The New York Jets open the 2020 NFL regular season at the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 13 at Bills Stadium. The Jets finished last season 7-9, third place in the AFC East, wrapping up the ninth straight season out of the playoffs.
Despite trading away star safety Jamal Adams to Seattle this offseason, the Jets will enter the season with quarterback Sam Darnold feeling more comfortable in coach Adam Gase's offense and the security of five picks in the first three rounds (including two in the first round) of the 2021 NFL draft.
The roster will be cut to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday. Here is a projection:
QUARTERBACK (4): Sam Darnold, David Fales, James Morgan, Joe Flacco
The top storyline on cut-down day will be the backup quarterback issue, complicated by Flacco's neck injury. Flacco, rehabbing from April surgery, still hasn't been cleared to practice. He has a medical re-check on Sept. 10, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported. The hope is to have him ready to go by Week 3. Based on that timetable, the most likely scenario is having him on the 53-man roster. The downside is they'd have to carry four quarterbacks for two weeks, which is not good roster management.
For now, Fales and Mike White are battling for QB2 in a less-than-ideal competition. White has outplayed Fales, but has no NFL experience. Fales isn't a grizzled vet (48 career pass attempts), but he knows the offense and has a fan in Gase. They'd better hope Darnold stays healthy. Morgan, a fourth-round pick, will be on clipboard duty.
RUNNING BACK (4): Le'Veon Bell, Frank Gore, La'Mical Perine, Josh Adams
How will the work be divided? Bell and Gore are getting about a 60-40 split in practice; look for something similar during the season. Bell probably will get the bulk of the third-down snaps because he is a better receiver than Gore. Don't be surprised if Gore, a better north-south runner than Bell, gets the short-yardage and goal-line plays. The coaches love Perine, a promising rookie, but an ankle injury clouds his status. The final spot is up in the air; that player might not be on campus, yet.
WIDE RECEIVER (5): Breshad Perriman, Jamison Crowder, Chris Hogan, Denzel Mims, Braxton Berrios
There could be some moving parts as cut-down day approaches, with general manager Joe Douglas exploring the market. Until Mims (hamstring) gets healthy and up to speed, it probably will be Hogan in a stop-gap starting role. Berrios (punt returner) and Malone can contribute on special teams. The big question: Is Perriman, a 2015 first-round disappointment with the Baltimore Ravens, a legit WR1? Except for a five-game stretch at the end of 2019, his track record says no. He also has a knee issue that needs to be monitored.
TIGHT END (4): Chris Herndon, Ryan Griffin, Trevon Wesco, Daniel Brown
This is the best tight end group the Jets have had in years. Herndon has 60-catch potential if he stays healthy. Wesco could be a surprise because of his versatility; he can line up in the backfield and be a 270-pound battering ram in two-back sets. Brown is one of the top special-teamers.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Mekhi Becton, Alex Lewis, Connor McGovern, Greg Van Roten, George Fant, Jonotthan Harrison, Chuma Edoga, Josh Andrews, Cameron Clark
Lewis is the only returning starter, with Harrison and Edoga the only returning backups. It's not official yet, but Becton will be the Week 1 starter at left tackle. The massive first-round pick (6-foot-7, 370 pounds) will have some uneven moments because of his inexperience, but Becton's upside is tremendous. All four backups can play multiple spots, giving them good flexibility. It'll be fun to see what this line can accomplish if the starters stay healthy. It will be a redshirt season for Clark, a fourth-round pick.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE (5): Quinnen Williams, Henry Anderson, Steve McLendon, Folorunso Fatukasi, Nathan Shepherd
This might be the team's deepest unit, a big reason why the Jets finished No. 2 in run defense. The big story is whether Williams can rebound after an underwhelming rookie season. The early signs are encouraging. Anderson, coming off a bad year, needs to duplicate his 2018 performance.
DEFENSIVE END/OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (5): Jordan Jenkins, Tarell Basham, Kyle Phillips, Frankie Luvu, Jabari Zuniga
Help wanted. Douglas could do some tinkering here, but a talented edge player isn't going to fall into his lap. Jenkins and Basham are the Jets' top outside rushers in the nickel package, which comprised about 70% of the defensive snaps last season. Zuniga, a risky third-round pick, is way behind because of a camp injury. Jordan Willis and John Franklin-Myers are in the hunt.
INSIDE LINEBACKER (4): Neville Hewitt, Blake Cashman, Avery Williamson, James Burgess Jr.
C.J. Mosley's decision to opt out really boosted Williamson's chances of making the roster. Williamson is getting some first-team reps as he makes his way back from knee surgery, but he's not a lock to be an every-down player. Because of that, the team leveraged him into taking a $3.75 million pay cut, which virtually ensures a roster spot. Hewitt and Cashman will see a lot of action, especially in nickel. Patrick Onwuasor's knee injury opens a spot for Burgess; Onwuasor could go on IR.
CORNERBACK (6): Pierre Desir, Blessuan Austin, Brian Poole, Nate Hairston, Arthur Maulet, Quincy Wilson
Desir and Poole (slot) missed significant time in camp because of injuries, but they should be ready to go for Week 1. This isn't a great group of corners, and it wouldn't be a surprise if there are lineup changes as the season progresses. For now, Desir and Austin are projected to start on the outside. Wilson, a 2017 second-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts, is on the bubble. Fifth-round pick Bryce Hall still is dealing with an ankle injury from college.
SAFETY (4): Marcus Maye, Bradley McDougald, Ashtyn Davis, Matthias Farley
Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is trying to convert Maye into Jamal Adams 2.0, meaning a havoc-wreaking box safety. That leaves McDougald at free safety, where he saw most of his action last season with the Seattle Seahawks. The wild card is Davis, an athletic/fearless third-round pick who will be deployed in certain sub packages. He also could be the kickoff returner.
SPECIALISTS (3): Sam Ficken (PK), Braden Mann (P), Thomas Hennessy (LS)
Ficken won the camp competition over Brett Maher, but his mediocre performance last season suggests he's not the long-term answer. If he misses a couple of big kicks, the revolving door could start spinning again. Mann, a sixth-round pick, has a powerful leg, but his ball-drop mechanics still need some work.