By Paul Newbold
Free Agency has slowed to a crawl. The Jets may not be done in the third tier market, but for the most part free agency is done. Mike Maccagnan went out and fulfilled his promise to be active in the period. His signings seemingly met the approval of a majority of Jet fans, and now he can turn his eye toward the draft.
Much has been discussed about how well the Jets have done in free agency. There has been talk of a deep play off run, and even some whispers of a Super Bowl run for the 2015 Jets. One thing for sure is that the fan base is excited!
The Jets made a splash in free agency. Mike Maccagnan evaluated his team and seemingly did it extremely well, as his signings filled key holes. The Jets still have a few perceived needs among fans, and its everyone’s hope that a successful draft will fill the remaining concerns for the fan base.
Maccagnan came to the Jets with an extensive scouting background, and this is where he can truly shine. We've seen he has an eye for talent, the draft offers him the chance to truly put his mark on this team. Mike goes into the the draft with a pick in each of the first four rounds, and two picks in the 7th round.
The Jets are currently hard at work , evaluating the current roster, identifying the remaining needs, and scouting the draft to meet those needs. The draft is thirty days away, and the activity level at Jet headquarters is off the charts.
A look at the Jet roster currently is a bit puzzling right now. The Jets made multiple moves at key positions, now its time to look at how the pieces fit the puzzle. Now granted all the pieces won't be determined until much later, but a review of them now gives us some sort of preview.
The Jet Offensive Line has been the subject of much debate in fan circles this year. A less then spectacular performance in 2014, caused many fans to scream for a rebuild at the end of last season. The perception among fans is the line is aging, its been neglected for many years in the draft, and now is the time to fix the problem.
Mike Maccagnan had the same evaluation apparently, and went out and made a bunch of moves to insure competition in camp. Along with resigning Willie Colon, the Jets signed James Carpenter, James Brewer, and Corey Hilliard to bolster the unit.
Joining them from last season are veterans D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold and Breno Giacomini. O'Day Aboushi, Dakota Dozier, Brian Winters, Dalton Freeman, Sean Hooey, Wesley Johnson, and Brent Qvale are the other offensive lineman on the Jet roster.
The Jets have some openings, but fans have to figure Mangold, Ferguson, Giacomini, and Carpenter are day-one starters at this point. If that is the case, the Jets only need to fill one guard position. With 14 lineman in camp, it sure would seem the Jets can fill the hole. Depth competitions also should prove vigorous, and the line is not looking like the problem it was not that long ago.
Offensive Line will be an exciting watch in camp. While experience says the Jets have most of the spots filled, some fans are expecting a few surprises before camp is done. Many fans are looking for O'Day Aboushi to make a strong push to claim a starting spot, while other are claiming Dakota Dozier is ready to step up and be heard. A few fans still hold out hope for Brian Winters to put it all together and live up to his draft position. All these guys will get a shot, and the Jet line should be a much-improved group this season.
Still on the offensive side of the ball, many fans have been discussing the Tight End position for the Jets. The signing of Kellen Davis this week has gotten the fans talking! Davis is an 8-year veteran and he's being touted as a blocking tight end for the Jets.
Along with Davis the Jets currently have Jace Amaro, Jeff Cumberland, Zach Sudfeld and Chris Pantale on the roster. It's a very interesting group, and the first thing you will notice is their size. The Jets currently have two 6'7" tight ends in the form of Sudfeld and Davis, Jace Amaro and Chris Pantale come in at 6'5", leaving Jeff Cumberland as the shortest coming in at 6'4".
Whomever the QB is this season, he shouldn't have much problem locating our tight ends down the field. Many pundits believe the Jets will only carry three tight ends, so one of these guys may be cut in camp.
Amaro returns for his second year with the Jets after being drafted in the second round last year. While Amaro didn't provide the excitement many Jet fans were expecting from him last year, he did quite well for himself. Amaro had a huge adjustment to make to the pro game last season and he took on the challenge. Despite some struggles, Amaro's game clearly developed, and fans are excited to see him play a bigger role this season.
Newcomer Kellen Davis is likely insured a spot on the roster. He comes as a second tier signing in free agency, but his skill set makes him a first tier signing for the Jets. The fan base has been screaming for a long time for a blocking tight end. The Jets answered with a 6'7"/265 lbs Kellen Davis. Fans expect to see a lot of Davis this year.
Zach Sudfeld is another big tight end on the Jet roster. Zach hasn't had much of an impact offensively for the Jets since he arrived. Sparsely used last season, his development will be closely watched by the coaching staff this year. Sudfeld could be the odd man out in some fans eyes, but others believe his contributions on special teams will likely buy him another year to prove himself.
