Gang Green is looking to shake off missing the playoffs a season ago, despite finishing the year with a 10-6 record. But now there's more questions going into this year then answers. So lets look at the Jets storylines for a moment shall we.
Quarterback
Its been a bit of an interesting last few days. Now that Ryan Fitzpatrick is back in camp and back under center where he belongs, at least for one more year. Now with that saga finally done and over with, the Jets can get back to work. They need to figure out who is going to be Fitzpatrick's backup. It looks, on paper at least, like it could be Geno Smith. But here in lies a problem. Because now that Fitzpatrick is back in the mix at QB, the Jets have four on the roster. Its Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith, Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg. So who is going to get the 2nd and 3rd string job here in New York? I don't think Hackenberg is going to go anywhere, because the Jets just took him in the 2nd round of this years draft, so he's going to stay. I still don't trust Geno Smith and his constant turnover issues. I'm still not sure yet if Bryce Petty is ready for the big time. So one of the two is really going to have to emerge as a solid Quarterback so that way the Jets can have something solid in place behind Fitzpatrick, just in case something should happen to him.
Players Coming Back
A couple of members of this Jets squad are trying to make it back after injuries. Yes its fantastic that Muhammad Wilkerson signed a new deal and won't miss any time during training camp. He's going to need to get as many reps in as possible. The reason being is that he broke his leg near the end of the final game of the season last year against Buffalo. So one of the big questions is, how back to normal is Mo and how effective can he be? Only time is going to tell as camp moves along. Then we have the newest member of the Jets offensive line. Ryan Clady is being counted on big time to replace D’Brickashaw Ferguson at left tackle. When Clady has been healthy, he has been a Pro Bowler, but he has missed 30 games over the past three years, including the entire 2015 season with the Broncos. Clady is coming off a torn ACL he suffered last spring. This spring, he gradually did more and more in practice and the Jets are confident he is 100 percent. Still, they probably will ease him in during training camp.
Position Battles
While those two things are going on, there are a couple of position battles that might be taking place, and seeing how new players are going to get adjusted to this new system. On the defensive side the Outside Linebacker battle is going to be one to watch. Not having Calvin Pace on the team anymore leaves a bit of a hole at that position. To add on to that fact, the Jets moved on from Quinton Coples in the middle of last season. That leaves the two starting jobs up for grabs. There is going to be plenty of guys fighting for those spots, but all of them are unproven. You have 2015 third-round pick Lorenzo Mauldin and this year’s third-round pick, Jordan Jenkins both fighting for that spot. Throw into the mix guys lie Freddie Bishop, Trevor Reilly, Deion Barnes and Mike Catapano, who are all also fighting for those two starting spots as well.
Running Back Fun
Running back is going to be something to look at with the Jets this year. It has always been a position that the Jets have relied on in their offense. Chris Ivory is gone, taking his 1,000+ yards with him to Jacksonville. Lets not get our facts mixed up Matt Forte is a fantastic running back, and will be in for a test replacing Ivory. Forte has proven in the past that he can be a very productive running back. His 12,718 yards from scrimmage lead the league since he entered it in 2008. The biggest question with Forte is how much does he have left? At 30, there will be plenty of doubters. But Forte should be a nice addition to the Jets’ offense, particularly with his pass-catching ability.
Help For Revis
It's no hidden secret around the league that Derrell Revis is one of the best cornerbacks in all of football. Here's something to think about. Look at last year, when the other cornerback Antonio Cromartie, didn't perform well. Teams made note of it and took advantage of it at times. The Jets took care of it by letting Cromartie go during the offseason. The question here is, now what happens? Somebody has to be able to step up and play somewhat at the level of Revis at the other Corner position. A combination of Buster Skrine and Marcus Williams will be used at the other corner position, depending on the defensive alignment. Skrine and Williams will be tested a lot, because quarterbacks typically don't like to often throw in Revis' direction.
New Coach, New Era
Things are going to look a lot different with Ben McAdoo running the team now instead of Tom Coughlin. Sure McAdoo has experience dealing with this team as offensive coordinator the last two seasons. First time head coaches will always be looked at under the microscope, so McAdoo has that to deal with, as well as trying to break out of the mold and shadow of Coughlin and his legacy here in New York. Its going to be a bit of an interesting transition from running just the offense to now having to run the entire team, but I think that helps. Having McAdoo as a coach the last two years have helped make things a little easier because he knows a lot of the players already, so there is that level of comfort right there. Sure its going to take some time to see how well he gets things moved into place and get his style and system down, so we shall see how it goes.
New Look Defense
One of the biggest things that the Giants did in the offseason was address the Defense, which had been a big weakness for them last year. Big Blue has started to unveil one of the biggest classes of free agent signings that they have ever had. That class was headlined by defensive end Olivier Vernon (Dolphins), defensive tackle Damon Harrison (Jets), and cornerback Janoris Jenkins (Rams). They were three of the most coveted players on the market this year, and part of the Giants’ primary objective this offseason and that is improve the defense. That's what happened. On paper, this defense could be one of the best in the entire league this season. But what's on paper and what happens on the field could be two totally different things. So lets hope the defense plays like its supposed to in theory.
Health Issues/Combacks
Two names that need to be focused on during camp, at least from an injury perspective, are Jason Pierre-Paul and Victor Cruz. With JPP, the question still remains as to how well he can play and how productive he can be with that club on his hand from his fireworks accident last year. But that is minor by comparison to what's going to be looked at for Victor Cruz. There are no certainties coming off the ruptured right patella tendon that ended Cruz’s 2014 season after six games and left calf injury and surgery that caused him to miss the entire 2015 season. That’s some serious wear and tear on his legs. Which Cruz will we get? Can he still be productive or is his career pretty much done? Everyone around the Giants is holding their breath and crossing their fingers.
Position Battles
There's at least two position battles that can be quite intriguing at camp this year. One is on offense and one is on defense. On offense, the big question is who's going to be the next target behind Odell Beckham Jr? Rueben Randle is gone, having departed in free agency. Sterling Shepard, Dwayne Harris, Myles White, Geremy Davis and others will have their say while the Giants await the status of Victor Cruz. So the Giants are going to need to see who can fill in and catch passes other than Odell. Then there's the defense. Now a days, the #3 cornerback is viewed as a starter, and the identity of the nickel corner will be revealed this summer. Trevin Wade and first-round pick Eli Apple are the most logical candidates. This will be a classic rags-and-riches competition. Wade, a 2012 seventh-round pick of the Browns, kicked around in Cleveland and New Orleans and played in all 16 games in 2015 for the Giants. He is a grinder and well-suited for the slot. Apple, long and rangy, was the 10th overall pick in the draft out of Ohio State, arrives with a sublime pedigree. Can he adjust to the rough-and-tumble demands of the slot?
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