the limited time I got to meet him was that he’s hungry.”

This is something Chark won’t have a problem with as it’s another creative way to free the young receiver up. While Dede Westbrook is the player who is expected to see the most snaps in the slot, switching things up occasionally won’t hurt, especially when considering Chark’s size (6-foot-4, 194-pounds).

As we previously pointed out last week, the slot is a spot that has seen a lot of production in Gruden’s offenses in the past. His last primary slot receiver, Jamison Crowder, accumulated 221 catches for 2,628 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns throughout the last four seasons while mostly playing at the position.

Playing Chark in the slot is also something that, of course, could help quarterback Gardner Minshew II, too. With Chark seeing a total of 118 targets last year (the most on the team) it won’t matter where he plays as Minshew clearly likes going to him.

Quincy Enunwa’s injury creates opportunity for Jets’ young wide receivers

The Jets don’t have much experience behind Jamison Crowder and Breshad Perriman, so a young receiver will need to step up.

There was a little bit of hope the Jets would see the return of wide receiver Quincy Enunwa in 2020 after he suffered a second season-ending neck injury last season. Instead, the Jets placed Enunwa, along with Josh Bellamy, on the season-ending physically unable to perform list last week.

Without Enunwa, Bellamy and Robby Anderson, who left in free agency, the Jets have a very shallow receiving corps behind Jamison Crowder and Breshad Perriman. This gives the younger receivers a great opportunity to play early in their careers and stake a claim to more snaps.

Second-round rookie Denzel Mims will benefit the most without Enunwa in the lineup. He’s all but assured the second outside receiver position opposite Perriman and should be in line for a lot more targets immediately. A lot will be expected of Mims sooner in his career, now, but he has the skills to be an immediate contributor for the Jets as a speedy receiver with a phenomenal catch radius. He isn’t a straight replacement for Enunwa’s production, though, considering their difference in play style. That’s where the rest of the young receiving corps can carve out a role on the offense.

There’s a deluge of inexperienced veterans and undrafted free agents competing behind the trio of Crowder, Perriman and Mims. The Jets have eight other receivers on the roster heading into the rest of the offseason, but only two or three should make the 2020 team.

Josh Doctson leads the way in both experience and production – he has 81 receptions for 1,100 yards in his four-year career – but is also on his third team in five years. He’s a little bit slimmer than Enunwa but has the best shot at earning on a role on the Jets because of his skillset.

The rest of the receivers don’t offer much promise of potential. Vyncint Smith and Braxton Berrios, two holdovers from the 2019 team, played alright when the Jets were decimated by injuries and have special teams appeal as return specialists. They have the inside track to seeing more snaps without Enunwa around. Jeff Smith also played for the Jets in 2019, but he, alongside, Jehu Chesson and Josh Malone, have combined for 11 receptions and 122 yards. The Jets pretty much know what they have in those three, who look like camp bodies and practice squad players.

The intrigue comes in the undrafted free agent receiver class of Lawrence Cager and George Campbell. Both are big and fast wideouts but have an extensive injury history. If they can impress Adam Gase and the rest of the staff earlier on, they could potentially jump up a few spots on the depth chart and earn their way into a role on the team.

Without Enunwa or Bellamy in the mix, there is a prime opportunity for a receiver not named Crowder or Perriman to breakout. The best money is on Mims, but he’s already a lock for the team and a sizable role early on. The Jets need a playmaker to rise out of the receiver room, and now is the perfect opportunity for a player who wouldn’t normally have such a chance.

What did scouting reports say for 8 prominent Jets?

Before they played for the Jets, here’s what scouts said about the best Jets players.

Growth is a huge part of becoming a football player. It starts at an early age, but the transition from high school to college and then to the NFL is where the most change occurs. The college recruitment process is usually a good indicator of football talent, but even those high school scouting reports are wildly incorrect sometimes. Once you make it to the NFL, none of the positional rankings matter, though.

With that being said, it’s still fun to look back at the high school reports for current Jets stars. Here’s what ESPN scouts got right and wrong about these Jets players.