Chris Pantale is likely the odd man out in this group, he's going into his second year, but the coaching staff will need to evaluate his future with the team. Fans don't expect the Jets to carry 4 TE's on the 53-man roster when the season starts, someone will need to be cut. Camp competition will provide the answer in the end, but Pantale is relatively unknown by the fans, so currently his name leads the list.
Quarterback is the other position on this team offensively that is being dicussed and debated at length! Incumbent Geno Smith is under siege with the fan base. Some of the base has written him off as a bust after a dismal second year as a pro. His advocates are claiming that his third year will be the year he puts it all together. Regardless of who in the fan base is correct, Geno Smith will be here in 2015 to compete.
The Jets signed veteran quarter back Ryan Fitzpatrick during free agency. An 11 year veteran, and at the age of 32, Fitzpatrick is reunited with his former HC in Buffalo; Chan Gailey. The signing split the fan base it would seem. Some see him as a washed up veteran who has very little to offer. The other side of the coin sees him as a seasoned pro, familiar with Gailey's system, and the perfect stopgap signing for the Jets.
Rounding out the position is Matt Simms. Simms was resigned this past December, and will once again be back to compete. This year many fans are wondering what Simms will be competing for. Simms has a small group of fans that would like to see him given a chance to compete for the starting job. The rest of the fan base sees him strictly as a third string body for the Jets.
The unknown in this group is whether the Jets will add to its makeup before camp. Some fans are calling for the Jets to use the #6 pick in the first round to draft Marcus Mariota, many more are hoping for a flier on a mid round talent. There is also a group of fans that believe the Jets will stand pat at the position and let the competition play out and provide a starter.
Running Back is another interesting group that has brought a lot of discussion to the table. The Jets chose not to pursue Chris Johnson in free agency, and his stint with the Jets is over. Chris Ivory returns after a relatively solid performance last year. Joining him will be Bial Powell and Daryl Richardson. Powell is entering his 5th season and has never really been utilized in his Jet career. Richardson is an unproven runner who has some upside to his game, but has failed to find a landing spot in his short career.
Much of the talk concerning running back this year has come from the draft. There were fans that were hoping for a big free agent signing, but that never developed. The Jets have three running backs under contract, with Chris Ivory becoming a free agent at season's end, the consensus among fans is that the Jets need to draft a RB for the future.
Luckily for the Jets, the position offers a nice group of candidates in the draft. Nobody is quite sure if the Jets are looking early or late, or if they are looking at all. The position will be an intriguing one to watch in the draft, and into camp.
Last, but surely not least, is the Jet wide receiver group. As every fan will tell you, the Jets made a huge improvement with the signing of Brandon Marshall. Coming over for only a fifth round pick Marshall brings with him an explosiveness that Jet fans have wished for a long time! Joining Marshall are veterans Eric Decker and Jeremy Kereley. The Jets have an intriquing group behind the starters as well. Filling out the roster at WR are: Chris Owusu, T.J. Graham, Quincy Enunwa, Shaquelle Evans, Saalim Hakim, and Walter Powell.
The starters here appear to be a lock among fans. It's assumed that Decker/Marshall/Kerley will be the go to guys, while the younger players will provide the depth. The Jets do possess some talent among their depth players, however and they could surprise.
More then a few fans will tell you they are still concerned about a lack of a deep threat receiver on the Jet roster. Many fans clamored for exactly that type of player in free agency, but the market dried up on them. Many of those fans are predicting the Jets address the void in the draft; while there are those too that think the Jets may have the answer already on the roster.
Competition in camp promises to be intriguing. Some are predicting it to be the most watched position this year. Chris Owusu's speed and his play in the season finale have fans talking. T.J. Graham played well for the Jets last season, but many expect him to be challenged for a roster spot. Shaquelle Evans and Quincy Enunwa both return to get another shot to prove they can play at the pro level. The Jets have some big young receivers in this group, fans are hoping they can step up their games and challenge the big name players.
To this point in the season, it’s hard to argue against the fact that the Jets look like a much better team on paper offensively. Free Agency has provided some key additions, and the Jets like what they have coming up for depth. Fans are excited for a big season offensively, something they haven't witnessed in quite some time. The draft will offer further opportunities to improve the team offensively, with wide receiver and offensive lineman being among the possibilities fans have discussed.
Its a new year, a new GM is calling the shots, a new coaching staff is in place and the future looks bright offensively for the Jets moving forward. The Jets are an improved team offensively on paper; next they will need to prove it this summer on the gridiron.
That rounds out the Jet offense. Camp promises to offer some very good competitions. The offense has many pieces, and the Jet staff will need to put them all together.
Tomorrow we'll look at the changes surrounding the defensive side of the ball. The roster defensively and what the fan base is expecting from this year's defense.
