FLORHAM PARK –They didn’t have to be there. Absolutely no right-minded person would have faulted cornerback Sauce Gardner and receiver Garrett Wilson for skipping the Jets’ voluntary offseason program, and paying the $100,000 price for a minicamp absence, too.
The two are among the best at their positions. In Gardner’s case, his two first-team, All-Pro honors put him in the hierarchy of all players in the league. Both are on their rookie contracts. Both are eligible for contract extensions. Both are deserving of them.
Because neither has received one yet, it’s customary to hold out until it arrives.
Instead, Gardner was there for (most) OTAs and minicamp. Wilson, too. There’s no better example of the culture that new head coach Aaron Glenn is trying to make the foundation of this Jets team.
“I want to be a part of the change in this organization,” Gardner said.
Here’s the recap from New York’s three-day minicamp….
Quarterback report
Admittedly, I didn’t know much about Justin Fields before the Jets signed him. His performance at Ohio State against Clemson was incredible. Once it became clear the Jets wanted Zach Wilson, though, and the Bears drafted Fields, there wasn’t much crossover.
The phone calls to sources around the league painted a pretty black-and-white recap of his NFL career to this point: Ridiculous athlete, elite runner, needs to develop the mental aspects of playing quarterback.
It’s very difficult to assess a quarterback’s read progression in these practices, but one thing I wasn’t prepared for with Fields was how talented he is at throwing the football. The thing flies out of his hands, but it’s not always fastballs. He understands how to throw a catchable pass – an underrated attribute for quarterbacks. The 40-yard, drop-in-the-bucket throw to Garrett Wilson was gorgeous. The touch pass in the corner to Josh Reynolds from the two-yard line might have been even better. You understand why the Jets wanted to take a chance on Fields.
The Jets held two real practices in minicamp. The third was a walkthrough, team stretch, the individual drills featuring receivers/tight ends/running backs throwing passes to the quarterbacks and linemen. We’ll ignore that day. Fields went 12 of 21 with a touchdown on Tuesday and Wednesday.
There aren’t accuracy issues with Fields, per se. He can make every throw and put them on the money. That’s not always the case. Zach Wilson, for example, used to make players work to catch passes during routes on air drills. But when Fields misses … he really misses. Several of those incompletions sailed way over his guy’s head, or way out wide. Consistency is something to monitor as the Jets transition to camp.
Third-year jump
No defender had a more impressive offseason program than defensive end Will McDonald. He, going up against rookie Armand Membou, looked unblockable in the practices he and the media attended. Glenn said he’s added 15 pounds. I was curious if that would cost him any of his speed. It doesn’t look like that’s the case at all. He looks really, really good. Quinnen Williams also flashed a few times in practices.
Granted, these are padless workouts. All together now: The offensive linemen are at a disadvantage when no one is in pads. That’s absolutely true. Usually when a player looks this good without pads … he looks pretty good in them, too. Keep an eye on McDonald. This could be a massive year for him.
Quick hits and tidbits
– The center competition is going to be a fascinating one between Joe Tippmann and Josh Myers. There’s no clear favorite after the offseason program. Tippmann did have an errant snap on Wednesday.
– Glenn talked about wanting to use all of his backs, and it appears that’s going to be the case. Braelon Allen had a nice string of workouts both as a runner and receiver. The Jets seem to really like him. He flashed a ton in camp as a rookie before Nathanial Hackett forgot you’re allowed to run the ball.
– There could be an opportunity for Azareye’h Thomas or Qwan’tez Stiggers to steal the starting corner job from Brandon Stephens. He didn’t impress much in the practices that the media attended. Granted, that could have been because he went against Wilson most days. Few corners look good against him.
– The Jets are in fine hands with Tyrod Taylor if anything happens to Fields. He looks nothing like a player two months from turning 36. His arm is alive. So, too, are his legs. He’s beloved by his teammates.
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