2019 NFL Season Preview- New York Jets

Another year, another double digit loss season for the Jets.

Quarterback Josh McCown found himself in a mentor role and saw playing time in four games but the results were not great. Running backs Isaiah Crowell and Bilal Powell both ended the year on injured reserve although Elijah McGuire showed flashes late in the season. New York often ran two tight end sets both most of the players were non factors. Wide receiver Robby Anderson was productive at times but dealt with an ankle injury late. Quincy Enunwa missed five games after signing a new contract while Jermaine Kearse was a disappointment in his second season with the Jets and Terrelle Pryor was released midseason. The offensive line dealt with multiple injuries on the season. Left guard James Carpenter and right tackle Brandon Shell both ended the year on IR. left tackle Kelvin Beachum struggled occasionally while center Spencer Long and right guard Brian Winters had issues in pass protection.

Defensive end Leonard Williams has All-Pro potential, but has struggled with consistency lately. The team traded for Henry Anderson from Indianapolis and finished with seven sacks. Linebacker Avery Williamson had a career high 120 tackles which gave him the team lead. Darron Lee was productive and coming into his own before his season ended due to a PED suspension. Jordan Jenkins played well and tied Anderson for the team lead with seven sacks. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson had a terrible first year with the team after some bad cover skills, injuries, and being benched for the season finale. Morris Claiborne and Marcus Maye ended the year on injured reserve.

The team produced three Pro Bowlers in safety Jamal Adams, kicker Jason Myers, and kick returner Andre Roberts. Adams came into his own with 115 tackles, 12 passes defended, three forced fumbles, and an interception. Myers was claimed off waivers in August and missed just one field goal and three extra points all year. Roberts had a punt return and kickoff return touchdown while averaging nearly 30 yards a kick return.

The rookie class had their struggles, but offers a lot of promise for the future. Quarterback Sam Darnold was poised and productive, especially after returning from a foot injury and looks to be the franchise quarterback the Jets have been looking for since Joe Namath. Defensive tackle Nathan Shepard had just 15 tackles while playing mostly as a reserve. Tight end Chris Herndon was a solid steal, ranking second on the team in catches and yards while also being a decent blocker. Cornerback Parry Nickerson played in every game after coming off multiple knee surgeries. Undrafted wide receiver Deontay Burnett was promoted from the practice squad in October and served primarily as a slot receiver.

After a third straight double digit loss season, head coach Todd Bowles was fired after four seasons with the team. In that time, he went 26-41 in New York. The Jets the hired Adam Gase, who had just been fired by the Miami Dolphins, to be the new head coach.

With a new head coach, comes a new coaching staff. Gase brought in Dowell Loggains to be the offensive coordinator. Loggains served as Gase's offensive coordinator in Miami. The Jets also hired former Cleveland Browns interim head coach Gregg Williams to be the new defensive coordinator.

On May 15, 2019, the Jets fired general manager Mike Maccagnan and appointed Gase to be the interim general manager.

On June 7, 2019, the Jets hired former Philadelphia Eagles Vice President of Player Personnel Joe Douglas to be the new general manager.

On July 12, 2019, tight end Chris Herndon was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the league‘s substance abuse policy.

Notable Additions- QB Trevor Siemian, QB Luke Falk, RB Le'Veon Bell, RB Ty Montgomery, WR Josh Bellamy, WR Jamison Crowder, G Kelechi Osemele, C Ryan Kalil, LB CJ Mosley, K Taylor Bertolet

Notable Departures- QB Josh McCown, RB Isaiah Crowell, WR Jermaine Kearse, WR Rishard Matthews, WR/RS Andre Roberts, TE Jordan Leggett, TE Clive Walford, G James Carpenter, LB Darron Lee, CB Buster Skrine, CB Morris Claiborne, K Jason Myers, , K Chandler Catanzaro

Holding the third overall pick in the draft, the Jets have to be smart if they expect to dethrone New England. They desperately need upgrades at wide receiver, defensive lineman, and cornerback.

Robby Anderson, Quincy Enunwa, Josh Bellamy, and Jamison Crowder are nice receivers, but none of them really scare the top defensive backs in the league.

With Leonard Williams struggling with consistency and double teams, the defensive line could use another body.

With Buster Skrine and Morris Claiborne gone, depth is needed and the team has to see if Trumaine Johnson's bad first year with the team was just a fluke.

On draft day, New York selected Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams with the third overall pick. Williams was viewed as the top tackling defensive tackle prospect in the draft, but is still raw in terms of awareness.

Other Notable Draft Picks:

Jachai Polite, EDGE, Florida- Most explosive outside linebacker prospect, too small to play defensive end, maybe too slow for outside linebacker

Chuma Edoga, OT, USC- Great athleticism, injury history

Trevon Wasco, TE, West Virginia- Dominating blocker, size may not fit most offenses

Blake Cashman, LB, Minnesota- Walk-on mentality, had surgery on both shoulders

Blessuan Austin, CB, Rutgers- Tall and athletic, durability concerns

With the changes the team made to the roster, the coaching staff, and front office, the Jets look to be heading in the right direction.

Sam Darnold should be more comfortable in year two and will benefit learning under a quarterback guru like Adam Gase. Signing Le'Veon Bell gives the team a top tier running back with versatility as a receiver out of the backfield, but there are some rust concerns as he sat out all of 2018. Bilal Powell will likely retire as a Jet at this point and Ty Montgomery will likely be the team's primary return specialist after he departure of Andre Roberts. The Jets have a nice group of receivers in Robby Anderson, Quincy Enunwa, Josh Bellamy, and Jamison Crowder but there really isn't a true number one option in the group. Chris Herndon built up a nice connection with Darnold last season and hopefully that can continue into their sophomore seasons. Adding Pro Bowlers like Kelechi Osemele and Ryan Kalil helps the line, but the line as a whole has to do a better job in pass protection.

Defenses under Gregg Williams always have a tenacity about them and I don't expect that to change with the Jets. Drafting Quinnen Williams to pair with Leonard Williams will hopefully help reduce some of the double teams the ladder will have to face on a regular basis. Jochai Polite should be explosive off the edge but will likely not be asked to drop into coverage unlike Jordan Jenkins. CJ Mosley and Avery Williamson will be dominant on the inside as Mosley is one of the most versatile middle linebackers of the last five years. There are still questions about the strength of the secondary. Jamal Adams and Marcus Mayer are one of the top young safety tandems in the league, but whether or not Trumaine Johnson can shake off his bad 2018 season is another story. There also seems to be a lack of playmakers at cornerback.

The team missed out on resigning Jason Myers, but Chandler Catanzaro is still a quality kicker in this league.

As I see the talent on this team I think the Jets will break their losing record streak, but I don't think they've done enough to unseat the Patriots in the AFC East and they may just miss out on a wildcard spot.

Best Record They Can Hope For: 9-7