As the temperature rises, the Jets’ practices pick up.
The team begins mandatory minicamps Tuesday, Adam Gase’s first in New York. This will be the first time all summer the entire Jets team will practice together, and it will be a crucial step in the team’s development.
Between Le’Veon Bell’s arrival, Sam Darnold’s progression and the inclusion of the Jets’ offseason acquisitions, there are plenty of storylines to follow this week. Here are six things to watch during the Jets’ mandatory minicamps.
Le’Veon Bell’s acclimation
He’s finally here. Le’Veon Bell – the Jets’ most exciting free agent signing since Curtis Martin – showed up to the team’s facility Monday and will practice with the team for the first time all offseason. Bell spent most of the summer working out and learning the playbook on his own, but now we’ll get to see exactly what the Jets paid for when they gave Bell a $52.5 million contract.
Bell should be a huge part of Gase’s offense after he was heavily featured during his career with the Steelers. The telling factors will be how quickly he picks up the playbook and how conditioned he looks after taking a year off from football in 2018. He’ll also need to learn how to play with an entirely new cast off teammates in New York, especially Darnold.
Sam Darnold running Adam Gase’s offense
The future of the Jets rests squarely on the shoulders of Sam Darnold. But in his second season in the NFL, he’s already having to learn a new offense. Luckily, reports from offseason workouts thus far indicate Darnold is picking up Gase’s scheme quickly, which is encouraging for a team that expects to improve dramatically.
There’s more to Darnold’s development than learning a new offense, though. He’ll have to grow with a couple of new castmembers the Jets picked up this offseason. Bell and wide receiver Jamison Crowder will play a big role in the Jets’ offense in 2019, and Darnold will need to learn their strengths, weaknesses and how to string together drives with his new toys.
Cornerback depth
One of the more surprising decisions of the offseason was the Jets’ failure to upgrade their secondary. Maccagnan replaced the team’s No. 2 and No. 3 cornerbacks – Morris Claiborne and Buster Skrine – with 2018 backup Darryl Roberts and young Falcons slot corner Brian Poole. Poole is slightly better than Skrine and much better for Gregg Williams’ defense, but Roberts’ is still unproven as a starting cornerback.
To make matters worse, there isn’t much depth behind Roberts, Poole and No. 1 corner Trumaine Johnson. Williams will need to get creative this offseason with his defensive schemes to hide the secondary deficiencies. Or, the next general manager will need to go out and acquire some more talent.
New pass rush support
The Jets pass rush left much to be desired in 2018. New York wasn’t the worst at getting to the quarterback, but the Jets need to improve if they want to stay competitive in the league.
Leonard Williams, Henry Anderson, Jordan Jenkins and Brandon Copeland – the Jets’ sack leaders this past season – all return and should see improvement in Gregg Williams’ schemes. The real intrigue lays with rookies Quinnen Williams and Jachai Polite.
Quinnen Williams was the No. 3 overall pick because of his ability to penetrate the line of scrimmage and play all over the line, while Polite could be a steal in the third round if he can prove to be a solid edge rusher.
C.J. Mosley leading the defense
Mosley got an $85 million contract this offseason in part because of his ability to anchor and lead the defense from the middle linebacker position. Now, he’ll get the chance to prove it with everyone in tow.
The Jets haven’t had a middle linebacker with Mosley’s leadership ability since David Harris and Bart Scott. Both were instrumental in the Jets’ dominant defenses of the Rex Ryan era, and Mosley might be a better player than both Scott and Harris. Mosley’s ability to mesh well with Gregg Williams could signal a resurgence on the Jets defense.
Center Jonotthan Harrison and the offensive line
Protecting Sam Darnold is crucial to the team’s success in 2019, and the offensive line needs to give him time to operate as he continues to learn the new offense. Trading for veteran guard Kelechi Osemele will help with protection immensely, but failing to find a star center to replace Spencer Long could end up being a mistake.
Jonotthan Harrison only has 23 starts over his five-year career, but he played alright for eight games for the Jets in 2018. The center position was inconsistent this past season and cannot be an issue again if the Jets want to rebound from a bad season.
