Enunwa: Jets’ tank talk not shocking
The tanking talk is expected to be as much a part of the Jets’ season as the J-E-T-S chants. Even in the offseason, Quincy Enunwa hears about it, from the media to fans he comes across, and the No. 1 wide receiver out of necessity understands it.
“It’s hard to argue [with] that,” Enunwa said Sunday, “when everybody else sees all the stuff that’s going on.”
Enunwa, spending his day at Citi Field to catch a Mets game as he waits for training camp to arrive, was referring to all the high-priced cuts the Jets made in the offseason, losing veterans such as Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Nick Mangold, David Harris and Darrelle Revis, among others.
But he also said while the tanking talk is hard to escape, the Jets players aren’t approaching this fall as a lost season. After all, the “sulking,” as he called it, is over.
“It hasn’t so much changed my mindset,” Enunwa said. “A lot of the guys just want to win. Whatever it takes. I know they cut some guys obviously, but that’s the business.
“I don’t think any player is going to tank. Our jobs are on the line. Our families [depend on us]. We’re out there to work and get our paycheck and win games. People are always going to say that kind of stuff, but we’re just going to play.”
Marshall recently said he had to leave the Jets because they “didn’t have a chance” to win, and so he asked for his release. Enunwa had no problem with the comments when told of them, though he was initially surprised to hear them made.
“I talked to him, and he only has so many years left. He wants to go out there, he wants to get to the playoffs, he wants to win,” Enunwa said. “You can’t blame a guy for that. He said some great things to us before he left. We’ll always have the utmost respect for that guy.”
Much of the focus in training camp will center on the quarterback position, where second-year player Christian Hackenberg will battle newly signed veteran Josh McCown. Hackenberg’s progress might be the most significant development of the season for the Jets, considering next year’s draft class is projected to be loaded with elite quarterbacks like USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen and Wyoming’s Josh Allen.
“I see a determined player, somebody that wants to come out and prove himself,” Enunwa said of Hackenberg. “I’m excited for what he’s going to do in camp and the season. We’re going to see who’s going to be the winner after camp. I think that he’s really put himself in a position to perform well, and I’m excited for him.”
Though Enunwa played down his role as the team’s No. 1 receiver — “There’s no spot that’s solidified,” he said — he said he is eager for the opportunity he now has in front of him. A sixthround pick out of Nebraska in 2014, the 25-year-old receiver has gotten better every season, catching 58 passes for 857 yards and four touchdowns last season.
“You just kind of take notes from guys that have been there. I’ve had some great mentors ahead of me before,” Enunwa said. “I’m excited to show what I can do in a different position, in a different offense.”