Jets Roster Prediction 6.0: Final cuts

For the final time this offseason, Jets Wire takes a crack at predicting New York’s 53-man roster to begin the 2020 season.

Training camp at One Jets Drive is over. Now, it’s time for Joe Douglas and Adam Gase to make some tough decisions regarding New York’s 53-man roster ahead of Saturday’s deadline.

Final cut day is never easy for coaches, general managers and players alike. Coaches and GMs are forced to part ways with players they would have preferred to keep because of the numbers game, while bubble players sweat out the day, hoping they will not receive a phone call from anyone in the organization.

It was a training camp unlike any other because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Jets have put in enough work on the practice field to be ready for Week 1. With that being said, here is Jets Wire’s final crack at predicting who will be on New York’s roster to begin the 2020 season.

A reminder: italics signify new arrivals and/or changes from the previous prediction. You can click on previous predictions below as the summer progresses.

Predictions 1.0 – Post-NFL Draft | Predictions 2.0 – The Jamal Adams trade | Predictions 3.0 – C.J. Mosley’s opt-out | Predictions 4.0 – Practice Begins — and so do the injuries | Predictions 5.0 – Some clarity, new additions and more injuries

Quarterback (3)

Starter: Sam Darnold

Backups: David Fales, James Morgan

Cut: Mike White

The Jets have yet to make a decision on Joe Flacco’s status for Week 1, but he will likely begin the season on the PUP list. That leaves the door open for David Fales to claim his roster spot as New York’s No. 2 quarterback.

Joe Douglas wouldn’t risk cutting James Morgan and losing him on waivers after drafting him in April, which makes him a roster lock. Carrying three quarterbacks is not common in today’s NFL, but New York doesn’t have much of a choice in this situation.

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Jets Injury Report: Jeff Smith hurts shoulder, Greg Van Roten limited on Saturday

Jets Injury report from practice on Aug. 29.

The Jets got even thinner at wide receiver on Saturday, as Jeff Smith left practice with a shoulder injury.

Smith injured his shoulder diving for a pass in 7-on-7 drills and promptly left the field with a trainer. He is set to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury. If Smith is forced out of action for an extended period of time, he will be the latest Jets wideout forced to the sideline. Both Breshad Perriman (knee) and Denzel Mims (hamstring) missed practice and it remains to be seen when they will return.

Prior to his injury, Smith had been taking reps with New York’s first-team offense and was having a solid training camp. Undrafted free agent George Campbell stepped into his spot on Saturday and impressed with a touchdown reception from David Fales and a contested first down catch going up against Quincy Wilson.

Pierre Desir (hamstring), Tarell Basham (ankle) and Jabari Zuniga (quad) also missed practice. Rookie Bryce Hall, who was recently activated from the COVID-19 reserve list, did not practice and was placed on the active/non-football injury list as he works his way back from a gruesome ankle injury suffered in his senior year at Virginia.

Greg Van Roten practiced, but was limited due to an oblique injury suffered in practice on Wednesday. Brian Poole was also limited as he returns from dehydration, working exclusively on special teams. James Burgess returned after missing time because of a back injury.

Jets DB coach jokingly calls cornerback room ‘a bunch of outcasts’

New York Jets DBs coach Dennard Wilson has jokingly referred to his cornerbacks as ‘outcasts,” but it’s a rallying cry for an underdog unit.

There aren’t a lot of well-known names in the Jets cornerback room, but that’s what the unit prides itself on. In fact, New York’s defensive backs coach, Dennard Wilson, jokingly refers to his group as “a bunch of outcasts,” he said earlier this week.

Even if Wilson is technically joking or using that as a motivational tool, his message rings true. Rather than going down the path of paying a premium for a No. 1 cornerback, which has significantly hindered New York in the past, Joe Douglas elected to put together a group of rotational cornerbacks who provide depth for Gang Green.

New York’s cornerback room starts with Pierre Desir, who is already on his fifth team and was a cap casualty after flaming out in Indianapolis. Quincy Wilson, who had become an afterthought with the Colts, was just thrilled to be given an opportunity to prove himself. Like Desir and Wilson, Nate Hairston is another cornerback who fell down Indianapolis’ depth chart. He found himself shipped away for a Day 3 pick last year.

As for Brian Poole, his free agent market never took off, even after he was one of the best nickel corners in the NFL in 2019. Players like Bless Austin and Bryce Hall dealt with lower-body injuries during their senior seasons of collegiate play and subsequently were Day 3 picks.

