Tag: Michael Carter

Jets hold players-only meeting Tuesday, hope to ‘get out of this funk’

Jets hold players-only meeting Tuesday, hope to ‘get out of this funk’

Following Sunday’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, both wide receiver Garrett Wilson and tight end Tyler Conklin hinted that a players-only meeting could be on the horizon as the Jets try to right a ship that has led them to a 4-5 record entering a key stretch that includes games against the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins. That meeting happened Tuesday.

Via ESPN’s Rich Cimini:

“The guys talked, and we had the floor,” wide receiver Garrett Wilson said during his weekly spot on the “Bart & Hahn Show” on ESPN New York radio. “It was just us. We got to make sure we’re all on the same page about where we’re at and how the hell we get out of this funk, man. That was really the message. When it comes from one of your teammates, it always hits different. It always resonates a little bit more.”

The Jets made a surprise move to help get out of the funk and provide a spark on offense as they released running back Michael Carter in his third season with the team, a stint that included leading the Jets in rushing as a rookie. Offensive tackle Mekhi Becton took to X to express his sadness on losing Carter.

The Jets certainly seem to have lost a great teammate, but the Jets needed to find a way to create a spark on offense. They may not have needed to straight up release Carter, but the move does allow the Jets to utilize Israel Abanikanda more.

The Jets will get their next chance to get out of their funk Sunday in Buffalo, a game the Jets really could use to get back to 5-5 and back in the playoff mix, especially against a team that just fired their offensive coordinator in Ken Dorsey and will now have quarterbacks coach and former Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady now running the offense for the 5-5 Bills.

We’ll see this week if that players-only meeting, plus the addition of Abanikanda, are what the Jets needed to right the ship in 2023.

Jets show seriousness of ‘personnel changes’ with Michael Carter release

Jets show seriousness of ‘personnel changes’ with Michael Carter release

Head coach Robert Saleh said earlier this week that the New York Jets would be considering “personnel changes” in the hopes of adding a spark on offense following another disappointing showing in their 16-12 Week 10 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. On Tuesday, the Jets already starting making a mark on those changes by releasing running back Michael Carter.

Carter was released following a performance Sunday that saw him play just nine snaps on offense, mainly on third down, and commit a chop-block foul in the third quarter. That ended up being his final snap as a Jet.

The Jets were expected to make changes on offense, but one would have thought the Jets would simply bench Carter to allow rookie Israel Abanikanda to start seeing the field more after being a weekly inactive this season. Instead, the Jets made a statement that they are serious about trying to take a step forward on offense by simply removing Carter from the equation altogether and releasing him. That should give the Jets the ability to use the speed of Abanikanda as a compliment to Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook, who should also see more action going forward after showing improvement in limited snaps Sunday.

Carter’s release comes on the same day of a reported players-only meeting Tuesday, a meeting wide receiver Garrett Wilson and tight end Tyler Conklin hinted after the loss Sunday could happen soon. In the end, Carter ends up the odd man out in New York.

Carter was drafted in the fourth round out of North Carolina in the 2021 NFL Draft and showed some promise early in his career. Carter led the Jets in rushing with 639 yards and averaged 4.3 yards per attempt. He also caught 36 passes for 325 yards. That’s almost 1,000 total yards from scrimmage as a rookie.

The Jets would go on to draft Hall out of Iowa State in the second round in 2022. Carter stuck around and was eventually needed when Hall suffered a torn ACL in Week 7. However, Carter began struggling and the Jets started utilizing rookie Bam Knight into the offense. In the end, Hall led the Jets in rushing last season with 463 yards, despite playing in only seven games.

2023 saw the Jets add Cook and Abanikanda to the mix to build up the running back room and allow the team to be cautious with Hall. Carter, on the other hand, never really factored into the plans. There was speculation he was even on the roster bubble but would eventually take hold of the No. 3 spot with Abanikanda as the No. 4, leaving Knight as the odd man out.

It took a bit for the Jets to piece together their running back room. They seem to have a nice foundation going forward. Unfortunately for Carter, his drop in production — dropped passes and silly penalties don’t help either — mean he won’t be a part of that foundation going forward. He’ll latch on somewhere else, but he ends up an example as the Jets try to turn the ship around in time to make a playoff push.

Jets snap count: Depth chart breakdown vs. Raiders

Jets snap count: Depth chart breakdown vs. Raiders

The Jets suffered another disappointing primetime loss, this time to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday Night Football in Week 10.

The Jets fell to 4-5 with the loss but still only sit one game out of a playoff spot in what has become a tight AFC playoff race.

Here, we’ll take a look at the snap counts for the Jets in Week 10 and get another sense of how the Jets are utilizing some of their players on each side of the football.

