With the 2020 preseason already shortened by two weeks and the NFLPA voting to scrap it in its entirety, fringe players around the league are in danger of missing out on football’s most valuable proving ground.
The Jets have had numerous players star in the preseason in order to earn a spot on the 53-man roster in recent years. Robby Anderson did enough to secure his place in 2016, while Kyle Phillips came out of nowhere to make the active roster last preseason. New York’s roster currently features a handful of intriguing players that could do enough throughout the preseason to lock up a roster spot, but now, those players are not going to get as much of an opportunity to prove their worth as in the past.
So, which four Jets could suffer the most from a shortened preseason? Let’s take a look.
Bryce Hall
Hall’s circumstances are vastly different than those of the other players on this list. He doesn’t need a strong preseason to make the team, but his development could take a hit with the schedule cut in half.
New York’s rookie cornerback needs as many reps as possible leading up to the regular season in order to regain his form following a major ankle injury that cost him most of his senior year at Virginia. Practice reps are valuable, but do not come close to what live, full-contact preseason reps offer.
As long as Hall makes proper use of his reps in practice, odds are he will be back to his old self before long. It just might take a little bit longer without a four-game preseason slate working to his advantage.
Sam Ficken
Sam Ficken needs nothing short of a perfect preseason if he wants to stick around with the Jets for a little bit longer.
There is a reason Joe Douglas signed Brett Maher at the end of 2019. Ficken was not necessarily bad for New York, but the Jets need more than an average kicker that makes them hold their breath every time he lines up to attempt a field goal. They need a kicker that they can rely on no matter the scenario.
Maher also needs a strong preseason following a rough season with the Cowboys, but Ficken is the one who is behind the eight ball entering training camp. With two fewer opportunities to make kicks, he could wind up as the odd man out in this position battle.
Lawrence Cager
With the Jets lacking quality depth at wide receiver, Lawrence Cager has a good chance to at the very least challenge for a roster spot in training camp.
Cager is the kind of player who would have benefitted immensely from a full preseason slate. The more opportunities he gets to beat opposing secondaries, the better off his chances of making the team become. With only two preseason games on the docket now, Cager’s chances to showcase his speed, route-running ability and how he can contribute on special teams are limited.
Jared Hilbers
Of all the Jets’ undrafted free agents, Jared Hilbers has the best chance of making the team out of training camp. That doesn’t mean his chances of doing so are not going to be impacted by a shortened preseason schedule, though.
A normal preseason schedule would have presented Hilbers with the chance to take a large chunk of reps from Chuma Edoga, who was underwhelming in his rookie year. Edoga is going to make New York’s roster regardless of Hilbers, but the Washington product would have greatly benefitted from additional opportunities to impress the coaching staff.