Free Agency has slowed to a crawl. The Jets may not be done in the third tier market, but for the most part free agency is done. Mike Maccagnan went out and fulfilled his promise to be active in the period. His signings seemingly met the approval of a majority of Jet fans, and now he can turn his eye toward the draft.
Much has been discussed about how well the Jets have done in free agency. There has been talk of a deep play off run, and even some whispers of a Super Bowl run for the 2015 Jets. One thing for sure is that the fan base is excited!
The Jets made a splash in free agency. Mike Maccagnan evaluated his team and seemingly did it extremely well, as his signings filled key holes. The Jets still have a few perceived needs among fans, and its everyone’s hope that a successful draft will fill the remaining concerns for the fan base.
Maccagnan came to the Jets with an extensive scouting background, and this is where he can truly shine. We've seen he has an eye for talent, the draft offers him the chance to truly put his mark on this team. Mike goes into the the draft with a pick in each of the first four rounds, and two picks in the 7th round.
The Jets are currently hard at work , evaluating the current roster, identifying the remaining needs, and scouting the draft to meet those needs. The draft is thirty days away, and the activity level at Jet headquarters is off the charts.
A look at the Jet roster currently is a bit puzzling right now. The Jets made multiple moves at key positions, now its time to look at how the pieces fit the puzzle. Now granted all the pieces won't be determined until much later, but a review of them now gives us some sort of preview.
The Jet Offensive Line has been the subject of much debate in fan circles this year. A less then spectacular performance in 2014, caused many fans to scream for a rebuild at the end of last season. The perception among fans is the line is aging, its been neglected for many years in the draft, and now is the time to fix the problem.
Mike Maccagnan had the same evaluation apparently, and went out and made a bunch of moves to insure competition in camp. Along with resigning Willie Colon, the Jets signed James Carpenter, James Brewer, and Corey Hilliard to bolster the unit.
Joining them from last season are veterans D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold and Breno Giacomini. O'Day Aboushi, Dakota Dozier, Brian Winters, Dalton Freeman, Sean Hooey, Wesley Johnson, and Brent Qvale are the other offensive lineman on the Jet roster.
The Jets have some openings, but fans have to figure Mangold, Ferguson, Giacomini, and Carpenter are day-one starters at this point. If that is the case, the Jets only need to fill one guard position. With 14 lineman in camp, it sure would seem the Jets can fill the hole. Depth competitions also should prove vigorous, and the line is not looking like the problem it was not that long ago.
Offensive Line will be an exciting watch in camp. While experience says the Jets have most of the spots filled, some fans are expecting a few surprises before camp is done. Many fans are looking for O'Day Aboushi to make a strong push to claim a starting spot, while other are claiming Dakota Dozier is ready to step up and be heard. A few fans still hold out hope for Brian Winters to put it all together and live up to his draft position. All these guys will get a shot, and the Jet line should be a much-improved group this season.
Still on the offensive side of the ball, many fans have been discussing the Tight End position for the Jets. The signing of Kellen Davis this week has gotten the fans talking! Davis is an 8-year veteran and he's being touted as a blocking tight end for the Jets.
Along with Davis the Jets currently have Jace Amaro, Jeff Cumberland, Zach Sudfeld and Chris Pantale on the roster. It's a very interesting group, and the first thing you will notice is their size. The Jets currently have two 6'7" tight ends in the form of Sudfeld and Davis, Jace Amaro and Chris Pantale come in at 6'5", leaving Jeff Cumberland as the shortest coming in at 6'4".
Whomever the QB is this season, he shouldn't have much problem locating our tight ends down the field. Many pundits believe the Jets will only carry three tight ends, so one of these guys may be cut in camp.
Amaro returns for his second year with the Jets after being drafted in the second round last year. While Amaro didn't provide the excitement many Jet fans were expecting from him last year, he did quite well for himself. Amaro had a huge adjustment to make to the pro game last season and he took on the challenge. Despite some struggles, Amaro's game clearly developed, and fans are excited to see him play a bigger role this season.
Newcomer Kellen Davis is likely insured a spot on the roster. He comes as a second tier signing in free agency, but his skill set makes him a first tier signing for the Jets. The fan base has been screaming for a long time for a blocking tight end. The Jets answered with a 6'7"/265 lbs Kellen Davis. Fans expect to see a lot of Davis this year.
Zach Sudfeld is another big tight end on the Jet roster. Zach hasn't had much of an impact offensively for the Jets since he arrived. Sparsely used last season, his development will be closely watched by the coaching staff this year. Sudfeld could be the odd man out in some fans eyes, but others believe his contributions on special teams will likely buy him another year to prove himself.
