Football is finally back for the New York Jets and every other NFL team this week.
Gang Green is firmly into training camp and by the time they hit the practice field on Tuesday, July 25 the pads will come on and things will get serious.
Before we get into all that jazz, our two experts Paul ‘Boy Green’ Esden Jr and Michael Obermuller have some things to say about the green and white.
Top Jets Camp Takeaways
1. Which player has either exceeded or fell short of your expectations thus far? If someone has underwhelmed, would that drive you to add another body to that positional group?
MO:
He’s been getting a lot of starter hype so far so I’d say safety Tony Adams has exceeded my expectations. No offense to Adrian Amos, but I’d love to see the younger DB win the job and take over the position for the next three-to-four years. He’s got better range than any other safety on the roster, and his age gives him a higher ceiling.
On the other side of the coin, offensive tackle Billy Turner has really fallen short with a flat start in camp. Maybe he’ll improve once the pads go on, but pass rushers like Jermaine Johnson II and Bryce Huff have been tossing the veteran like a rag doll in most practices.
There was a time when I thought Turner would make the 53-man roster as a swing tackle — or even a potential starter at RT — but now I’m starting to wonder if the Jets will give the free agent flier the boot before Week 1.
Boy Green:
Adams for sure has been a pleasant surprise. Just because the coaches like you doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you’ll make plays on the field, but he has been fun to watch.
There are two other players I want to highlight. Wide receiver Jason Brownlee has been popping and with Denzel Mims off of the roster the path is pretty clear for him to be WR6.
Zach Wilson has really taken advantage of this opportunity. I’d imagine it can’t be easy being replaced and being forced to stay and watch someone else take over the team. Even if Rodgers is a childhood idol.
There have been some interesting developments and his progress during the preseason games will certainly be something to watch.
2. We are through four Jets training camp practices, what has been your biggest takeaway so far?
MO:
People are sleeping on the Jets’ defense again. There has been so much talk about Aaron Rodgers and Garrett Wilson, and for good reason, but this NYJ defense will be the strength of this team in year three under Robert Saleh and I think a top-3 ranking is attainable.
While the offense has a ton of new pieces, most of the defense is returning. That usually translates to success in the NFL, especially when the returning players are young and on the rise. Outside of linebacker C.J. Mosley, that tracks at pretty much every position.
Then you add a couple of key impact veterans like Al Woods and Quinton Jefferson and as my partner would say — now you’re cooking with gas.
Boy Green:
That this team is the real deal. It might seem crazy to say after watching practice, but the defense is good and the offense is good.
I’m not sure there is an exact recipe for being a great team, but those sound like pretty good ingredients to work with. The defense will be further along in year No. 3, but the offense is making up ground every single day.
These daily clashes against one another will make football gamedays seem easy in comparison.
3. What do you think will change on Tuesday, July 25th when the pads come on for the first time?
MO:
Position battles that we haven’t been able to truly gauge will begin to take shape, as they always do. The running back battle, for example, or offensive linemen versus their defensive counterparts.
It always gets a lot more fun when the pads come on, but it also gets more real. If the Jets can stay healthy this summer, they should be a force come Week 1.
#Jets practice is over. Tomorrow the players have off. On Tuesday the pads come on.
BUCKLE YOUR CHINSTRAP, HERE COMES THE PAIN TRAIN! #TakeFlight #JetsCamp
Boy Green:
If it has been chippy in non-padded practices with some scuffles, I can only imagine Tuesday with the pads.
There is an anticipation to it. Back in my high school football playing days we slowly worked our way up to it and once pads arrived we got feisty. There is a lot of man puffing their chest out in those days.
Think about the 90-man roster. Some players are secure with their placement while others are fighting for their football lives trying to stand out from the crowd. That can sometimes be an unhealthy combo with people having different interests/goals.
Things will get more intense but you just hope you don’t see any injuries pop up.
Jets Preseason Expectations: To Bench or Not to Bench
4. Head coach Robert Saleh confirmed at a recent presser that he is unlikely to play any of his starters in the Hall of Fame game. Is that the right or wrong decision?
MO:
Definitely the right decision. The last thing the Jets need is an early injury because guys aren’t conditioned.
This is a great opportunity for coaches and fans to see which players at the back end of the roster are for real, and which are pretenders. It’s also a nice chance for Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle, and Chris Streveler, as each backup QB attempts to separate themselves from the others.
Boy Green:
Some people will be (and already are) disappointed by this announcement from Saleh. However, you have to do what’s best for the team.
Let’s watch the young cats get their opps in the game and keep our starters healthy. The other thing that Saleh has said in the past is how much he values joint practices. Gang Green will have some with the Carolina Panthers and Tamp Bay Buccaneers this offseason respectively.
Don’t be surprised if the top level starters barely play at all this preseason because that is a legitimate possibility.
5. In that same theme, if you were making the decisions would Aaron Rodgers play at all in the preseason? What about Breece Hall? Explain your thinking.
MO:
Rodgers generally never plays during the preseason. I’d maybe play him one quarter this summer, just because he’s on a new team with a lot of different faces, but I doubt we see him on the field until Week 1.
Having said that, the veteran gunslinger will get a taste of live action during joint practices.
I’m not even sure Hall suits up in Week 1, so I’d definitely sit him throughout the preseason. Let’s not forget, the man tore his ACL less than a year ago. Any return before October is under 365 days, and fans will have to wait until the regular season to see the playmaking RB — if not longer.
Boy Green:
How can I delicately put this…
I would bubble-wrap Aaron Rodgers and Breece Hall and wouldn’t release them until Week 1. That might seem odd or crazy but the Jets can’t afford a major injury ahead of the season. Anything can happen at any time as we saw with the Nyheim Hines situation in Buffalo, but you have to look out for the players.
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