Sam Darnold

There was a solid amount of fanfare for Darnold coming out of San Clemente High School in California in 2015. He was the eighth-ranked quarterback that year – behind guys like Blake Barnett, Josh Rosen and Drew Lock – and had the ideal size to be a solid pocket-passer and the next great USC quarterback. He flourished after becoming a starter in 2016 and the Jets traded up to take him third overall in 2018.

What the scouting report got right: “Can be very accurate when his feet are under him. … He can make difficult throws when off-balance, across his body or on the run to either side. He’s very consistent technically. … Has the arm strength to stretch the field vertically.”

What the scouting report got wrong: “He reminds us of Brock Osweiler when he was at Arizona State terms of style, measurables and athleticism.”

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Le’Veon Bell, Frank Gore were among NFL’s least successful running backs in 2019

Le’Veon Bell and Frank Gore were two of the least effective rushers in 2019 and will need to improve in 2020 for the Jets to be successful.

The Jets will enter the 2020 season with one of the most experienced backfields in franchise history. Between Le’Veon Bell and the newly-signed Frank Gore, New York will have more than 20 combined years of NFL experience running the football.

However, that experience didn’t help either last season. Bell and Gore were, separately, among the least successful rushers in football.

Bell finished his first season in New York with an abysmal 42.4 percent success rate, per NFL Next Gen Stats, meaning his rushing attempts resulted in a positive play less than half the time. That ranked 28th out of 29 running backs with a minimum of 150 rushing attempts. Gore, meanwhile, finished only slightly better than Bell despite playing less than half as many snaps. Gore ended his season in Buffalo with a 44 percent success rate, which ranked 27th.

The numbers look even worse when you dive deeper into the more metrics.

Gore and Bell ranked 43rd and 44th, respectively, in Defensive-adjusted Yards Above Replacement out of 45 rushers with a minimum of 100 carries, per Football Outsiders. In Defense-adjusted Value Over Average, Gore and Bell finished 42nd and 44th out of 45, respectively.

This isn’t to say Bell and Gore are bad running backs. Rather, they were clearly used incorrectly and/or played behind suspect offensive lines. This was obviously the case with Bell, as the Jets finished 31st in Football Outsiders’ Adjusted Line Yards, which takes rushing attempts and assigns responsibility to the offensive line. The Jets also finished with a 21 percent stuff rate – the percentage of runs stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage – which ranked 25th in the league.

As for Gore, a lot of it has to do with situation and age. Gore turned 36 in 2019 and saw his third-fewest single-season rush attempts in his 16-year career year. He also played in the fewest snaps of his career and ran mostly on 1st and10 plays. The Bills offensive line ranked middle-of-the-pack in 2019, but there’s no question Gore looked like he lost a bit of his power as the season progressed.

Bell’s and Gore’s 2019 seasons aren’t necessarily an indication of their 2020 potential, though. The most successful rushers this past season played behind the best offensive lines, and Joe Douglas did as much as he could to upgrade the Jets’ line by signing Connor McGovern George Fant, Greg Van Roten and Alex Lewis and drafting Mekhi Becton in the first round. Those five should all play roles on the offensive line this season, and all are better than their 2019 counterparts.

The Jets will also be healthier and denser at pass-catcher this season with a healthy Chris Herndon and by bringing in receivers Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims. Another season with Gase should also help Sam Darnold better command the offense and understand how to alter his protection. All of these improvements help running backs.

There’s no telling how Gase will use the duo of Bell and Gore this season – with a sprinkling of fourth-round rookie La’Mical Perine, too – but the running backs figure to play key roles in the Jets offense early on in the season. Gase said he expects Bell and Gore to “do some damage together,” but gave no indication as to how. Bell is a better pass-catching rusher who thrives on finesse, while Gore is a more powerful runner great in short-yardage rushing situations. Gore ran well the last time he played for Gase when both were in Miami in 2018, but Gore is two years older now with a lot more tread on his tires.

Either way, both Bell and Gore will need to be better than they were in 2019 if the Jets are to compete this season. The Jets have done a lot to ensure the potential for that future this upcoming season, but it’s on Bell and Gore to play up to that level.

Jamison Crowder will be Jets’ longest-tenured active WR in 2020

Jamison Crowder will be the Jets’ longest-tenured active wide receiver on the roster in 2020.