 

Jets just gave Bengals a very interesting waiver wire target

Should the Bengals go after this Jets player on the waiver wire?

The Cincinnati Bengals could use some help at running back and the New York Jets might’ve just provided it.

Tuesday, the Jets released Michael Carter, a 2021 fourth-round pick who had been functioning as the pass-catching and third-down back before falling out of favor.

According to Pro Football Network’s Jay Morrison, the Bengals really liked Carter during his draft — and they got an up-close-and-peronal look at him his rookie year when he put up 172 total yards and a touchdown on the Cincinnati defense.

The Bengals would have to put in a waiver claim to get Carter and would inherit his cheap remaining rookie contract if they get him. But with Joe Mixon dominating the snap counts and nobody else stepping up as an explosive option, it would make some sense for the staff to go get a guy they liked and hope for a spark.

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Rams could be viable landing spot for RB Michael Carter following Jets release

The Jets released RB Michael Carter, who could be a good addition to the Rams’ backfield

Kyren Williams is still a week away from returning to the field as he recovers from an ankle injury suffered in Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals, but even when he does come back, the Los Angeles Rams could use a complementary player in the backfield.

One potential option just became available on Tuesday when the Jets waived running back Michael Carter, a third-year player and former fourth-round pick. Carter has been the Jets’ No. 3 option behind Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook, primarily working as a receiving back on third downs and obvious passing situations. This season, he only has eight carries for 38 yards, but he’s caught 15 passes for 68 yards as a receiver.

The Rams don’t necessarily need a new workhorse to replace Williams, but Carter wold make a lot of sense as a third-down back. Not only would he be an upgrade over Darrell Henderson Jr. and Royce Freeman, but he also has experience with Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.

With LaFleur as the Jets’ play caller the last two years, Carter caught a total of 77 passes for 613 yards. He was utilized as a pass catcher out of the backfield, which is the same role he’d have in Los Angeles.

While not the biggest or fastest running back, he was a big-play weapon at North Carolina. As a senior in 2020, he rushed for 1,245 yards on only 156 carries (8.0 yards per carry) and averaged 10.7 yards per catch as a receiver. He split the backfield with Javonte Williams, but both players were highly productive.

The Rams just waived Myles Gaskin from the active roster and could stand to move on from Henderson, too. That would open the door for Carter to back up Williams in Week 12 and take some of the work off of his plate. After all, it’s unsustainable for Williams to play the number of snaps he was playing before getting injured.

The Rams are seventh in the waiver order so there aren’t many teams ahead of them if they want to put in a claim for Carter. For a running back with one year left on his contract, he’s worth trying to bring in.

Jets release RB Michael Carter

The Jets have moved on from Michael Carter, paving the way for Israel Abanikanda.

The Jets have released running back Michael Carter, the team announced Tuesday. The move certainly comes as a surprise. Some thought the Jets would simply keep Carter on the bench but they choose to straight up move on from him.

Head coach Robert Saleh mentioned earlier this week that the team could be looking at some “personnel changes” to try and provide a spark for the offense. This move certainly would count as such a change.

The move paves the way for rookie Israel Abanikanda to start suiting up for the Jets. Abanikanda was injured during the preseason and has been inactive for every game this season, but that looks to change starting Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.

Carter had a solid rookie season with 639 rushing yards and four touchdowns. But his production and ability had started declining since then. He has carried the football just eight times this season as he fell behind Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook.

Carter played just eight snaps Sunday against the Raiders and was benched following his chop-block penalty in the third quarter.

Since the trade deadline has passed, Carter is subject to the waiver system. Carter was drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 draft by the Jets out of North Carolina.

Jets defense poses tough challenge for Chargers QB Justin Herbert

The Jets defense is the toughest the Chargers will face all season.

Quarterback Justin Herbert is removed from his most productive performance of the season in the Chargers’ win over the Bears last Sunday.

Chicago’s defense wasn’t anything to write home about, but the same can’t be said about his next task when Los Angeles travels to New York to face the Jets.

The Jets’ defense has not been quarterback-friendly, as they’re fourth in passing yards per attempt (5.7) and fifth in passing yards per game (184.4).

New York has faced Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Bills’ Josh Allen in their first seven games. They combined for three touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Mahomes and Allen faced the Jets at MetLife Stadium in primetime games this season and were kept in check.

The Jets are loaded at each level of the defense and it starts up front, where their interior defensive linemen and edge defenders are second to none at generating pressure on opposing quarterbacks. They lead the league in pressure rate at 29.5%.

The Chargers offensive line had its best performance in pass protection against Chicago, but the group has been uneven in that department this season, especially after losing center Corey Linsley. When the heat has been on, Herbert hasn’t handled it well, looking frantic and rattled.

