Tag: Tyler Conklin

Jets’ team award winners for 2023, including team MVP Quincy Williams

A rundown of the team award winners for the Jets for 2023 including team MVP Quincy Williams.

The Jets announced their team award winners this week, including team MVP, their Good Guy Award and a few others. Some aren’t much of a surprise, some may be for some people.

The season certainly did not go the way the Jets had hoped for, starting with the injury to quarterback Aaron Rodgers in Week 1 to the offense imploding. A 4-3 start turned into a 6-10 mark entering the final week of the season. All eyes are starting to turn the page to the 2024 season. But this is a good way to put a positive note on the 2023 season.

Here is a quick rundown of the winners for each award for the Jets in the 2023 season.

Jets Week 17 offensive gameday roster vs. Browns

Jets Week 17 offensive gameday roster vs. Browns

The Jets have their gameday roster for Week 17 against the Cleveland Browns. On offense, the Jets will have two quarterbacks available again with Zach Wilson and Aaron Rodgers inactive. Trevor Siemian gets the start with Brett Rypien backing him up.

Wide receiver Allen Lazard is also out with an illness so Randall Cobb will be active behind the usual suspects Garrett Wilson, Jason Brownlee and Xavier Gipson.

Zack Kuntz will be active for the first time after being signed to the 53-man roster this week. He’ll serve as the No. 3 tight end behind Tyler Conklin and Kenny Yeboah with Jeremy Ruckert out with a concussion.

Here’s a rundown of the full gameday roster on offensive for the Jets in Week 17.

6 Jets to watch in Week 15 vs. Dolphins

Here are six players to keep an eye on in the Jets’ Week 15 showdown against the Dolphins.

The New York Jets are looking to extend their winning streak to two games in Week 15 when they travel to face the Miami Dolphins for the second time this season. It was an impressive 30-6 victory for the Jets in Week 14 versus the Houston Texans as Zach Wilson returned as the starting quarterback.

For maybe the first time all season, all three phases of the team clicked in the win over the Texans. After heading into halftime with the score being 0-0, the offense found its rhythm, the defense stifled the Texans, and special teams helped flip field position a few times.

The idea of making the playoffs is a pipe dream for the Jets, but the team would love to finish the season strong to build momentum for next season. Here are six players from the Jets to watch in Sunday’s divisional bout against the Dolphins.

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.

Tyler Conklin on offense: ‘We’ve got to figure it the (expletive) out’

Tyler Conklin on offense: ‘We’ve got to figure it the (expletive) out’

The Jets offense busted at the blackjack table Sunday night in Las Vegas in a disappointing 16-12 loss to the Raiders, dropping the team to 4-5.

New York, once again, failed to score a touchdown. They did get in the end zone, but it would be wiped out by a penalty, such as C.J. Uzomah’s holding penalty on what would have been a three-yard touchdown run for Breece Hall.

Fellow tight end Tyler Conklin expressed strong frustration with the lack of offense after Sunday’s loss.

“There’s really no good answer to give you guys besides we’ve got to figure it the (expletive) out,” Conklin said after the game. “We’re letting the defense down, the team down.”

Offensive penalties were among the biggest factors in the Jets shooting themselves in the foot yet. The Jets had eight penalties total, including Uzomah’s holding penalty and Michael Carter’s chop-block penalty.

While Conklin is right that the Jets have to figure something out, the Jets, namely head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas, have been stubborn to make the necessary changes and it is sinking what could have been a promising season for the Jets. Time will tell if this loss finally stirs some changes.

Fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em: Week 9

Check out these starts and sits for fantasy football in Week 9.

With the Thursday night game in Week 9 now behind us, it’s time to focus our attention on the vital start/sit decisions to make in fantasy football for the weekend.

Four teams will be on a bye this week including the Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars and San Francisco 49ers.

Doing start/sit articles can be a little challenging. The players featured on the list below should not be taken as “must starts” or “must sits.” Instead, these are more suggestions on what we believe managers should do with fringe players heading into the weekend. The choice is ultimately up to the manager.

Just because a player is listed as a “start” doesn’t mean he should be put in the lineup over the secure, bona fide studs. Vice versa for the “sits.” If there’s no better option on the waiver wire or the bench, a manager shouldn’t automatically sit the player. That’s why these can be tricky waters to navigate.

Feel free to ask any specific start/sit questions via X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11) or check out our start/bench list for Week 9:

Fantasy football start ’em, sit’ em: Week 5

Check out these starts and sits for fantasy football in Week 5.