Then there’s Arthur Maulet. He bounced around between Indianapolis and New Orleans before going back and forth between New York’s active roster and practice squad.

These aren’t names that jump off the page, but they’re certainly ones that embody the culture that Wilson has tried to bring into the cornerback room. These are players that other teams have given up, but the Jets are hoping a group with a collective chip on its shoulder can improve what was a weak position in 2019. Last year, a makeshift unit had to make up for the failures of Trumaine Johnson and Darryl Roberts.

Even without a lockdown No. 1 cornerback, New York is entering another season in Gregg Williams’ system, one that adapts to the strengths of its players. While Douglas may have constructed a positional group of relative no-names, they’re each coming in with something to prove.

Punches thrown by Jordan Jenkins during Jets’ Sunday morning practice brawl

Tensions boiled over at Jets practice on Sunday morning.

According to multiple reports, practice first got heated when OL Alex Lewis and LB Neville Hewitt went after each other verbally. Things got physical on the next play when LB Jordan Jenkins threw a few punches at Lewis, who was blocking downfield. Jenkins remained irate on the sideline and went after OL Greg Van Roten, who tried to break up the initial skirmish with Lewis. Jenkins and Van Roten had to be separated by coaches.

Now a HUGE fight at #Jets camp. Alex Lewis again going at it. Jordan Jenkins throwing haymakers. Ugly. Really ugly.

Jenkins still shouting from sideline. This came after offense was mocking defensive chant.

— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) August 23, 2020

When the fighting died down, Sam Darnold, Le’Veon Bell and Marcus Maye all made attempts to cool Jenkins off. The starting offense and defense soon returned to the field, with Jenkins lining up with Van Roten in the trenches. Once again, words and shoves were exchanged, but nothing more this time.

A few touchdown throws later, a rather chippy practice came to an end.

Adam Gase talks C.J. Mosley, Le’Veon Bell and more with Jets training camp in full swing

Jets head coach Adam Gase spoke with reporters via conference call on Wednesday. Here’s what he had to say.

The Jets have yet to take the practice field this summer, but with the “acclimation period”, which consists of strength and conditioning, underway, training camp is essentially in full swing at One Jets Drive.

It has been an eventful last week and a half for head coach Adam Gase, as New York’s roster has endured a good amount of turnover. Jamal Adams is off to Seattle, while C.J. Mosley decided to opt-out of the 2020 season because of family health-related COVID-19 concerns. Brian Winters, Quincy Enunwa and Trenton Cannon are also no longer with the organization, as the three were handed their walking papers to kick off the second week of camp.

On Wednesday, Gase spoke with reporters via conference call, addressing the Jets’ recent string of transactions, how they could go about replacing Mosley, Le’Veon Bell’s motivation to succeed this upcoming season, and much more.

Here are the biggest takeaways from Gase’s most recent chat with the media.

Better now than later

Adam Gase never wanted to lose Jamal Adams and C.J. Mosley. The two were key cogs in Gregg Williams’ defense and crucial to the Jets’ ability to compete in 2020. However, the way New York’s second-year head coach sees it, it’s better that the two players departed now as opposed to in the middle of the season.

When speaking with reporters, Gase noted that losing Adams and Mosley in the early parts of training camp is semi-helpful, as it gives the Jets time to adjust to life without them. Had Adams and Mosley departed mid-season, New York would have had to build a new defensive scheme on the fly, which is an extremely tough task for any defensive coordinator — even the veteran Williams.

The Jets have a month to build their defense without two key parts. It’s not going to be easy, but at least they will have time to work out the kinks before Week 1 rolls around.

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11 veteran Jets fighting for their roster spot this training camp

Jets Wire takes a look at 11 veterans who will be fighting for their roster spot when New York reports to training camp in late July.

Training camp is the time for undrafted free agents and unheralded fringe players to make their case for an active roster spot. It is also the time for veterans to put everything on the line in order to keep their jobs.

When the Jets report to training camp on Tuesday, there will be just as many young players duking it out for a roster spot as there will be veterans hanging on for dear life. New York has a good amount of positions up for grabs, which means opportunity for the veterans. However, general manager Joe Douglas and company will have no issue siding with a younger player over one with more experience if the younger player dominates while the veteran treads water.

So, which Jets veterans will be fighting for a job in training camp? Here are 11 that are going to have to impress if they want to break camp with New York in September.

Avery Williamson

It’s rare that a player finds himself on the chopping block less than two years after leading his team in tackles, but that is the position Avery Williamson is in entering training camp.

