TRAIN IS COMIN’
Here are 5 things to keep an eye on as Gang Green begins OTAs today
The Jets kick off Organized Team Activities Tuesday with a litany of questions surrounding some of their most important players. The final phase of Gang Green’s “voluntary” offseason workouts basically are glorified passing drills without pads, so it’ll be difficult for us to analyze how the offensive linemen and running backs are adapting to the new zone blocking scheme or exactly how inside linebacker Avery Williamson is doing as Todd Bowles and Kacy Rodgers’ new quarterback on defense.
However, there are important storylines from the major players in the passing game that shouldn’t be dismissed during these practices.
Here are five burning questions for Todd Bowles’ team entering OTAs:
1) How does Sam Darnold look?
It’s been more than three weeks since the USC quarterback landed in Mike Maccagnan’s lap with the No. 3 pick in the draft. The hype and hoopla will surely grow, but we’ll get a first look at the rookie working with veterans in team drills starting this week. No offense to the 45 tryout players that flooded the team’s rookie minicamp earlier this month, but it was difficult to gauge much when Darnold was surrounded by a bunch of future insurance salesmen. We all want to know how he stacks up against actual NFL players.
This should be an exciting time for the Jets and their fans. Watching a future star develop is pretty cool. Darnold’s every pass will surely be recorded — unfortunately, you will see his stats from Tuesday’s practice open to the media tweeted to the masses — but the most important piece of his early learning won’t be seen on social media.
The most critical part of Darnold’s next few weeks will be his ability to absorb offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates’ playbook. How quickly is he digesting the concepts and terminology? How comfortable is he making sight adjustments? Is commanding a huddle filled with grownups natural or hard? How’s the whole taking-snaps-under-center-thing coming along?
It should be fun.
2) How is Teddy Bridgewater’s knee coming along?
It’s absolutely amazing that a 25-year-old quarterback with playoff experience rehabbing a serious injury is not the biggest story of the offseason. Bridgewater’s future with the Jets remains tenuous given his health and the team’s circumstance.
First things first. Don’t read into Todd Bowles’ vague take a couple weeks ago about whether Bridgewater has been running during conditioning drills. It’s not a state secret that Bridgewater isn’t fully recovered from a grievous knee injury (torn ACL and dislocation) that sidelined him for all but a few snaps in the past two seasons. Heck, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer already told us that this offseason.
I’ve been told that Bridgewater is further along in his rehab than most people think. But let’s not expect miracles. Making a big deal about whether or not Bridgewater will be a full participant in OTAs is silly. He’ll likely be limited, but the goal all along has been to get him ready for training camp. The team will consider it a bonus if he’s a full go at any point before that time.
That being said, you’d like to at least see Bridgewater out there in 7-on-7 passing drills to get an early sense on how he’s moving around.
3) Does Robby Anderson have his head screwed on straight?
It’s been a rollercoaster offseason for the Jets leading receiver from last year. Anderson, coming off a 63-catch, 941-yard season, was arrested for the second time in nine months in January. He was originally hit with nine charges before the felony counts were dropped.
Then, he was issued an arrest warrant for failure to show up in court before that was lifted due to a clerical error.
Anderson got some good news last week when his felony resisting arrest charge stemming from his first arrest at a Florida music festival last May was dropped. He’s still scheduled for a court appearance in July for the remaining reckless driving charges from the January incident. Although Anderson has cleared most of his legal hurdles, he is still subject to discipline from the NFL under the Personal Conduct Policy.
How will the mercurial wideout handle all of this chaos? The Jets didn’t plan on giving up on him through his tribulations, but he’ll have to prove to everyone that he can handle his business on the field this summer amid all the noise.
4) Will Quincy Enunwa hit the ground running?
Nobody is itching to prove himself more than Enunwa, who missed all of last year with a preseason neck injury that ultimately required surgery. The fourth-year wide receiver recently proclaimed himself close to 100 percent, but it will be interesting to see how the team brings him along.
Enunwa stopped short of declaring that he’ll have no restrictions at OTAs, but you’d have to believe that he’d at least participate in 7-on-7 passing drills. There’s no reason to rush him back in mid-May, but it’s tantalizing to envision what he could become in Bates’ offense. The versatile Enunwa doesn’t like being called a hybrid tight end, but Gang Green would be wise to use his frame (62,225 pounds ), strength and skills et to their advantage.
5) Does Trumaine Johnson look like a No. 1 corner?
The Jets sure hope that they will get a quality return on their investment for the self-proclaimed game-changer. After all, Maccangan & Co. ponied up $34 million guaranteed at signing in a blockbuster 5-year, $72.5 million deal for Johnson, who didn’t make a Pro Bowl or AllPro team in his first six seasons with the Rams.
Johnson, who is a clear upgrade from what Bowles was working with on the back end last season, is expected to be provide a one-two punch with Mo Claiborne. The Jets, frankly, are counting on defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson, who worked with Johnson as a Rams assistant, to get the best out of the free agent.
Real talk: I’m excited to see Johnson match up against Anderson in OTAs.