New York Jets OTAs Get Underway

The New York Jets start their Organized Team Activities today, which include non-contact 11-on-11 drills, among others. This is the first look at the team as a whole, working together like the rookies did last weekend.

Media availability begins tomorrow, so don’t anticipate QB stat lines just yet.

Storylines

Progress: Geno Smith appears to be the favorite to start—his ‘job to lose’—however it’ll be important to monitor Smith’s progress, regardless. This is his sophomore season, but could also be his last chance to start, as the Jets could very easily move-on next offseason if Smith doesn’t show continued growth.

Secondary Concerns: Jets draftees S Calvin Pryor, CB Dexter McDougle, and CB Brandon Dixon remain unsigned. All should be on the field for OTAs, but things get sticky if a player is still unsigned by training camp. We saw last season how lost Dee Milliner was at the beginning of the year, before coming on late. Rookies need all the on-field experience they can get, so it’ll be very important for the Jets to sign Pryor, especially, because he is the player who can potentially make the most impact out of the gate.

Back’d Up: A prominent position on the ‘Ground and Pound’-esque New York Jets, the running back position currently sees an influx of depth. As Rex has preached in previous offseasons, it’s often hard to get a good gauge of a running back’s talent in non-contact. However, with free agent acquisition Chris Johnson out of OTAs (still rehabbing his knee), Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell, Mike Goodson (pending legal issues), waiver-claim Daryl Richardson, and Alex Green will all get a chance to showcase their playbook understanding, in the hopes of fighting for carries come gameday.