Jamison Crowder’s second season with the Jets hasn’t even begun and he’s already the team’s longest-tenured active receiver.

Crowder will have the most experience of any active wide receiver on the roster in 2020 now that Quincy Enunwa’s neck will force him to miss yet another season. Remember, it was just last offseason that Crowder signed with New York.

The slot receiver had a great first season with the Jets in 2019, recording 78 catches for 833 yards and six touchdowns. It was the second-best season of Crowder’s five-year career after four years in Washington.

Enunwa is technically the wide receiver who has been in New York longest, but he’s out for the season again and his career is in jeopardy. Prior to his departure for the Carolina Panthers, Robby Anderson would have taken this mantle.

Crowder’s status as the team’s longest-tenured active receiver speaks to some of New York’s instability at the position in recent years. The Jets have failed to draft talented wide receivers, with former general manager Mike Maccagnan whiffing on picks like Ardarius Stewart, Chad Hansen, Charone Peake and Devin Smith.

The hope is that current general manager Joe Douglas can change that narrative, starting with Denzel Mims. Mims was the highest-picked Jets wide receiver (59th overall) since they took Smith with the 37th overall pick in 2015.

The time is now to start building some stability at wide receiver. Sam Darnold needs someone who he can rely on year in and year out. The Jets can’t continue to rotate new wide receivers in every single year. Darnold has got to have a player he can build chemistry with.

He and Crowder showed plenty of that in 2019, but with a new year approaching, Darnold has plenty of new faces to get acquainted with again.

Updated look at Jets’ wide receiver depth chart following Quincy Enunwa, Josh Bellamy injuries

Here is an updated look at Jets’ wide receiver depth chart following season-ending injuries to Quincy Enunwa and Josh Bellamy.

The Jets’ wide receiver room is starting to take more shape after the team announced that both Quincy Enunwa and Josh Bellamy are out for the 2020 season with significant injuries.

This was the expected move for Enunwa, who essentially missed two of the past three seasons dealing with neck injuries. He was only able to play one game last year after signing a four-year extension; this could be the end of the road for him. On the other hand, Bellamy appeared to be a likely cap casualty — saving the Jets $2.3 million without absorbing dead cap — after a shoulder injury ended his 2019. Bellamy only recorded two receptions in seven games last season but was a core member of the Jets’ special teams units when active.

Here is the Jets’ current wide receiver depth chart:

Starters: Breshad Perriman, Denzel Mims, Jamison Crowder

Backups: Vyncint Smith, Braxton Berrios, Jehu Chesson, Josh Doctson, Josh Malone, Jeff Smith, Lawrence Cager, George Campbell

The two blows to the Jets’ receiving corps are mitigated by New York’s decisions to sign Perriman after losing Robby Anderson and to draft Mims with a premium choice. With Crowder returning as the Jets’ primary slot receiver, he is the most-tenured wide receiver on the team’s depth chart.

Mims and Perriman are likely to make an instant impact for Sam Darnold and the Jets, using a combination of speed and playmaking ability to move the chains. While the Jets haven’t done all they can to ensure Darnold will have skill players capable of elevating his play, they have added a few who can certainly contribute. The problem that lies at the position is the Jets’ lack of depth; currently the third-best outside wide receiver is a toss-up between Smith and Doctson. Neither has the credentials to be relied upon come the start of the regular season. Beyond them is a ton of inexperience.

With the NFL season still on-track, the Jets will have the opportunity to add more depth between trades, free-agent signings and bringing in any players who may shake loose during training camp. New York may reek of desperation, but it still has an opportunity to add free agents such as Taylor Gabriel, Johnny Holton or Demaryius Thomas while monitoring what happens with the Alshon Jeffrey situation in Philadelphia.

Sam Darnold talks Jets’ offseason moves, Tom Brady to Tampa, Robby Anderson leaving and more

Jets quarterback Sam Darnold covered a wide variety of topics Tuesday: From the draft to free agency to Tom Brady leaving the division.

The Jets’ 2020 roster will look a lot different than it did in Sam Darnold’s first two years in the NFL, and that’s a good thing.

