Who’s ready for a breakout, injury updates and the rookie’s key role?

We haven’t seen Breece Hall on the field this spring – the man himself says he’s good to go, the Jets are just cautious as he deals with an undisclosed lower-body issue – but he There’s still every reason to think Hall is ready. for a season in small groups in year 3.

It seems strange to say that, considering what he accomplished in his sophomore season: He finished fourth in the NFL last season (behind only Christian McCaffrey, CeeDee Lamb and Tyreek Hill) with nearly 1,600 yards. versatile (994 rushing with five touchdowns with 591 receiving yards with four touchdowns).

But Hall did it while admittedly not being at full strength as he recovered from a torn ACL in 2022. And considering how he finished the season, with over 700 yards passing of the last five games (a pace of over 2,200 total yards in 17 games), when he was closer to full strength, that could be an indicator of what lies ahead. 2024.

Hall certainly seems to think so, and noted specifically that he’s looking forward to facing defenses that won’t be able to put the box on him thanks to Rodgers’ return.

“I finished the season on a good note,” Hall said. “But now I have my first offseason to not only try to come back, but try to get better. And I got better this offseason. I am much skinnier. I feel much healthier. My knee feels much better. I just feel like I’m going back to my old self.

Ready to bounce back?

While Hall tries to escape, wide receiver Allen Lazard tries to bounce back from a nightmare first season with the Jets. Lazard signed a four-year, $44 million contract with the Jets in March 2023 and has had difficulty separating himself from defenders. He was benched late in the season and became an object of anger for Jets fans during an unprecedented season.

Now he’s trying to bounce back — with high stakes, considering the Jets can cut him without a cap penalty after this season.

Lazard had an up-and-down spring, which included some declines in open practices observed by reporters. But wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson said Lazard hasn’t lost confidence and praised the assistance Lazard has provided in helping other receivers learn the nuances of a Rodgers-led offense.

And he and Saleh also said they think Lazard is ready to bounce back.

The Jets could use him, especially with free agent pickup Mike Williams, the team’s only other proven big receiver, likely to start the season with a limited workload.

Having Rodgers back on the field should help, given their previous success.

But Saleh also said Lazard’s head is in a better position this season, which should also help.

“Allen (came) in with a renewed mindset,” Saleh said this week. “I’ve said it here before: It’s not the first time, and it won’t be the last time, that a free agent who gets a big contract and joins another team with expectations, a new city, new teammates, new players, we hesitate a bit. We sink into a hole and then it’s really difficult to get out of it.

“He attacked hard during the offseason. He showed up in great shape. He’s like a second coach on the field in that receiver room. He’s been great, so I’m grateful he’s here.

The role of the rookie?

After the draft, the Jets did not say where they planned to use No. 11 pick Olu Fashunu on the offensive line. But Saleh said this week that in training camp, the plan is for him to continue working at the left tackle position where he did most of his work in the spring.

This is notable because the Jets have more than one way of letting Fashunu compete for a significant role as a rookie, at right tackle where Morgan Moses is returning from pre-op surgery and at left guard where John Simpson, who only has one year of tenure. experience, is planned for the main role.

It always seemed unlikely that the Jets would move Fashunu to guard, especially given their bad injury luck with Alijah Vera-Tucker’s position change. But we’ll believe it when we see it – Saleh has been less than forthcoming about how he plans to use his offensive linemen in the past.

The only thing to watch out for: Moses’ health. He is expected to be ready for the start of camp, and if he is, the Jets will likely select him as their starter. If he doesn’t, it could open the door for Fashanu.

Make a good first impression

We’ve already highlighted the impressive work of two rookies this spring: running back Braelon Allen, who showed composure beyond his years and potential to make an impact in the passing game, and wide receiver Malachi Corley who has already shown a knack for getting open and finding ways to advance the ball. But another rookie stood out with a solid spring: Qwan’tez Stiggers.

The defensive back, who took a crazy path to the NFL, didn’t make many spectacular plays, but he held his own against Wilson on several occasions and also won a few matchups with Lazard. He also saw plenty of reps against Rodgers and the first-team offense, and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has already said he could see Stiggers earning a role as a rookie. Not bad, considering Stiggers was just hoping to stay in the CFL this time last year.

The new kickoff rule is a huge change

The Jets spent their special teams period on the first day of minicamp practicing the new kickoff rule and while it’s hard to describe what it looks like, let’s just say it will be a major change and interesting one that will surely have a major impact this season. .

Jets special teams coordinator Brant Boyer will have to determine which players to have on the field for a game that has never been tested at this level, and while we can’t say which players lined up where, don’t be Not surprised to see players in a special teams role for the first time this year.

“It’s a big challenge with all these new rules,” Boyer said this week. “It’s kind of a wait and see and you see what suits you and what works and what kicks are best and who does it and all that, so I think there’s a huge unknown to be honest with you we’ve just been studying and studying and studying, and we’re here almost every day to be honest with you, trying to figure out what will work best, but no one knows until. that you tie it up and let the preparatory matches begin.

Yet another reason to look forward to the return of real football.

Win your chance

Defensive lineman Takk McKinley was at Jets minicamp this week as a tryout player. And apparently the Falcons’ former first-round pick has done enough to earn a contract, and the Jets are hoping he gives them some much-needed depth on the defensive line. .

McKinley, 28, was the 26th overall pick by the Falcons in 2017 (where Ulbrich was the linebackers coach at the time) and showed promise early in his career, with 16.5 sacks over his first three seasons, before injuries derailed him. He’s only played in eight games since the start of the 2020 season and was most recently on the Cowboys’ practice squad late in 2022, but they cut him last June and he spent last season out of the lineup. NFL. Now he has another chance with the Jets.

Injury Updates

The Jets have several players who were unavailable during minicamp, here are updates on the most important ones ahead of the pre-training camp break.

RB Breece Hall (lower body): Hall is dealing with a lower-body issue — neither Saleh nor Hall were more specific than that — but the running back himself said he would have practiced, but the coaching staff wants making sure he is 100% fresh and healthy for the start of camp.

RG Alijah Vera-Tucker (torn Achilles): He worked on the sidelines during OTAs and minicamps and later, in camp, progressed to what looked like full-intensity straight-line sprints (over a short distance) less than eight months after a torn Achilles end of season. Saleh said he should be firing on all cylinders for the start of camp.

WR Mike Williams (torn ACL): Saleh said he was following a similar rehab plan to Hall when the running back returned from the same injury last year, meaning Williams is likely to start training camp on the PUP list and join the team during the month of August and be available in Week 1. But he is also likely to have a limited workload on the field for the first half of the season, like Hall, because he works 100%.

RT Morgan Moses (pectoral surgery): Moses did not participate in individual or team drills in OTAs or minicamps after surgery earlier this year for an injury he suffered last season. But he should be ready for the start of camp, according to Saleh.

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Andy Vasquez can be contacted at [email protected].