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We are only a few weeks away from the New York Jets kicking off training camp.
Before we get there our pair of experts, Paul ‘Boy Green’ Esden and Michael Obermuller, have some thoughts on the latest rumors and buzz around the team.
Jets Veteran Ain’t Coming Back, Rookie Contract Issues
1. Do you think George Fant will have an NFL job this fall or will he be watching from the couch?
MO:
I definitely think he’ll get a job. Offensive tackle is one of the more scarce positions around the league and a swing tackle like Fant always offers both versatility and experience.
His starting days may be over, at least in terms of a Week 1 gig, but Fant should absolutely latch on somewhere once teams begin to figure out how their roster looks in training camp.
Boy Green:
Fant might find a job in 2023 but I can guarantee it won’t be with the Jets. The team is moving on from the former $27 million starter.
He originally joined Gang Green during the 2020 offseason and was set to be the team’s left tackle. In fact, that was part of the pitch that sold him on signing with the Jets in the first place. Then a few days later the team took Mekhi Becton with the No. 11 overall pick in the first round.
Fant over the next batch of seasons kept getting yanked around between left tackle and right tackle which was a point of frustration. Gang Green has added an array of bodies to the offensive line room this offseason and they have closed the door on a Fant reunion.
2. What Jets player on the 90-man roster has been completely overlooked this offseason?
MO:
I think Jamien Sherwood is often overlooked. He really looked awesome in preseason last summer but because of the Jets’ health at linebacker in 2022, the former draft pick barely got any action once the regular season began.
Now, he’s in position to start at strongside linebacker (technically, when the Jets aren’t in nickel formation), and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich may be relying on Sherwood to take the next step in 2023.
An honorable mention might be second-year safety, Tony Adams. Adrian Amos was brought in to start after the Chuck Clark injury, but I’m not 100% sure Adams won’t steal the starting free safety job in camp.
Boy Green:
We all assumed he was going to get dumped and we are now at the end of June. It sure seems like he’s going to be a piece of this offense and that is outstanding news.
Davis was a major flop as a true No. 1 wide receiver, but as No. 2 or No. 3 or heck even No. 4? That is a luxury most NFL teams don’t have. The epitaph has already been written by some fans and analysts on his Jets career, but Davis might have a few things to say about that in 2023.
3. What is the concern level that Will McDonald and Joe Tippmann haven’t signed their rookie contracts yet?
MO:
I’m never really concerned about rookie deals unless it’s a franchise quarterback and even then, it’s a mild concern at best. A lot of first and second-rounders have been slow to sign this offseason, for whatever reason, so it’s not just the Jets.
Hopefully, it all gets done before training camp so that these guys don’t miss any reps but outside of that, I’m not too worried about it. I don’t expect Tippmann or McDonald to start in Week 1 anyway, in all honesty.
#Jets pass rusher Will McDonald is one of nine first-rounders that haven’t signed their rookie contracts yet here in late June, per @AroundTheNFL.
Boy Green:
Honestly, it doesn’t even register on the scale for me at this point.
I hate when players miss time in training camp because the team and the player are squabbling over unimportant details. There is still a few weeks left on the clock to hammer things out so I have faith that things will get done.
Addressing Zach Wilson-Trade Speculation
4. What is more likely if Zach Wilson has a great preseason: he will be traded or he will cement his status as QB2?
MO:
I’m not saying the Jets wouldn’t trade him if they could but I’m really not sure anybody wants Wilson for what Joe Douglas would want back in return. It’s similar to the Trey Lance situation in San Francisco. Sure, they’d deal him if they could but you’re not giving up on a top-five pick for a fifth or sixth-rounder.
Wilson has always looked good in camp and preseason too. That’s never been the issue. The issue is his in-game confidence against starting NFL defenses.
Another factor is Aaron Rodgers. Who knows if he’s playing more than one season in New York with 100% certainty? Even Rodgers himself may not know the answer to that question.
You can’t deal Wilson for pennies on the dollar with no other worthwhile QB on the roster… he’s staying.
Boy Green:
The Douglas and Robert Saleh combination would look pretty silly if they trade Wilson this offseason. They went out of their way to say they’d go through “hell or high water” for the kid to dump him two years after taking him with the No. 2 overall pick.
Rodgers ain’t playing in the preseason which means it’ll be the Wilson show for better or for worse. If ZW dominates, as the question sets up, I think it simply cements his position as QB2 heading into 2023.
Outside of some team coming in with a bonkers offer, unlikely, Wilson is going to be the QB2. Make no mistake about it the Jets don’t want to see him on the field in 2023 and they’re hoping they won’t have to because Rodgers has a healthy history.
5. Who will be the most targeted Jets pass catcher not named Garrett Wilson in 2023?
MO:
I do have half a mind to say Breece Hall or Tyler Conklin, but since the Jets are deep at running back and tight end I’ll go with Allen Lazard.
Rodgers and Lazard are practically best buds, from the looks of it, and their built-in chemistry should help the free-agent acquisition get some early looks in 2023. Plus, he’s almost guaranteed to start and so long as he stays healthy, and that puts him in a great spot lining up alongside Garrett Wilson every week.
Boy Green:
Lazard is a really good answer to this question.
I’ll carry the momentum of my Davis answer from earlier and say the former first-rounder surprises everyone with his workload in 2023.
Next season, Davis won’t have the pressure of being the guy in this offense and that should loosen him up to play the best ball of his NFL career.
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Jets Moving on From Former $27 Million Starter, Says Analyst