With the first two weeks of the preseason in the books, it’s time to take another look at how the Jets’ roster could look come Week 1 of the regular season.
The first two weeks of the preseason have afforded Adam Gase and his coaching staff plenty of opportunities to evaluate. A rash of injuries has also led to a handful of players on the roster bubble getting a real chance to make the team coming out of the preseason.
Here, Jets Wire will take a stab at predicting what Gang Green’s active roster will look like when the Jets host the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. Here is version 5.0 of our roster prediction series.
Quarterback (2)
Starter: Sam Darnold
Backup: Trevor Siemian
Notable Cuts: Davis Webb, Luke Falk
There’s nothing new to see at quarterback, as Sam Darnold and Trevor Siemian both played well against the Falcons and are locked in their respective roles.
At this point, Davis Webb and Luke Falk are fighting for a spot on the practice squad. Falk played well against Atlanta and might have the upper hand over Webb in that regard right now.
Running Back (4)
Starter: Le’Veon Bell
Backups: Ty Montgomery, Elijah McGuire, Trenton Cannon
Notable Cuts: Bilal Powell, Valentine Holmes
Ty Montgomery shined against the Falcons with Le’Veon Bell sitting out for the second consecutive week, rushing for 46 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. Behind Montgomery, Bilal Powell rushed for 20 yards on five carries, Elijah McGuire totaled 14 yards on five carries and Trenton Cannon had a mere six yards on six carries.
If it weren’t for special teams, Powell would get the nod over Cannon. However, with Cannon handling kick return duties, he is safe for now despite his porous rushing performance.
Wide Receiver (6)
Starters: Robby Anderson, Quincy Enunwa, Jamison Crowder
Backups: Deontay Burnett, Josh Bellamy, Greg Dortch
Notable Cuts: Deonte Thompson, Tim White, Charone Peake, J.J. Jones, Jeff Smith
No changes at wide receiver this week, but Deontay Burnett climbs back up the depth chart after hauling in two passes for 24 yards and a touchdown.
Deonte Thompson also caught one pass for eight yards, placing him in the competition for a spot after a quiet first week of the preseason.
Tight End (3)
Starter: Ryan Griffin
Backups: Eric Tomlinson, Trevon Wesco
Notable Cuts: Daniel Brown
All was quiet on the tight end front against the Falcons until rookie Trevon Wesco caught a touchdown pass from Luke Falk in the fourth quarter. However, the score was called back due to pass interference away from the play.
It’s nice to see Wesco make a play in the passing game even though it got called back. He still has a ways to go as a receiver, but he has shown promise in that role.
*Chris Herndon suspended first four games of the regular season*
Offensive Line (9)
Starters: Kelvin Beachum, Kelechi Osemele, Ryan Kalil, Brian Winters, Brandon Shell
Backups: Jonotthan Harrison, Tom Compton, Alex Lewis, Chuma Edoga
Notable Cuts: Brent Qvale, Wyatt Miller, Tyler Jones, Jon Toth, Jordan Morgan, Ben Braden, Ryan Anderson, Calvin Anderson, Eric Smith
With injuries to Kelechi Osemele, Brian Winters and Brandon Shell, the Jets are banged up on the offensive line. However, none of the injuries Osemele, Winters and Shell are suffering from are considered serious, which means no new opportunities for players to make the team.
Chuma Edoga made his first professional start against the Falcons and flashed some potential. He also showed how raw he still is when Vic Beasley bullied him and sacked Sam Darnold late in the first quarter. Edoga could factor into New York’s offensive line rotation later in the season if either Beachum or Shell struggle or succumb to injury. However, he still has a ways to go before becoming a consistent NFL offensive lineman.
Defensive Line (6)
Starters: Henry Anderson, Quinnen Williams, Leonard Williams
Backups: Steve McLendon, Foley Fatukasi, Bronson Kaufusi
Notable Cuts: Nathan Shepherd, Justin Alexandre, Kyle Phillips, Trevon Sanders, MyQuon Stout
New York’s defensive line rotation against the Falcons could be a sign of things to come moving forward.
With Leonard Williams out, Foley Fatukasi started and played well, making two tackles. At this point, his spot in Gregg Williams’ defense is established. After Fatukasi came out of the game, it was Bronson Kaufusi, not 2018 third-round pick Nathan Shepherd, who rotated in first. The two shared snaps for the remainder of the game, but Kaufusi played notably better.
It looks like Kaufusi has overtaken Shepherd on the depth chart. As a result, Jets Wire is going on record and predicting that Kaufusi will make the team over Shepherd come September.
Linebacker (8)
Starters: Jordan Jenkins, C.J. Mosley, Blake Cashman Brandon Copeland
Backups: Frankie Luvu, Jachai Polite, Neville Hewitt, James Burgess
Notable Cuts: Harvey Langi, Jamey Mosley, Tarrell Basham, Anthony Wint
With Avery Williamson done for the season due to a torn ACL suffered against the Falcons, rookie Blake Cashman slides into the starting lineup next to C.J. Mosley.
This opens up a reserve linebacker spot, which will go to James Burgess for now. If Harvey Langi can ever get back on the field and pick up where he left off earlier in camp, he will make the team. Jamey Mosley also has a chance if his knee injury suffered against Atlanta isn’t too serious.
Cornerback (7)
Starters: Trumaine Johnson, Darryl Roberts, Brian Poole
Backups: Kyron Brown, Arthur Maulet, Marcus Cooper, Tevaughn Campbell
Notable Cuts: Parry Nickerson, Mark Myers, Montrel Meander, Alex Brown, Dee Delaney
With the Jets severely banged up at corner, recently signed Marcus Cooper and Tevaughn Campbell, who played very well against the Falcons, are in line to make New York’s 53-man roster.
It remains to be seen if Trumaine Johnson will be able to go in Week 1, but we’ll take a glass half full approach to this one and say he is. If Johnson can’t play, Kyron Brown will start opposite of Darryl Roberts. If Brown, who is currently dealing with a hamstring injury of his own, can’t play, either Arthur Maulet or Campbell will slide into the starting lineup.
Safety (4)
Starters: Jamal Adams, Marcus Maye
Backups: Doug Middleton, Rontez Miles
Notable Cuts: Brandon Bryant, Santos Ramirez, Godwin Igwebuike
With Marcus Maye back on the practice field, the Jets are in good shape at safety.
Brandon Bryant has been giving Rontez Miles a bit of a run, but Miles is expected to hold onto his spot as a reserve and impact contributor on special teams.
Specialists (3)
Kicker: Taylor Bertolet
Punter: Lachlan Edwards
Long Snapper: Thomas Hennessy
Notable Cuts: Matt Darr
There’s an unexpected position battle brewing at punter, as Matt Darr started for the Jets against the Falcons with incumbent Lachlan Edwards punting in the second half. It’s Edwards’ job to lose right now, but there’s a real possibility Darr beats him out at this time.
New York’s kicking game is also a mess, with Taylor Bertolet missing two extra points against Atlanta. Expect a new kicker or two to join the mix this upcoming week.