Darnold saw the Jets’ beef up the offensive line, attempt to solve questions at wide receiver and even improve areas of the defense as well this offseason. There will be great expectations for Darnold now as he enters his third season in the league and second with Adam Gase as head coach.

Darnold spoke to reporters Tuesday on a variety of the biggest topics facing the Jets this offseason. From the draft to free agency to coronavirus and more, here are the most interesting things Darnold said.

The New Kids

Douglas did a great job giving Darnold some help this offseason in free agency and he continued the pattern with his first two draft picks. He took tackle Mekhi Becton in the first round and wide receiver Denzel Mims in the second round to fortify two positions of need on the Jets offense.

Darnold pointed out the obvious with Becton: He’s a “big guy” with his 6-foot-7, 364-pound frame. “He’s a freak athlete and a large human,” Darnold added.

Mims, who should line up outside with fellow wideout Breshad Perriman, flashed at Baylor with ridiculous numbers. Darnold likely saw the highlights and noticed Mims’ ability.

“He’s a great playmaker,” Darnold said. “He’s got a lot of potential.”

RELATED: Grading all 9 Jets picks in the 2020 NFL Draft

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Does Sam Darnold have enough to work with now?

The Jets didn’t give Darnold more weapons, but a fortified offensive line should be enough to make them competitive.

Sam Darnold heads into his third season after seeing some positive developments in 2019. His completion percentage, passing yards and touchdown-to-interception ratio all improved despite a three-game absence earlier in the year because of mono. In turn, he won three more games than he did his rookie season.

Now would be the time to load up on offensive weapons and fuel Darnold’s exponential rise as an NFL quarterback, right? Especially a year after the Jets finished 31st in points scored and 32nd in yards. Well, the Jets didn’t exactly do that during the 2020 offseason, but they laid the groundwork to give Darnold the tools to succeed without relying on the talent around him. Is that enough to elevate his game? Only time – and the offensive line – will tell.

The Jets don’t have any proven skill position players on the roster with the exception of Le’Veon Bell and Jamison Crowder. None of their starting wide receivers have eclipsed 900 yards in a season. What the Jets do have, though, is a collection of players who have flashed enough ability to become valuable weapons if Darnold can utilize them properly.

Crowder is an adept slot receiver who will be Darnold’s safety net in 2020. Chris Herndon should be a bruising, big-bodied target. Quincy Enunwa, if healthy, can be a reliable weapon in the middle of the field. The newest pass-catchers – free-agent Breshad Perriman and rookie Denzel Mims – have the requisite physical attributes to become potent weapons on the outside and down the field. Out of the backfield, Bell is as versatile as they come for running backs and has the experience to become dangerous again.

All of these players, in theory, should be enough for Darnold. But they’re all mostly unproven and need Darnold more than Darnold needs them. Outside of Perriman and Mims, it’s almost the same offense from last year.

On its surface, Darnold doesn’t have enough around him to become a truly great quarterback. A more proven outside receiver would be nice, as would a second running back or more dangerous tight end. Those are all hard to come by, though, unless you have the capital to pay up for one in free agency or on the trade market or the competence to draft one. At this point, there aren’t many players available that would drastically improve the Jets’ current weapons, though.

But even if the Jets had better offensive weapons for Darnold, none of it will matter if the offensive line fails him again. Darnold proved throughout his first two seasons in the league he can make high-caliber throws and win games despite an absence of top-tier talent. But when he didn’t have time to throw, he crumbled. Whether that was with an ill-advised throw or sack or interception, Darnold couldn’t perform in spite of the offensive line in front of him.

Joe Douglas did an admirable job trying to stabilize that line this offseason. First-round pick Mekhi Becton is a mauler in the trenches who should provide substantial run-blocking support and develop into a nice pass-blocker as well. Connor McGovern is a huge improvement over the Jets’ most recent centers. George Fant could be solid at tackle and the return of Alex Lewis rounds out a solid core for the Jets offensive line.

If that group keeps Darnold upright, maintains a solid pocket and opens up running lanes for Bell, the Jets have enough to be competitive in 2020. The collection of skill position players, while lacking a true star outside of Bell, gives Darnold a number of options on offense. But if the line breaks, like it did for much of 2019, the Jets will see a repeat of the past two seasons, and Douglas will look back and wonder what more he could have done for Darnold.

