GREEN & WHITE & SAM ALL OVER
Darnold gets first chance in spotlight with Jets scrimmage
The next step in Sam Darnold’s introduction to professional football will be returning to a college campus.
Darnold and the Jets will practice under the lights Saturday night at Rutgers in the team’s annual Green and White Scrimmage.
Unlike in the past, this won’t be a true scrimmage. Jets coach Todd Bowles did away with that when he became the coach. But Bowles has promised more 11-on-11 periods than a regular training camp practice.
Jets players are ready to practice in front of a larger number of fans and get away from the team’s training center for one night.
“Under the lights, the fans get to come out and watch us at a great university. What more can you ask for?” safety Jamal Adams said. “It’s football, at the end of the day. A lot of swagger’s going to be out there, and it’s going to be a great time for sure.”
The main attraction for fans will be Darnold, of course. The No. 3-overall pick has practiced three times since signing his contract Monday. Like most rookies, he has moments when he looks like his head is swimming as he tries to learn the playbook. But he also has moments when you see why he was so highly thought of at USC. On Thursday, he ended practice with two pretty throws in a goal-line period.
“He’s progressing,” Bowles said. “Goal line, we can’t hit the quarter- back, so some of the throws may not have been throws, but he’s picking up everything. He just has to keep working, and as he sees things every day, as well as the rest of the quarterbacks, they’ll get better.”
The Jets have just three practices after Saturday night before their first preseason game against the Falcons on Friday at MetLife Stadium. That will be when the quarterback competition ratchets up. Darnold spoke this week about how much he is looking forward to competing for the starting job with Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater.
“Competition is awesome,” Darnold said. “When I went through it at SC, it was really cool to come out here and compete every single day because that is what this sport is about. I think it also pushes guys on the team when they are seeing a vet like Josh, a vet like Teddy and me coming in and competing really hard. I think it pushes everyone. There are guys at other positions that are competing for jobs as well. It is just really awe- some to be able to come out here in this competitive environment and just compete. I think that is the name of the game out here, especially in camp. Once guys’ legs start to get a little bit tired, competition I think pushes all of us to be better.”
While the quarterbacks will be the main event Saturday, fans can also get a glimpse at a few other interesting elements of the 2018 Jets. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson was the team’s big free-agent signing this year. The Jets gave him a five-year, $72.5 million deal. The battles between the Jets secondary and the wide receivers are fun to watch, and Johnson said he is excited about being under the lights. He is hoping to hit someone in a livetackling period.
“Of course [the juices get flowing], especially if we go live,” Johnson said. “I’m sure we’ll probably go live for a couple of periods. To go out there, man, in front of the fans gives you all the juice in the world to go out and compete.”