FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – The New York Jets resumed practice Monday afternoon, after having Sunday off. Monday’s practice started with some individual position drills, then got into a lot of game situation drills. The practice ran a little longer today, and here’s what caught our attention:
Kicker Competition:
- Nick Folk is a 10 year veteran in the NFL, and his professionalism is rubbing off on his younger teammates. Folk has been seen on the sidelines giving advice to the young kickers, as well as showing them with his own excellent kicking.
- Ross Martin is a rookie out of Duke University, and has really pushed Folk. Martin made all of his kicks in game situation drills, including drilling a 55 yard attempt. Martin also showed his leg strength by hitting the team camera man behind the goal post, on a made field goal attempt.
Wide Receiver Depth:
- New York has a good problem on their hands at the receiver position. Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker are a very good and experienced receiving duo. After those two, the Jets are very deep and young at the wide receiver position. This position battle is the most intriguing, because many players have showed skill and high potential.
- Robbie Anderson has been featured by us before, and he continues to show his raw talent. Anderson has shown a great ability to catch the football and catch it over defenders. The real thing that stands Anderson apart is his speed and ability to get past cornerbacks. Anderson’s biggest flaw however has been his ball security, and is something that may prevent him from being a contributor this season.
- Jalin Marshall also has been tremendous to start training camp, and reminds a lot like Laveranues Coles. Marshall has a toughness about him and hasn’t shied away from being physical. It will be interesting to see if he can earn significant snaps this season.
- Quincy Enunwa is someone that needs to step up in his second season with the Jets. Enunwa had a couple nice catches today, but really hasn’t separated himself as a number three receiver from the rest of the competition.
Can Lee Be A Catalyst?:
- Darron Lee is a rookie who has major hype behind his drafting. Lee has came to training camp in excellent condition and seems to have fit right in. The rookie out of Ohio State showcased his versatility by participating as the running back in some defensive drills. Lee has good closing speed and it will be tested on Thursday.
Forte’s back! (kind of)
- Today we saw Matt Forte on the field, but without pads on. Forte was seen on the sidelines catching passes from the ball machine. The nine year veteran looks in great physical shape but more than likely will miss the Jets first preseason game on Thursday.
Quarterback Blitz
- The quarterback situation in New York is crowded, so the most must be made out of reps. Ryan Fitzpatrick looked a little more in sync with his receivers, and made a number of great throws. Fitzpatrick also showed us he is still just as mobile, and made a couple good plays with his legs. This included running for a touchdown on a broken play in the red-zone. Fitzpatrick however, after two attempts was unable to successfully dunk the ball over the goal post.
- Geno Smith started the day off slow, but really picked up towards the end of practice. A lot has been made how Smith would react to the resigning of Fitzpatrick, but Smith has really came out to compete.
- Bryce Petty saw some good reps today and did a good job of not making mistakes. Petty is slowly improving but is still far from being a contributor in the near future.
Marshall vs Revis continued
- Marshall and Darrelle Revis were matched up to begin practice, and Marshall beat Revis for a touchdown on the first rep. Revis while smiling complained to the ref about a non-call, but then intercepted the ball on his next match-up against Marshall. The two battled altercation-free and has really become a key match-up at training camp.
Catch Of The Day
- Fitzpatrick threw a nice pass over the middle to Jace Amaro for a touchdown in red-zone drills. What made this the play of the day was it was made over three defenders. This is very encouraging because Amaro is expected to have a breakout year for Gang Green.
Jet Under The Radar:
- Romar Morris is a rookie out of North Carolina, and has shown exceptional speed from the running back position. Morris’ development will be intriguing to watch this preseason. However with Forte and Bilal Powell higher on the depth chart, Jet fans may have to wait a year or two to see Morris play significant snaps.
Barry Holmes is a Senior Writer for PureSportsNY.com. Follow him on Twitter @BHO732
(Featured Photo Credit: Barry Holmes/PureSportsNY)