Chris Pantale is likely the odd man out in this group, he's going into his second year, but the coaching staff will need to evaluate his future with the team. Fans don't expect the Jets to carry 4 TE's on the 53-man roster when the season starts, someone will need to be cut. Camp competition will provide the answer in the end, but Pantale is relatively unknown by the fans, so currently his name leads the list.
Quarterback is the other position on this team offensively that is being dicussed and debated at length! Incumbent Geno Smith is under siege with the fan base. Some of the base has written him off as a bust after a dismal second year as a pro. His advocates are claiming that his third year will be the year he puts it all together. Regardless of who in the fan base is correct, Geno Smith will be here in 2015 to compete.
The Jets signed veteran quarter back Ryan Fitzpatrick during free agency. An 11 year veteran, and at the age of 32, Fitzpatrick is reunited with his former HC in Buffalo; Chan Gailey. The signing split the fan base it would seem. Some see him as a washed up veteran who has very little to offer. The other side of the coin sees him as a seasoned pro, familiar with Gailey's system, and the perfect stopgap signing for the Jets.
Rounding out the position is Matt Simms. Simms was resigned this past December, and will once again be back to compete. This year many fans are wondering what Simms will be competing for. Simms has a small group of fans that would like to see him given a chance to compete for the starting job. The rest of the fan base sees him strictly as a third string body for the Jets.
The unknown in this group is whether the Jets will add to its makeup before camp. Some fans are calling for the Jets to use the #6 pick in the first round to draft Marcus Mariota, many more are hoping for a flier on a mid round talent. There is also a group of fans that believe the Jets will stand pat at the position and let the competition play out and provide a starter.
Running Back is another interesting group that has brought a lot of discussion to the table. The Jets chose not to pursue Chris Johnson in free agency, and his stint with the Jets is over. Chris Ivory returns after a relatively solid performance last year. Joining him will be Bial Powell and Daryl Richardson. Powell is entering his 5th season and has never really been utilized in his Jet career. Richardson is an unproven runner who has some upside to his game, but has failed to find a landing spot in his short career.
Much of the talk concerning running back this year has come from the draft. There were fans that were hoping for a big free agent signing, but that never developed. The Jets have three running backs under contract, with Chris Ivory becoming a free agent at season's end, the consensus among fans is that the Jets need to draft a RB for the future.
Luckily for the Jets, the position offers a nice group of candidates in the draft. Nobody is quite sure if the Jets are looking early or late, or if they are looking at all. The position will be an intriguing one to watch in the draft, and into camp.
Last, but surely not least, is the Jet wide receiver group. As every fan will tell you, the Jets made a huge improvement with the signing of Brandon Marshall. Coming over for only a fifth round pick Marshall brings with him an explosiveness that Jet fans have wished for a long time! Joining Marshall are veterans Eric Decker and Jeremy Kereley. The Jets have an intriquing group behind the starters as well. Filling out the roster at WR are: Chris Owusu, T.J. Graham, Quincy Enunwa, Shaquelle Evans, Saalim Hakim, and Walter Powell.
The starters here appear to be a lock among fans. It's assumed that Decker/Marshall/Kerley will be the go to guys, while the younger players will provide the depth. The Jets do possess some talent among their depth players, however and they could surprise.
More then a few fans will tell you they are still concerned about a lack of a deep threat receiver on the Jet roster. Many fans clamored for exactly that type of player in free agency, but the market dried up on them. Many of those fans are predicting the Jets address the void in the draft; while there are those too that think the Jets may have the answer already on the roster.
Competition in camp promises to be intriguing. Some are predicting it to be the most watched position this year. Chris Owusu's speed and his play in the season finale have fans talking. T.J. Graham played well for the Jets last season, but many expect him to be challenged for a roster spot. Shaquelle Evans and Quincy Enunwa both return to get another shot to prove they can play at the pro level. The Jets have some big young receivers in this group, fans are hoping they can step up their games and challenge the big name players.
To this point in the season, it’s hard to argue against the fact that the Jets look like a much better team on paper offensively. Free Agency has provided some key additions, and the Jets like what they have coming up for depth. Fans are excited for a big season offensively, something they haven't witnessed in quite some time. The draft will offer further opportunities to improve the team offensively, with wide receiver and offensive lineman being among the possibilities fans have discussed.
Its a new year, a new GM is calling the shots, a new coaching staff is in place and the future looks bright offensively for the Jets moving forward. The Jets are an improved team offensively on paper; next they will need to prove it this summer on the gridiron.
That rounds out the Jet offense. Camp promises to offer some very good competitions. The offense has many pieces, and the Jet staff will need to put them all together.
Tomorrow we'll look at the changes surrounding the defensive side of the ball. The roster defensively and what the fan base is expecting from this year's defense.