Breaking Down New York Jets' Likely Opening Game Starting Lineup
Training camp and the preseason have been very uncharacteristic for the New York Jets.
As of late, the Jets have been holding competitions at several spots in their starting lineup. This year, under new general manager Mike Maccagnan, they just took a different approach—an approach taken by former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum, who believed in attacking the team's biggest needs with free-agent signings.
As a result, the Jets have not been holding as many competitions in their starting lineup as you would expect for a team that went 4-12 last year.
That being said, the Jets might as well skip the rest of training camp when it comes to battles—at least so they avoid any significant injuries along the way. But after all the dust settles, this is probably how the Jets' starting lineup will look in Week 1 of the 2015 season.
Quarterback
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Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick was never supposed to be the man for the job as the starting quarterback for the Jets in 2015. One locker room scuffle later, and that's exactly where he finds himself. Geno Smith is out for 6-10 weeks after linebacker IK Enemkpali hit him with a haymaker that broke his jaw. Now it's Fitzpatrick's team.
The fact is, the Jets probably couldn't have asked for a better backup quarterback than Fitzpatrick for this season. His experience in Chan Gailey's offense makes him the perfect stopgap to step right in and at least manage the offense. Fitzpatrick's best work came in Gailey's offense in 2012, when he became a $60 million man in 2011 under the tutelage of the former Buffalo Bills head coach.
That season, he started 155-of-229 (67.7 percent) for 1,739 yards, 14 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 97.8 passer rating in the first seven games before his play went in the tank (58.2 percent completions, 10 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, 66.5 passer rating in the final nine games).
Fitzpatrick performed well in limited action in the Jets' first preseason game against the Detroit Lions, completing two of three passes. The only incompletion was a dropped pass by tight end Jeff Cumberland. The Jets may not be thrilled about the latest turn of events at quarterback, but at least their backup plan is a viable option.
Running Back
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Chris Ivory
There was really never any doubt that Chris Ivory is the best running back on the Jets roster. He might be the best running back in the entire AFC East.
Ivory got off to a good start in the Jets' first preseason game against the Detroit Lions, rushing six times for 25 yards before his night came to an end. He ran with his signature style, which could be described as a blend of reckless abandon and ballet-like balance and grace.
The Jets may have Chan Gailey as their offensive coordinator in 2015, but that doesn't mean they should completely abandon the running game. The ground-and-pound style offense was the Jets' calling card under former head coach Rex Ryan, and the Jets were the NFL's third-best rushing team in 2014 with 142.5 yards per game.
Ivory was the bell cow for that group and should retain his role in 2015. He carried the ball 198 times for 821 yards and six touchdowns and could easily surpass all those numbers as the clear-cut No. 1 back this year.
Wide Receiver
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Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Jeremy Kerley
Two years ago, Stephen Hill and Santonio Holmes were the top two wide receivers in the Jets offense. Who would have thought back then that we would be talking about the wide receiver position as a strength heading into the 2015 season?
Thanks to the emergence of Jeremy Kerley, the signing of Eric Decker, the selection of Devin Smith in the draft and the trade acquisition of Brandon Marshall, the Jets have fortified the wide receiver position beyond anything they could have imagined just 24 months ago.
Now the Jets have more than enough receivers to round out a complete lineup for the implementation of Chan Gailey's spread offense. They can trot any combination of three receivers onto the field to get the defense into a nickel front and create favorable matchups in the passing game.
If anything, the Jets may find it difficult to get all their receivers onto the field.
When there are three receivers on the field, the most likely combination will include Marshall, Decker and Kerley. Smith could threaten some of Kerley's snaps, but he's currently sidelined with a rib injury. Regardless, these three receivers are more than reliable targets for the Jets' quarterback (whoever it may be).
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Tight End
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Jeff Cumberland
For a few days leading up to the Jets' preseason opener, the coaching staff told anyone who would listen that Jace Amaro's listing as the No. 3 tight end was inconsequential. Chan Gailey said it was only because they don't list H-back as a separate position on the depth chart, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini.
As it turns out, the listing was more accurate than they let on. He wasn't the No. 3 tight end, but he didn't find his way onto the field in the Jets' preseason opener until after incumbent starter Jeff Cumberland. And then, he left the game with an injury. The Jets may have been hoping for more from their second-round pick of 2014, but instead, Cumberland was the one starting the game.
Cumberland was targeted just one time on the night and dropped the only potential catch which would have converted a third down. He's been much more reliable than that in the past, though, and has dropped just seven of 85 catchable passes thrown his way over the past three years, according to Pro Football Focus.
Perhaps the Jets are waiting until the regular season to unleash Amaro as a weapon in their offense. Until then, though, it's only reasonable to go off of what we've seen.
