FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — A look at what’s happening around the New York Jets:
1. CE-O Trainer: Coach Robert Saleh received a shoutout the other day from Aaron Rodgers, who commented, “I think Robert, to his credit, is taking on a deeper role in the offense.”
This no doubt fueled an outside narrative that Saleh, acting with urgency in a make-or-break season, is looking over Nathaniel Hackett’s shoulder because the perception is that he has lost faith in his beleaguered offensive coordinator. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time a head coach became more involved on the weaker side of the ball in an attempt to save his own ass.
Rodgers described Saleh’s involvement this way: “As a defensive coach, he’s been in that room a lot, but he’s been sitting to my left for a good portion of the offseason so far. So we appreciate his influence. He’s brought some ideas to the table. really good ones on the table.
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Let’s get a few things straight: Saleh doesn’t spend all his time on offense; he is still involved with defense and special teams. Yes, he is having a more direct dialogue in the classroom with offensive players than last offseason, but it is to be expected from a fourth-year coach who is evolving on the job.
There is another reason. Look at Saleh’s background; He came from the San Francisco 49ers, where he became fluent in the Kyle Shanahan version of the West Coast offense, a regimented system that limits the quarterback’s flexibility at the line of scrimmage. The Jets used him in 2021 and 2022, but changed their focus on him with the arrival of Rodgers, who loves to be in control.
Last year, Saleh let Rodgers and Hackett do their thing, installing the system and showing it to everyone. Now that he’s been around Rodgers for a year and knows his offense well, Saleh feels comfortable making helpful suggestions, primarily from a defensive perspective. If Rodgers wants to run a certain play against, say, a Cover-3 defense, he can listen to Saleh’s pros and cons. It’s a healthy give and take.
“He’s added a lot of interesting things that you’ll see in OTAs and in training camp, which I think would be great for us,” Rodgers said.
Unbeknownst to many, Saleh actually became more involved in the offense during the final six games of last season. By then, they had already begun to move away from the Rodgers system, which did not suit Zach Wilson. In retrospect, the Jets will say they waited too long to make that change. As it turned out, they showed some signs of life in the last six games, averaging 16.5 points, about three points better than the first 11.
Saleh said the goal this season is to make the offense “injury-proof” in case the unthinkable happens again: another injury to Rodgers. They better do well because they’re probably out of mulligans.
Jets coach Robert Saleh has been more involved with the offense, according to quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Sarah Stier//Keynote USA/Getty Images
2. Busy summer: The Jets plan to hold joint practices with the three teams they will face in the preseason: the Washington Commanders (home), the Carolina Panthers (away) and the New York Giants (home). Joint practices have become the norm in the NFL, especially when teams avoid using their starters in preseason games.
3. QB/scout: Rodgers, in an interview with the Official Jets Podcast, called Malachi Corley “my favorite receiver in the draft.” That comment will surprise, considering Corley was the 12th receiver selected, selected at the top of the third round.
“Now, he may not have been the best on paper in the draft,” Rodgers went on to say, “but I really felt like he was going to fit what we were trying to do: his mindset, his ferocity.” “.
The front office was certainly aware of Rodgers’ affinity for Corley, which might explain why they traded up to hire him.
4. Rarity for Rodgers: The Jets open the season with three games in a 10-day span, something Rodgers has experienced only once in 16 seasons as a starting quarterback. He happened back in 2011 with the Green Bay Packers. Clearly, his physical exertion didn’t affect him when he was 27, as he threw nine touchdowns and just one interception in three wins.
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But now he is 40 years old and is coming off a serious injury and a long layoff. He acknowledged that it will be harder for his body to recover now that he is much older, and concluded that the three-game streak “will definitely be a good challenge for us.”
Week 3 is a Thursday night game against the New England Patriots. In case you’re wondering, Rodgers has dominated Thursday night games in short weeks: an 8-4 record, with 29 touchdowns and three interceptions.
5. Rest can wait: Teams have the option of taking their bye week immediately after the games in London, but the Jets opted not to do so. Because? Mostly, they preferred a late break (week 12). They also felt they would get enough rest after returning from London, where they will face the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5. Their next game will be at home on Monday night against the Buffalo Bills.
6. Corner of the canton: Rodgers and left tackle Tyron Smith have lockers next to each other. Talk about an exclusive neighborhood. You’re talking about 32 seasons of combined experience and 18 Pro Bowls. Someday they will be reunited in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Rodgers said he has a front-row seat to how Smith and fellow tackle Morgan Moses have been training young tackles Olu Fashanu and Carter Warren.
“Very good,” said Rodgers.
7. Safety in numbers: The most competitive position group is safety, with starter Tony Adams, Chuck Clark and Ashtyn Davis fighting for two starting spots. Right now, Adams and Clark have the advantage. Clark, a longtime starter with the Baltimore Ravens, has returned to full participation after missing last season due to knee surgery.
Add another player to the mix: Isaiah Oliver, a veteran cornerback/nickelback, was moved to safety this week.
“The entire security room is open,” Saleh said.
The most notable news of the week ![Jets coach Robert Saleh gets more involved with offense | Keynote USA 2 Jets coach Robert Saleh gets more involved with offense | Keynote USA](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSI0OSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxNCIgdmlld0JveD0iMCAwIDQ5IDE0Ij48cmVjdCB3aWR0aD0iMTAwJSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxMDAlIiBzdHlsZT0iZmlsbDojY2ZkNGRiO2ZpbGwtb3BhY2l0eTogMC4xOyIvPjwvc3ZnPg==)
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8. Shrinking End: The Jets are giving up a lot of size at defensive end, going from John Franklin-Myers (288 pounds) to Haason Reddick (240). That could be a problem for the run defense. Reddick is “a little undersized,” said defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who believes he makes up for it with leverage and hand placement. Worth noting: The Philadelphia Eagles were better against the run when Reddick wasn’t on the field (3.8 yards per rush) than when he was on it (4.5).
9. Say, Watts: Perhaps the most intriguing undrafted rookie on the roster is defensive end Eric Watts out of UConn. He certainly looks the part: he weighs a sculpted 277 pounds on his 6-foot-5 frame. He ran well at the scouting combine (4.67 seconds in the 40-yard dash), fueling speculation that he could be a late-round pick despite his modest production in college (9.5 sacks in four seasons).
Watts was in demand as a free agent, and ultimately received a $225,000 guarantee from the Jets, the highest among his UDFAs. That amount is equivalent to what a high sixth-round pick would receive. Watts is known for his competitive nature. If he can put it all together, maybe he can surprise.
10. The last word: “I feel like we can win the championship, the Super Bowl. We have the guys, we have the coaches. We have everything we need, the training staff, everything, what it takes to be able to get to where we are.” we want to get there.” – Cornerback Sauce Gardner on the team’s expectations.
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