With the minicamp activities coming to a halt, the NFL offseason is officially over. The New York Jets were the first to begin their minicamp this offseason, followed by the Indianapolis Colts, the Las Vegas Raiders, and other organizations who help their minicamp between the 7th and 10th of May. In fact, it was the league’s first minicamps since the 2019 offseason. In 2020, all the offseason events were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Read this blog to know more about the green gang.
Fountain of Youth
Currently, the New York Jets are less than three months away from the most-anticipated 2021 NFL season. However, for the first time in their franchise history, they have a rookie vibe with a first-year coach, a novice starting quarterback, and a pretty young roster. Though the rookie roster is subjective, a quick look at the team’s previous season will tell you that there has never been a season like the one around the corner.
Under coach Rex Ryan’s direction and with quarterback Mark Sanchez (both newbies), the Jets bagged two out of three in 2009. Nonetheless, they were then a real veteran team that made it to the playoffs after narrowly missing the chance in 2008. They were also super close to the trifecta in 1977 with coach Walt Michaels, but they also had quarterback Richard Todd who had started six games as a rookie in the previous season.
So, the New York Jets will really have to buckle up as it will be a wild ride. From what can be seen, the Jets should line up at least a half dozen rookies in prominent roles, directed by quarterback Zach Wilson. Presently, they also have four players who are in the 30-and-up club, earning the title of being one of the youngest teams in the league. They also have a few players who were probably in diapers when Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, entered the league in 2000.
How are Things Going with the Green Gang?
The Jets seems to have placed enough trust on Herndon to have him pocket their wallet, particularly when you look at the foreign market. For instance, New England spent more than $56 million combined in guaranteed money on Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith. Nevertheless, the team is also keeping things small by re-signing Brown to another year at around $1 million and adding Kenny Yeboah, a rookie free agent, to their list.
Perhaps, the New York Jets’ greatest introduction this season is Tyler Kroft, the divisional rival who was added on an affordable one-year deal of $2 million. Furthermore, the Rutgers alum has built a sizable NFL career as a goal-line option that resulted in an offense that earned touchdowns on 42 percent of its red-zone possessions last season. However, it is worth watching if Kroft will be an ideal competition for the primary role as he hasn’t been seen in the starting tight since 2017.
The minicamp offered an exciting twist—Kroft and Griffin bagged the top reps, and even Yeboah took some snaps. So it will be pretty interesting to see how the Jets work in non-Herndon names at the tight end spot—are they working in the right names?
Fans will perhaps be more comfortable with experimentation if they added a veteran name like Seahawk Gerald Everett to their roster.
Silent Safety
In minicamp, Marcus Maye blew off the media, which was quite out of character for him, not to mention how he violated the NFL media policy. It was clear as crystal that he was unwilling to answer questions about his ongoing contract negotiations. Players are always open to answering contract questions, especially this time of the year. So, his Maye’s silence speaks volumes.
After not partaking in the voluntary portion of the offseason, Maye attended the mandatory camp. Now, he will play for the franchise-tag tender if he disagrees with a long-term deal by the July 15 deadline.