Jabari Zuniga has chance to make biggest impact of any Jets rookie in 2020

Jets Wire breaks down why Jabari Zuniga could wind up being New York’s most impactful rookie in 2020.

Every so often there is a middle or late-round draft pick that comes out of nowhere to make an instant impact for his team.

For the Jets, that rookie might be outside linebacker Jabari Zuniga.

Zuniga’s career at Florida was hampered by constant injuries and questionable usage. In four seasons with the Gators, he missed 11 games, eight of which came in his senior year. Thirty-nine games played out of a possible 50 might not seem like the worst statistic in the world considering a large chunk of missed games came in one season, but Zuniga often played through injuries which hindered his ability to produce as he normally would.

When healthy, Zuniga’s raw talent was on display. As a junior, he recorded 11.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. However, Florida’s coaching staff frequently made the head-scratching decision to line him up as an inside linebacker. Zuniga still produced while playing inside, but he was rarely able to show off his skills coming off the edge.

The injuries and misuse caused Zuniga to slide down many draft boards even though his talent was abundantly clear on film. Zuniga’s Florida tape and a strong NFL combine in February were all the Jets needed to see, though, as general manager Joe Douglas felt comfortable enough to select Zuniga in the third round.

Zuniga now has an opportunity to not only slide into New York’s starting lineup, but become an impactful pass rusher right off the bat. Tarrell Basham came on strong at the end of last season, but other than him, there is little quality competition for the starting outside linebacker spot opposite Jordan Jenkins.

Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is known for coaching young players up and getting the most out of them as early as possible. As long as he can stay healthy, there is no reason why Zuniga cannot become the latest Williams protege to evolve into a menace rushing the passer sooner rather than later.

Saying Zuniga could make the biggest impact of any Jets rookie in 2020 is a bold claim — especially since first-round pick Mekhi Becton is a lock to start at left tackle and second-round pick Denzel Mims has a very good chance to open the season as a starter at wide receiver. However, Becton is still raw and it remains to be seen if he can consistently contain NFL pass rushers as a rookie. As for Mims, if he wins a starting job in training camp, he will have to share targets with Jamison Crowder, Breshad Perriman, Quincy Enunwa, Ryan Griffin, Chris Herndon and others.

If Zuniga wins a starting job, the only player standing in his way on the road to production is himself.

Zuniga has a lot of work to do in the coming months to develop into a starting-caliber NFL edge rusher, but the potential for him to do so is certainly there. As long as he progresses as expected and avoids the injury bug, don’t discount the possibility of Zuniga becoming New York’s most productive rookie this upcoming season.

New Jets WR Denzel Mims has chip on his shoulder after 2nd-round slide

New Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims has a chip on his shoulder after his draft stock fell to No. 59.

New Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims has a little extra motivation after falling to the 59th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Baylor prospect expected to be a high second-round pick, but instead fell toward the back end of the second round. Mims admitted that he was a “little surprised” and “got upset” that his draft stock fell before adding how excited he was to play for the Jets.

“There’s always been a chip on my shoulder,” he said afterward. “I’ve been underrated my whole life.”

Mims is not the type of player who gets nervous in the big moments. Actually, he’s quite the opposite. Mims wants to be the guy catching game-winning touchdowns with the clock ticking down, so it’s clear he doesn’t lack any confidence in his abilities.

“When it comes down to crunch time, when it comes down to the end of the game, I want the spotlight,” he said. “I mean, I want to be the one to help the team get the victory and I want everything on me, on my shoulders.”

That’s exactly what the Jets are looking for in their new playmaker. New York hasn’t had a clutch wide receiver in a while, so that type of mindset will be welcomed in New York.

With Mims’ 6-foot-3, 207-pound frame, he can be a needed red zone target for Sam Darnold. At Baylor, Mims had 28 total touchdowns while also recording 2,925 receiving yards.

More than likely, Mims will line up on the other side of Breshad Perriman on the outside with Jamsion Crowder in the slot. That’s a lot of speed in the wide receiver room for Gang Green, which should bode well for Adam Gase’s up-tempo offense.

And when the Jets need to put points on the board, the coach won’t have to worry about his rookie’s confidence.