Jets camp: Three key goals and top battle
Robby Anderson has a chance to be the No. 1 receiver with the Jets this season.
Three goals:
--Get Sam Darnold ready to play. Now, we didn't say get Sam Darnold ready to play Week 1. That's not necessary, since the Jets are unlikely to make a playoff push this season, anyway. Also, three of their first four games are on the road, and they will play their first three in a span of 11 days. None of that is conducive for a rookie quarterback. The Jets plan to give to Darnold plenty of reps in training camp and the preseason, including with the first team. But once the regular season starts, let him hold a clipboard and watch just how badly Josh McCown gets beat up in a regular-season game. That will be his real welcome to the NFL moment.
--Get the secondary to jell. The Jets' biggest offseason acquisition was cornerback Trumaine Johnson, signed to a five-year, $72.5 million deal, with $34 million guaranteed. The only chance the Jets' defense has of getting pressure on the quarterback is by getting coverage sacks. But even if Johnson plays like an All-Pro, second-year safeties Marcus Maye and Jamal Adams struggled at times in coverage last season. With veterans Morris Claiborne and Buster Skrine as the second corner/nickel combination, the unit should be strong -- and it has to be.
--Pick a receiver, any receiver. The stat people enjoyed throwing around a factoid this offseason that the Jets are the only team in the league with four receivers -- Robby Anderson, Quincy Enunwa, Jermaine Kearse and Terrelle Pryor -- that have at least one 800-yard season. So clearly there's depth, but Anderson is really the only one of the four with the game-breaking ability to be a potential No. 1. The others are veterans who may not have a long-term future with the team, and that's not factoring in second-year man Chad Hansen, who has emerged in spring practices. Finding guys that have a good rapport with Darnold will be crucial moving forward.
Top battle:
--Outside linebacker. It's the top summer battle because the Jets don't really have one to go opposite Jordan Jenkins in their 3-4 scheme. Lorenzo Mauldin may have the highest upside, but he hasn't played a game since Nov. 27, 2016. The recently-signed Courtney Upshaw will get a look, but who knows how much he has left in the tank. David Bass and Josh Martin will likely be cycled through, and Dylan Donahue is a question mark because of his DUI arrests and recent stint in rehab. There are options aplenty, but none is a slam dunk.
Honorable mention for summer battle is tight end, where the Jets have arguably the worst unit in the league. Jordan Leggett is the presumptive starter even though he missed all of his rookie year last season with a knee injury. The Jets signed veteran Clive Walford and drafted Chris Herndon out of Miami in the fourth round, but the latter also has a DWI to his name this offseason, so he may have to dig himself out of the doghouse before he gets to start.
Recent Stories
Rams hard at work despite earning bye
The Los Angeles Rams will continue to stay hard at work despite earning a bye through the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs.
Players will continue to visit the ...
Packers' lost season includes losing Rodgers to concussion
Green Bay's 6-9-1 season ended with Aaron Rodgers getting knocked out of Sunday's 31-0 loss to the Detroit Lions with a concussion. That was dubious and fitting ...
49ers will retain defensive coordinator Saleh
The San Francisco 49ers gave up a lot of points and did not force many turnovers, but Robert Saleh will return for his third season as the 49ers' defensive coordinator, ...
GM Licht says Winston is Bucs' quarterback
Dirk Koetter was fired as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' head coach on Sunday, but his quarterback will be staying.
General manager Jason Licht, who will lead the search ...
Chargers get another chance against Ravens
The Los Angeles Chargers didn't have to wait long for a chance to avenge their Week 16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Los Angeles was shut down by Baltimore's stout ...
Latest Player Notes
How a Wisconsin legend got his German protégé into Badgers pro day
Mar 15, 2024
Marlon Werthmann put his life on hold for the opportunity in front of him Friday at the McClain Center.Werthmann ...
Why former Wisconsin football running back Braelon Allen didn't run the 40 at pro day
Mar 15, 2024
Braelon Allen’s sweat covered his shirt and dripped off his beard as he approached a group of reporters Friday.The ...
How can UW recruit its best class ever? It starts with these five prospects
By Andy Yamashita
Seattle Times staff reporter
Jedd Fisch has lofty recruiting goals at Washington. He didn’t waste any ...
Texas football kicks off spring practice Tuesday. We answer 24 questions for the 2024 team
Things certainly look fresh for the 2024 college football season, especially on the Texas campus.There’s a new conference ...
College Football Playoff: Conferences solve their differences (for now) and agree on general framework for 2026 and beyond
The FBS conferences and Notre Dame agreed on Friday to continue the College Football Playoff beyond the 2025 season, signing ...
Ball security, leadership key as Aztecs look to identify starting quarterback
San Diego State seemingly auditions a new starting quarterback on an annual basis.In the past 12 years, the Aztecs have opened ...
Results and more: A look at what happened at Penn State football’s Pro Day inside Holuba Hall
Most of those at Penn State’s Pro Day Friday were relatively quiet throughout the afternoon’s workouts, but there was one ...
Defense dominates first two weeks of Oregon State spring practice as Beavers ready for 2-week breather
CORVALLIS – Oregon State hit the break of spring practices Saturday, not exactly the midpoint but a good place to assess ...
Dillon Gabriel to have similar input, autonomy as Bo Nix had in Oregon’s offense
Published Mar. 16, 2024, 6:26 p.m.By James CrepeaEUGENE — Dillon Gabriel will have much of the same autonomy as Bo Nix did ...
Two transfers, one underclassman who impressed in Missouri football's spring game
With that, spring camp’s a wrap.Missouri football held its Black & Gold spring game Saturday in front of a healthy crowd ...