The 22nd team on my NFL training camp tour is one that’s doing all it can to slip under the radar. Unfortunately, that’s impossible if you’re the New York Jets. But what’s obvious in this corner of New Jersey is there’s a very businesslike team in Florham Park that knows the sort of shot it has over the next five months. Here’s what I discovered from my visit there …
• The thing that the Jets seem to be most excited about with less than three weeks to their opener on Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers is actually where the biggest problem was last year—the offensive line. New tackles Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses have been outstanding, both as players and leaders, with one example coming in the team’s joint practice last week in Charlotte. Aaron Rodgers threw a pick in 11-on-11s, and the interceptor had a clear path to the end zone. Both Smith and Moses reacted by chasing the guy all the way down the field about 80 yards before there was a whistle. It was an example of where little things can become big things, in that if teammates see two 33-year-old offensive linemen hustling like that, there’s no excuse for anyone else not to. And while the chances are slim that both of those guys play all 17 games, the Jets’ depth is in a much better spot with five legit NFL tackles on their roster. Olu Fashanu’s had an outstanding offseason after being taken with the No. 11 pick in the draft, and even showed in recent days he could play right tackle, which he’d never done. And one silver lining in last year’s tidal wave of injuries was that backups Max Mitchell and Carter Warren got experience and proved themselves. Add a solid interior, with Alijah Vera-Tucker, Joe Tippmann and John Simpson good to go, and this is night and day from where the Jets were last year.