Williamson missed all of 2019 due to a torn ACL, putting his future with the Jets in flux. Blake Cashman shined as a rookie in Williamson’s place, while New York added C.J. Mosley’s former running mate, Patrick Onwuasor, in free agency this offseason. That does not necessarily mean Williamson is on his way out, but it puts him behind the eight ball when it comes to making the 53-man roster.

Considering the financial gain the Jets stand to benefit from by parting ways with Williamson, all signs point toward the 28-year-old not breaking camp with the team. Unless he leaves no doubt that he should be the starting inside linebacker opposite Mosley, Williamson’s time at One Jets Drive could be running short.

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New York Jets Training Camp Primer: What’s new and what to expect

After a rather chaotic offseason, Gang Green returns to One Jets Drive on Tuesday for the start of training camp.

The last few months have been awfully busy for Gang Green. Joe Douglas got his first crack at free agency and the NFL draft, Woody Johnson was accused of racism, sexism and corruption, and star safety Jamal Adams successfully forced his way out of New York. Oh, and there was also, you know, the NFL trying to navigate a global pandemic.

COVID-19 and safety protocols will remain at the forefront of the discussion as the Jets and every other team opens up camp. As we’ve already seen with other sports leagues, coronavirus is the story right now, and it doesn’t look like that’s changing anytime soon.

With that noted, there are plenty of on-field matters to discuss in regards to the Jets, many of which we at Jets Wire have already written about in great detail. As for this article? Let it serve as a brief refresher for the offseason and a look at training camp and the uncertain season ahead.

Key Additions

Free Agent Signings: WR Breshad Perriman, WR Josh Doctson, RB Frank Gore, QB Joe Flacco, QB David Fales*, OL Alex Lewis*, OL Connor McGovern, OL George Fant, OL Greg Van Roten, OL Josh Andrews, CB Pierre Desir, CB Brian Poole*, CB Arthur Maulet*, LB Jordan Jenkins*, LB Patrick Onwuasor, LB Neville Hewitt*, LB James Burgess*

*Re-signed

Trade Acquisitions: S Bradley McDougald, CB Quincy Wilson

Draft Picks: OL Mekhi Becton, WR Denzel Mims, DB Ashtyn Davis, EDGE Jabari Zuniga, RB La’Mical Perin, QB James Morgan, CB Bryce Hall, P Braden Mann

Undrafted Free Agents: OL Jared Hilbers, EDGE Bryce Huff, WR Lawrence Cager, WR George Campbell

Key Departures

QB Trevor Siemian, WR Robby Anderson, WR Demaryius Thomas, RB Ty Montgomery, RB Bilal Powell, OL Ryan Kalil, OL Kelvin Beachum, OL Brandon Shell, LB Brandon Copeland, CB Darryl Roberts, CB Trumaine Johnson, S Jamal Adams, S Rontez Miles

Potential Summer Salary Cap Cuts

OL Brian Winters, LB Avery Williamson

Position Battles to Watch

No. 2 WR: It’s Mims vs. a field of journeymen. The second-round pick is the clear favorite.

No. 2 CB: Bless Austin faces a challenge from Wilson and Hall, among others.

No. MLB: Who will be C.J. Mosley’s partner up the middle? Williamson is playing for his roster spot and fending off Blake Cashman and Onwuasor.

No 2. OLB: A few unprovens are vying to play opposite Jenkins: namely Tarell Basham, Zuniga and Huff. Chances are all three see decent playing time this season.

RT: Free agent signing Fant vs. sophomore Chuma Edoga.

K: Sam Ficken has never been the most accurate kicker. Neither has Brett Maher. Who can miss the fewest field goals this summer?

What Could Go Right?

The Jets believe they can contend in a wide-open AFC East in 2020, even after trading Adams. To do that, they’re going to need a dramatic turnaround from an offense that finished last or close to it in nearly every conceivable category last year.

The plan? Douglas spent most of his offseason revamping the Jets offensive line — New York could have five new starters in the trenches this season. The goal is to get Darnold more time to throw and Le’Veon Bell more holes to run through. If all that happens, Darnold could finally have his breakout season despite the lack of star power around him. The quarterback has shown flashes through his first two NFL seasons, but, even with a strong defense, the Jets are going to need a Pro Bowl-caliber year from him if they want to be in the playoff hunt at the end of the season.

What Could Go Wrong?

A lack of face-to-face time during the offseason could seriously hinder a team with so many new additions. Chemistry was a problem for the Jets offensive line last year — and that was without a global pandemic getting in the way.