In the blink of an eye, we’re already in Week 5 of the season. As we get into the heart of the fantasy football campaign, this is when managers truly find ways to separate themselves.

As if making start/sit decisions wasn’t difficult enough, this is the first week introducing byes into the mix. Teams on a bye in Week 5 include the Los Angeles Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Doing start/sit articles can be a little challenging. The players featured on the list below should not be taken as “must starts” or “must sits.” Instead, these are more suggestions on what we believe managers should do with fringe players heading into the weekend. The choice is ultimately up to the manager.

Just because a player is listed as a “start” doesn’t mean he should be put in the lineup over the secure, bona fide studs. Vice versa for the “sits.” If there’s no better option on the waiver wire or the bench, a manager shouldn’t automatically sit the player. That’s why these can be tricky waters to navigate.

Feel free to ask any specific start/sit questions via X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11) or check out our player projections for Week 5:

Tight ends ‘feasted’ in practice Sunday, C.J. Uzomah believes group can exploit defenses

The tight end group could sneak up on overlookers this season.

All the focus this offseason for the Jets has been on the quarterback and some of the new weapons on the outside. But Sunday was a reminder that the tight end group is one not to be overlooked.

By many accounts, the tight ends as a whole had a great day Sunday. They “feasted” as C.J. Uzomah put it.

The top three tight ends for the Jets — Tyler Conklin, Uzomah and Jeremy Ruckert — all look like they’re going to have a role on offense this season.

“All three of us can do anything,” Uzomah said Sunday. “Ware all sneaky fast. The playbook is wide open for all of us and we can really exploit defenses.”

Uzomah also believes all three tight ends are on the same page. If they can get all three involved, especially second-year tight end Ruckert, that only raises the ceiling of what this offense can do.

Conklin was second on the team in catches (58), yards (552) and touchdowns (3) last season. Uzomah added a pair of touchdowns. The Jets are high on Ruckert as well, who has been having a strong offseason and worked hard to come back from his injuries last season.

Defenses are going to be stressed trying to cover the wide group of targets the Jets will have this season. We know about the group outside. Don’t forget about the group inside.

Tyler Conklin loving the ‘tight-end friendly’ offense of Jets

Tyler Conklin loving the ‘tight-end friendly’ offense of Jets

The focus of the 2023 Jets leading into training camp has been the new faces on offense, namely quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receivers Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman and Randall Cobb. However, the Jets aren’t going to forget about the returning players on offense. In fact, if early talks are any indication, the Jets could even feature the tight ends more in 2023.

Tyler Conklin, in particular, is one that is very excited about the potential of this offense and how the tight ends could be involved.

“I love it,” Conklin said about the offense, via John Pullano of the Jets’ website. “I love the way they are teaching this offense. It is really tight-end friendly, and the room loves that. We love this offense from a pass and run game standpoint.”

The Jets have a stocked room of tight ends including Conklin, C.J. Uzomah, Jeremy Ruckert, Kenny Yeboah and rookie Zack Kuntz. Last year, Conklin was second on the team in receptions (58), yards (552) and touchdowns (3).

Rodgers and new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett have helped tight ends in the past have breakout seasons. In 2020 with the Packers, Robert Tonyan broke through with 11 receiving touchdowns. In 2019, 33-year-old Jimmy Graham was second on the Packers in catches (49), tied for second in touchdowns (3) and third in yards (474).

With all the ways the Jets can attack now, there could room to work for the tight ends and Conklin could be a very nice red-zone weapon this season for Rodgers.

Jets restructure contracts of Tomlinson, Reed and Conklin, creating $15.2 million in space

Jets restructure contracts of Tomlinson, Reed and Conklin

The Jets continued creating cap space as free agency — and the pursuit of a certain quarterback — loom on the horizon.

Per Field Yates of ESPN, the Jets restructured the contracts of guard Laken Tomlinson, cornerback D.J. Reed and tight end Tyler Conklin. The moves created $15.2 million in cap space.

All are under contract through 2024, making them easy restructure candidates. There are still some decisions to make, including the $15 million owed to Carl Lawson and the $10.5 owed to Corey Davis. Lawson and Jordan Whitehead could also be candidates for a restructured contract.

The Jets are under the salary cap now after these moves, roughly $20 million under, with potential for more. And as a quick reminder, the cap hit for Aaron Rodgers in 2023 would be just under $16 million for the Jets.