On the back end of the defense, New York has a suffocating secondary that makes it difficult for pass catchers to create separation.

Because of how good the Jets are against the pass, this might be a game where Los Angeles looks to establish an efficient rushing attack. While the Bolts haven’t been the best running the football, New York hasn’t defended it well, either, as they have allowed the fifth-most rushing yards (1,014).

It helps that the Jets rank near the bottom in total offense, but the Chargers must find ways to overcome their tough defense, especially in the second half, as they have only scored 16 points in the third and fourth quarters of the past four games.

Michael Carter clears up sideline argument with Taylor Embree: ‘I do have to keep my cool’

CBS cameras caught the argument between Carter and Embree.

Frustrations can easily boil over when a team isn’t living up to preseason expectations for one reason or another and players feel they aren’t getting their fair share. Case in point: CBS cameras found Jets running back Michael Carter in what seemed like a heated argument with running backs coach Taylor Embree.

Perhaps Carter was just frustrated with his usage during the 15-10 loss to the Patriots. Carter had all of one touch of the football during the game, a three-yard reception. He didn’t receive a single carry while Breece Hall had 12 and Dalvin Cook had eight.

Carter explained that incident with Embree to the media after the game:

“We’re just two competitors that really love to (expletive) win,” Carter said. “We want to go win. And we want everything to be perfect. So it was just a miscommunication on something that happened during the game. We hashed it out right away. We continued playing on. That’s what happened. It’s not as big of a deal as it looked.

“I’m 24 years old, I gotta control myself a little bit better. Also I want to say that there’s people that are going to say whatever they want about me and whatever they want about the game. But they’ve never strapped it up and played NFL football. You really got to live this life and they can’t relate because it’s an emotional game. When you really love what you do, it means everything. That being said, I do have to keep my cool.”

Through three games, Carter has three carries for 14 yards and has caught four passes for 18 yards. Carter went from being potentially — at least speculated — being on the trading block to being a safe roster lock to being invisible from the offense. It doesn’t help that Dalvin Cook has been a big disappointment through three games as a Jet (25 carries, 58 yards, seven catches, 42 yards).

Maybe this incident is nothing in the end. But reading between the lines, Carter can’t be too happy with his role so far and with the offense and coaching as a whole.

WATCH: Former UNC RB Michael Carter voicing frustration on Jets sideline

Michael Carter, the former UNC tailback who surpassed 1,000 yards in 2019 and 2020, voiced his frustrations on the New York Jets’ sideline.

It’s tough being a New York Jets player or fan.

The Jets acquired the franchise quarterback they’ve long been searching for in the offseason, trading for Aaron Rodgers. Media outlets were focusing in on the Week 1 Jets-Bills opener, New York City had an energy flowing through it reminiscent of a Yankees pennant run and – finally – there was hope the Jets would no longer be the laughing stock of the NFL.

Without completing a pass in his debut, Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon. MetLife stadium fell silent and Get Up Host Mike Greenberg – the world’s biggest Jets fan – was in utter disbelief.

The Jets stunned the Bills on a walk-off punt return from undrafted rookie Xavier Gipson, but the sting of Rodgers’ season-ending injury loomed large. New York would be forced to turn to Zach Wilson, the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, who’s severely underwhelmed in his time as an NFL starter.

The Jets then traveled to the Dallas Cowboys last weekend, losing a 30-10 clunker in which Wilson threw three interceptions.

Earlier today, the Jets had a chance to make their division rival New England Patriots 0-3. New England survived a late Hail Mary attempt and held on for a 15-10 victory.

During the game, frustration spilled over on the New York sidelines. There was a heated exchange between former UNC running back Michael Carter and his running backs coach, Taylor Embree.

I completely understand Carter’s frustration – not only is New York dealing with the fallout from Rodgers’ injury, but its offense struggled for the second straight week.

Carter also was the Jets’ starter in 2021, then fell on the depth chart last year after the Jets selected Breece Hall in last year’s NFL draft. With the additional signing of Dalvin Cook, Carter is now third on the depth chart.

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5 running backs to watch as cutdowns approach to fill RB3 void

Could the Browns find their RB3 on the waiver wire?

Nobody wants the job of the third running back on the roster for the Cleveland Browns. They have given Demetric Felton every opportunity to win the job, and he has not seized the opportunity to this point. His aiming points are consistently wide of where they should be, he is a massive liability in pass protection, and there is no real need for a scatback on the roster.

However, in just six days, every NFL team will have to cut 37 players from their roster. Could a running back on another roster fit what the Browns need in a third running back? Here are five names to keep an eye on.