Even if that’s not an issue in 2020, it remains to be seen if the pieces the Jets brought in were enough. Douglas wasn’t able to get the cream of the crop linemen available, failed to find Darnold a true No. 1 receiver and continued the tradition of ignoring Gang Green’s pass-rush. Throw in an incredibly difficult schedule, and this has the makings of a long season in New York.

It wouldn’t be a shock if Adam Gase didn’t make it through to the end.

Expectations

Entering training camp, it’s hard to say the Jets are any better than the third-best team in the division. There are still serious holes at important positions and little proven talent around Darnold.

While Gregg Williams should have no issue producing another impressive defense, Gase gave little reason to believe he can turn the offense around. With so many challenging games on the docket and not enough talent to match, this Jets team would be lucky to go .500 in 2020.

6 position battles to watch as Jets enter training camp

The Jets have a lot of things to figure out this summer.

General manager Joe Douglas spent the offseason improving New York’s roster, but there is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding who is starting at multiple positions on both sides of the ball. Fortunately for the Jets, training camp is the ideal time for position battles to unfold and for starting jobs to be won.

So, which starting gigs are up for grabs? Here are six Jets fans should keep an eye on.

No. 2 Wide Receiver

Jamison Crowder is entrenched as a starter in the slot and speed demon Breshad Perriman is a lock to start on the outside. That leaves the No. 2 spot on New York’s depth chart open for the taking.

Quincy Enunwa and Denzel Mims were set to battle for the job until a neck injury put Enunwa out for the season. Mims now has a major inside track at beginning 2020 starting opposite Perriman, but Braxton Berrios, Josh Doctson and Vyncint Smith will have something to say about that throughout training camp.

Mims is likely to emerge as the winner of this position battle, but that is not a foregone conclusion. Nothing is going to be handed to the rookie in his first NFL training camp. If he slips up at any point, New York’s “veterans” will be chomping at the bit to impress and take the spot.

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10 Jets players in danger of being cut prior to training camp

Jets Wire takes a look at 10 players who could be released before the beginning of training camp on Thursday.

With the NFL expected to adopt a smaller offseason roster in the coming days, numerous Jets players on the roster bubble entering training camp are in danger of being cut before they even make it to One Jets Drive.

In an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19, offseason rosters could be reduced from 90 players to 80 or less for training camp. The NFL and NFLPA have already agreed to cancel the preseason, indicating that a smaller offseason roster could be the next measure the league takes in an effort to reduce the risk of players contracting coronavirus.

Smaller offseason rosters would mean pink slips being handed out before the beginning of camp. Jets rookies have already reported to Florham Park, but the rest of the team is scheduled to arrive on Thursday. That gives New York five days to cut its roster down by 10 or more players.

So, which Jets players could be in danger of being cut before the beginning of training camp? Here are 10 that could be shown the door before Thursday.

Avery Williamson

Avery Williamson was already facing an uphill battle for his roster spot entering training camp. Now, his departure out of the Big Apple could be expedited.

Considering Williamson’s already-slim chances of breaking camp with the Jets, Joe Douglas and company could do him and the organization a favor by releasing him before Thursday. The Jets said that Williamson would get a chance to compete for a job in the preseason, but that can’t happen now that there won’t be one.

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Report: Extra locker room space part of Jets’ plan to comply with NFL social distancing guidelines

Extra locker room space will play a part in New York’s plans for social distancing in training camp.

When the Jets report to training camp beginning this week, their locker room at One Jets Drive will not be as crowded as it normally is during the summer.

In order to meet the NFL’s guidelines for social distancing issued last month, New York will use trailers set up outside of team facilities as extra locker room space, according to the New York Post’s Brian Costello. The NFL is requiring 6 feet of space between lockers, which is not possible to do in the Jets’ regular locker room with a 90-man training camp roster. New York is also not able to use MetLife Stadium, as the Giants are holding their training camp there.

Jets players will begin reporting to training camp on Tuesday with the rookies being the first to head back to team facilities. Quarterbacks and injured players will report on Thursday, while the remainder of the team is set to return on July 28. Head coach Adam Gase returned last week. The rest of his coaching staff is scheduled to report on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Despite the NFL’s social distancing guidelines, there are still many unknowns about training camp, preseason and what kind of precautions the league is taking to ensure player safety. The NFL is still negotiating details such as testing frequency and the number of preseason games that will be played, leaving plenty up in the air as rookies from the Chiefs and Texans are set to be the first to report for camp beginning on Monday.