New faces littered the Jets’ practices this spring. From coaches to players, the team is moving towards a new future with Adam Gase and Joe Douglas leading the charge.
It wasn’t always pretty, but the Jets made their first steps toward turning around the franchise that hasn’t seen much success in a few years. Darnold looks vastly improved, and newcomers like Le’Veon Bell, Jamison Crowder and C.J. Mosley look like solid investments, despite the cost.
As the team heads into a six-week reprieve before coming back together in July for training camp and preseason, here are six winners and losers from the Jets’ spring practices.
Winner: QB Sam Darnold
Darnold proved this spring he can be the franchise quarterback by quickly learning Gase’s new offense. Reports out of Florham Park paint Darnold’s progression as promising. Still only heading into his second year, Darnold continues to improve on his weakness from his rookie season – namely, his ability to protect the football.
Darnold’s play drew the praise of many Jets coaches, most notably that of wide receiver coach Shawn Jefferson who used three expletives to describe his play – all in a positive way. Once Darnold masters Gase’s more fast-paced offense and gets comfortable with his new weapons, the Jets might see his full potential unlocked.
Loser: CB Darryl Roberts
The Jets’ cornerback depth remained an issue throughout the spring, and Roberts’ play didn’t quell the worry. When the Jets decided Roberts would be Morris Claiborne’s replacement, it meant the team trusted his ability to play up to his competition. But Roberts hasn’t lived up to his promise and Jets wide receivers consistently torched him in practice.
Unfortunately, the Jets don’t possess any real depth behind Roberts, leading to arguably the most glaring hole on the entire roster. That observation isn’t lost on new Jets GM Joe Douglas, who claimed two cornerbacks after the waiver wire in his first week on the job.
Winner: OLB Jordan Jenkins
Gregg Williams wants an aggressive pass rush, and that means players like Jordan Jenkins will need to step up and perform better than they ever have. Luckily, Jordan impressed coaches throughout the spring with his speed and improved footwork. He spent time in Houston to work on his footwork and went to Atlanta to practice with pass-rushing coach Chuck Smith, who’s worked with the likes of Aaron Donald and Von Miller.
“He’s more of an athletic guy than I originally thought,” linebackers coach Joe Vitt said. “He has great bend. He has better foot speed than I thought. He got extremely strong this offseason. I suspect and anticipate him having a big year.”
Jenkins tied for the team lead last year with seven sacks. If he can build on his solid 2018 performance, Jenkins could end up being the Jets’ answer at pass rusher.
Loser: The rookies
None of the Jets rookies stood out this spring. A calf injury sidelined No.3 overall pick Quinnen Williams for most of the workouts, putting him far behind veteran Steve McLendon for the starting defensive tackle role.
The rest of the rookies failed to impress as well. Jachai Polite needs a strong training camp and preseason to push for starting snaps, and Chuma Edoga, Trevon Wesco and Blake Cashman haven’t made any waves yet.
Winner: RB Ty Montgomery
Montgomery quietly had a strong spring despite a crowded Jets backfield. A converted wide receiver, Montgomery has experience playing all over the field and could see time in various roles and formations. The Jets “love his versatility” and he could carve out a nice role on the offense as Darnold’s Swiss army knife.
Le’Veon Bell is the sure-fire workhorse back for the Jets this season, but a strong training camp could lead to more snaps for Montgomery. At the very least, he could take over as the Jets’ backup running back in front of Elijah McGuire and Bilal Powell.
Loser: RB Trenton Cannon
With so many running backs on the team, 2018 sixth-round pick Trenton Cannon will need to prove he’s a valuable special teams player in order to stay on the roster. The Jets have a need for a return specialist, but it looks like undrafted free agent Greg Dortch might have that job wrapped up already.
Cannon possesses impressive speed and flashed that ability late this past season, but couldn’t find work on special teams after a couple of turnovers. Unless he blows coaches away in training camp, it’s hard to see him making the team with so many other positions lacking depth.
