New York Jets Who've Turned Heads in Offseason Workouts

If you're hoping the New York Jets will come out of organized team activities (OTAs) with more clarity at any of their key position battles, don't hold your breath.

This stage of the offseason program isn't for competing, it's for teaching. That's especially true for a new coaching staff in Todd Bowles and Chan Gailey, who are installing new concepts and are trying to teach the fundamentals of executing those concepts at maximum efficiency.

That being said, these practices have still laid the groundwork for what we should be thinking about with the Jets headed into mandatory minicamp in June and training camp in July and August. These practices are still the opportunity for new players to show that they're already ahead of the learning curve in the classroom and that they can begin to execute their assignment on the field. 

Which players are already making those strides for the Jets?

Ryan Fitzpatrick

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You'll get different answers depending on who you ask about the Jets' quarterback competition (or lack thereof). But if the starting job is truly up for grabs as head coach Todd Bowles has said it will be, then you can bet that Ryan Fitzpatrick will be ready to go, and he'll push Geno Smith to have the best summer he's ever had or risk losing his gig.

Fitzpatrick looked sharp in Wednesday's practice, according to ESPN.com's Rich Cimini, and appears to be well on his way to a full recovery.

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Backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick moved pretty well for a guy who fractured a leg last December. On one play, he escaped the pocket and got into a footrace with Darrelle Revis toward the sideline. One defensive player shouted, "He's got some wheels." Fitzpatrick, he meant. He made the play of the day, a 50-yard scoring strike to Decker. Fitzpatrick still isn't 100 percent -- he's still regaining his stamina -- but he's ahead of schedule and should be a full go in training camp.

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Fitzpatrick has experience in Chan Gailey's offense, and given his track record, it's safe to say that Gailey's offense is best suited to Fitzpatrick's strengths and weaknesses. The same could also be said for Smith, though, and even for rookie Bryce Petty.

This should be a wide-open competition, but Fitzpatrick could have a leg up (no pun intended) on the competition due to his history with Gailey in their time together with the Buffalo Bills.

Bryce Petty

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There is a lot of debate as to whether Geno Smith or Ryan Fitzpatrick is the Jets' quarterback of the present, but there's also some debate as to whether Smith or Bryce Petty is the Jets' quarterback of the future.

Petty has had "some expected hiccups," according to ESPN.com's Rich Cimini, who said the rookie "looked very much like a fourth-round pick learning a new offense" on Wednesday.

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His throws weren't as crisp as they were in earlier practices and he was a split-second late on some passes, including a long ball that was deflected and intercepted in the end zone. Don't be alarmed, this was to be expected. His mind is spinning with a lot of information and he's bound to have rookie hiccups. Obviously, this won't be an overnight process.

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Despite the struggles, head coach Todd Bowles has seen some progress.  

"He's a smart guy," said Bowles. "It's slowing down little by little for him, so we'll just keep getting him reps on the [second] field, and as he keeps seeing things and keeps grasping the system, come summer camp you hope he'll be able to function very well."

All the Guards

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Okay, so it's not one particular position, but it's difficult not to notice the sheer volume of different guards who've earned first-team reps.

According to ESPN.com's Rich Cimini, the guard spot has become a mishmash of mixed performances with combinations featuring everyone from the veterans to the undrafted rookies. Oday Aboushi, Brian Winters and Brent Qvale all earned reps with the first-team offense on Wednesday, while incumbent starter Willie Colon missed the session while attending the NFL's broadcast seminar.

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Starting to get the feeling that right guard will be this year's version of the No. 2 receiver spot last summer. Remember? It was Eric Decker and [a] bunch of wannabes with various levels of experience. The Jets waited for someone to step up to play opposite Decker, and no one did. … Who knows? By the time camp arrives, the Jets might have a six-man rotation, a la the New York Mets. 

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Aboushi should be the favorite for the job based on his combination of age and talent. He showed flashes of becoming a solid starting guard last year, and at only 24 years old, he has his best days ahead of him.

Leonard Williams

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Good news, Jets fans: Early indications on the No. 6 overall pick are that he'll be a pretty good player.

Rookies don't always get up to speed quickly, but according to Dom Cosentino of NJ Advance Media, that hasn't been a problem for Leonard Williams, who has kept his nose in the playbook and has made an impact when he's been on the field:

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Bowles has said he will figure out a way to work Williams into the D-line rotation. But, for now, in late May, when it's still just "two-hand touch," Williams is already doing the sort of little things that stand out.

"Sometimes you'll get rookies that just run around and don't know where to go; this guy is always where he needs to be," Bowles said. "He's always on time. He's always in his playbook. He's asking more questions than the normal rookies usually ask at this point in time. So from that standpoint, I just say he has age beyond his years."

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With Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson still staying away from voluntary workouts, the Jets are getting a very close look at what Williams can bring to the table. Once Wilkerson and Richardson return to the fold, though, the Jets will be in line to field one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL.

Todd Bowles

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You might be thinking that this will mark the second "cop-out" of this slideshow, but not so fast. The Jets head coach is turning heads for several good reasons during the Jets' workout program.

His tone and demeanor are decidedly more even-keeled than former head coach Rex Ryan's, which has not only made for fewer headlines in the tabloids, but also more of a controlled feel than there's been in the past half-decade. 

Also in stark contrast to Ryan, Bowles has already begun showing the offense its share of attention, according to George Willis of the New York Post:

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So far, Bowles acts more like a head coach than a defensive coach trying to be a head coach. He watched 7-on-7 drills on Wednesday while standing firmly between the offensive players and the defensive players. When the first-team session was over, Bowles mingled with the offensive players, not so much to coach but offer encouragement and some good-natured ribbing.

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Bowles could probably coach defense with his eyes closed, and the Jets are already much more talented on the defensive side of the ball than they are on offense.

In order to bring some balance to his team, the offense will need some work. He's left it in good hands with Chan Gailey, but in order for Bowles to avoid the same ill fate of his predecessor, he'll have to prove he can have a hand in developing a quarterback and building an offense. 

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained via team news release.