New York Jets Training Camp: Week 1 Stock Report
The New York Jets have opened training camp, and the battles are already starting to take shape.
There is some risk involved with day-to-day, minute-to-minute evaluations. The risk is that it's too easy to ride the highs and lows of each day, rather than step back and see the big picture.
There's something to be said for players who start hot (or cold) and set the tone for the whole summer. Those players are setting themselves up for success (or failure) by putting themselves on the coach's radar from the very beginning.
Here's a look at a handful of players whose names are likely ending up in the coach's notes at the end of practices.
Stock Up: Geno Smith
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When your career has gotten off to as rough a start as Geno Smith's has, you take signs of progress anywhere you can get them.
Smith has committed 41 turnovers (seven fumbles lost, 34 interceptions) in his two-year NFL career, so it bears mentioning that he has only committed one turnover in all of training camp, according ESPN.com's Rich Cimini:
"The turnover-prone quarterback was turnover-free for four-plus practices, but that streak came to an end. No, it wasn't an interception, it was a strip sack. He held the ball too long, unprotected, as he looked downfield for a big play. Defensive end Leger Douzable slapped it out of Smith's right hand and pounced on the fumble. You didn't expect an unblemished training camp, did you?
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Perhaps offensive coordinator Chan Gailey's system is the best thing that could have happened to Smith. The third-year quarterback entered the NFL with criticisms that his experience in a spread offense and playing primarily in the shotgun were not beneficial to his pro-readiness.
Perhaps it's simply the fact that he's surrounded by the best group of receivers he's had in his career: Eric Decker, Brandon Marshall, Jeremy Kerley, Devin Smith and an emerging group of young receivers (Chris Owusu and Shaq Evans have each had success in practice already this summer).
Whatever is the case, Smith entered training camp as the front-runner to win the starting spot at quarterback. If he keeps performing up to this level, he will not relinquish his hold of that spot.
Stock Down: Tight Ends
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As mentioned in the previous slide, Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey's name is synonymous with the spread offense. He often employs three- and four-receiver sets to create favorable matchups in the passing game, utilizing short and intermediate routes to get receivers open quickly. With so much of a focus on the wide receivers catching passes, there aren't many opportunities left over for tight ends.
"It has been a quiet camp for Jeff Cumberland and Jace Amaro in terms of pass catching," according to ESPN.com's Rich Cimini. "A harbinger of how Chan Gailey uses his tight ends?"
In three years as head coach of the Buffalo Bills, tight ends only caught 153 of 961 completed passes (13.3 percent), according to Pro Football Reference. It's a good thing Amaro spent his offseason working on his blocking ability—aside from it being one of the most glaring holes in his game, that may be his only chance to make an impact in the Jets offense.
"For me, that was the biggest emphasis," Amaro said of his blocking, according to Dom Cosentino of NJ Advance Media. "I knew that's where I lacked, and that's what I've worked on a lot."
This is Cumberland's contract year, and his second contract year in the past three seasons. This time, he's fighting for a new deal with a new general manager. The Jets offense may not give him much of an opportunity to prove his value as a pass-catcher.
Stock Up: Leonard Williams
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There are lofty rookie expectations for first-round picks, but it looks like the Jets' 2015 first-round selection is off to the races in proving that he is worth the selection.
Although head coach Todd Bowles is quick to point out some mental mistakes—which are to be expected this time of year—he has already remarked on the physical potential Williams has shown in practice:
"He's explosive. I mean, we all knew that. He's explosive, but it's more than that playing down there. You have to read blocks, you have to understand double teams, and you have to sacrifice sometimes. So it's not all about him being the playmaker. Sometimes you have to be the sacrificial lamb. But Leonard is doing a good job. He runs around. He has a good football mind. He's picking up the defense well.
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The Jets may need big things from Williams right away. Third-year defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson will miss the first four games of the season due to a substance-abuse suspension, and he could miss even more time for a second off-field incident in which he resisted arrest after being clocked at speeds of up to 143 miles per hour.
There is little doubt in anyone's mind that Williams will be a key to the Jets defensive line for years to come, but it appears he will also be a key to the defensive line as a rookie.
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Stock Down: Calvin Pace
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The clock began ticking on Calvin Pace's Jets career the moment his team picked outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin in the third round of the 2015 draft. It may not happen today, tomorrow or even this year, but Mauldin is the future of the Jets' strong-side linebacker position, and at some point, Pace will be the past.
According to Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media, Mauldin isn't trying to take Pace's spot. Mauldin expects that he will have to watch and learn while Pace plays a majority of the snaps in 2015. Mauldin also expressed that he's not fully comfortable dropping into coverage yet.
"I probably dropped like three or four times at Louisville," Mauldin said, per Slater. "I really didn't understand [coverage] at that point."
The more he works on it, the more he'll understand it. That's a process that is already underway. For now, Mauldin's physical acumen is much higher than Pace's, but Mauldin won't match Pace's mental acumen unless he gets opportunities to play.
Stock Up: Shaq Evans
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Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker and Jeremy Kerley are firmly entrenched as top receivers in the Jets offense, but with rookie Devin Smith out of the picture due to a rib injury, there is an emerging competition among young players on the depth chart.
The latest receiver to emerge from that competition is Shaq Evans, according to Kristian Dyer of Metro New York. Evans has been making plays in practice, and at this time of year, that's really all anyone can hope for.
The 6'0", 210-pound receiver was drafted in the fourth round of last year's draft and was not active for any games last season. He could very well end up on the practice squad, but if Smith ends up being out for a significant period of time, he could also make a push for a roster spot.
Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained via news release.
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