Offensive Line
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LT: D'Brickashaw Ferguson
LG: James Carpenter
C: Nick Mangold
RG: Willie Colon
RT: Breno Giacomini
It looked like the Jets were going to hold an open competition for the starting spot at right guard, and they very well may have. For the time being, however, it appears that job will go right back to the incumbent veteran Willie Colon. The 32-year-old guard has started all 32 games for the Jets at right guard over the past two seasons and played well in helping to open up some rushing lanes for the Jets running backs against the Detroit Lions.
The left guard spot was practically decided the minute the ink dried on James Carpenter's four-year contract worth $19.1 million with $5 million guaranteed. The 6'5", 321-pound guard is a perfect fit for the man-blocking scheme the Jets will run, which is much more suited to Carpenter's skill set than the zone scheme he was stuck in with the Seattle Seahawks.
The other three spots—left tackle, right tackle and center—were never in any real question. Ferguson has not missed a single snap since 2008, according to Pro Football Focus, and Mangold is coming off one of the best years of his career. The Jets have the talent to field a solid offensive line, but they will need Colon and Breno Giacomini to turn it around after struggling in 2014.
Defensive Line
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Damon Harrison, Muhammad Wilkerson, Leonard Williams
The Jets will be without Sheldon Richardson in Weeks 1-4 of the regular season due to a suspension for a violation of the league's substance abuse policy. They could be without him even longer if the league takes action against him after he was charged with resisting arrest, along with "numerous traffic violations."
The Jets may have a top-five defensive line in the NFL without Richardson. If and when he returns, they could lay claim to having the best line in the entire league.
Leonard Williams could be the starting defensive end of the future, but in the first four games of the season, he will be the starting defensive end of the present. There should be very little concern over his ability to contribute right away, as he was regarded as the best prospect in the draft by both CBS Sports and NFL.com.
Williams was a luxury pick when the Jets selected him No. 6 overall. His presence would give the Jets some leverage in contract negotiations with defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, and would provide them some insurance if he left. Now the Jets have to be thinking about meeting Wilkerson's demands. Wilkerson is one of the league's best five-technique defensive ends, and he wants to be paid like it, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.
Damon Harrison has been the team's nose tackle for the past two years, and at 6'4" and 350 pounds, he is absolutely the best fit at that position. On size alone, he merits two blockers on each play. He has shown the ability to push the pocket, slip blocks and plug gaps in the running game.
Linebacker
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ILB: Demario Davis, David Harris
OLB: Quinton Coples, Calvin Pace
The inside linebacker spots have not been in question for the Jets for years. David Harris and Demario Davis have been the incumbents, and they will remain the starters once again in 2015. The outside linebacker spots, however, appear to be in flux.
Before training camp began, it was all too easy to predict rookie outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin unseating veteran Calvin Pace as a starter. Two weeks and one preseason game into the action, though, it appears Pace is not letting go so easily.
Mauldin can contribute in the rotation as a pass-rusher while he masters the craft of being a three-down strong-side linebacker in the Jets defense. Meanwhile, Pace will maintain his role as an edge-setting outside linebacker.
On the other side, Quinton Coples has flashed the potential to become a player worthy of the No. 16 overall pick of the 2012 NFL draft. Coples could find himself a perfect fit as a pass-rusher in Todd Bowles' defense. It's getting closer to put-up-or-shut-up time for him, though, as he has yet to post a single season with 10 sacks or more.
Secondary
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CB: Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie
S: Marcus Gilchrist, Calvin Pryor
Of all the positions where the Jets made improvements, the secondary is where they went all-in. It makes sense, given the team's total lack of talent in the secondary in 2014. It was so bad that the Jets were lining up strong safety Antonio Allen as a cornerback.
Those problems could not be further in the rearview mirror at this point.
In adding cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, the Jets have not only reunited the duo of dominant cornerbacks who brought them to an AFC Championship Game in 2010, but they have also presumably given Todd Bowles the ammunition he needs to run an aggressive man-coverage-style defense in 2015.
If there is a third cornerback on the field, it will most likely be Buster Skrine. He may not be the ideal size for Bowles' defense, but the fifth-year veteran has plenty of experience in the slot.
At safety, the Jets are in a bit of a quagmire.
Last year, rookie strong safety Calvin Pryor was forced to play free safety due to the team's lack of competent options at that position. This year, the Jets chose to address that lack with the signing of former San Diego Chargers strong safety Marcus Gilchrist. They will ask him to play out of position at free safety. Gilchrist's coverage deficiencies have been exposed in his NFL career, as he has never allowed lower than a 97.8 passer rating into his coverage, according to Pro Football Focus.
Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained via team news release.
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