There is news about with the green and white as we head into July, getting ever closer to preseason. Training camp is showing us things about the squad. And what is this? A scrimmage game with Rutgers on August 4th? Interesting. Let's lead with that.
Scrimmage in Piscataway
On August 4th there will be a game-like practice between the Scarlet Knights and the Jets. The contract has been signed, and all looks squared away. The Jets organization will be covering all the operating costs as well as clean up fees, while Rutgers gets to keep all the proceeds from concessions.
More than anything this is for the fans. Other than excellent PR, it doesn’t seem like the Jets are getting anything else out of this. Rutgers made it clear that there will be no 'tryouts' or any sort of pass, catch, or kick for high schoolers or potential collegiate walk-ons. The scrimmage is at 7:30 pm in HighPoint.com Stadium but the FanFest begins at 3 pm and get this, tickets are free! So if you want to hang out with the Flight Crew and get autographs, you better head over to Piscataway on Aug. 4th.
Moving Up
I wanted to be sure that I could find the correct probability on the Jets win the AFC East, so I checked this Bovada review. I wanted to see if the Jets have moved on the futures odds-boards now that the roster is firmed up. Things are looking up. Instead of being the longest shot in the AFC East, the Gang is actually second in line behind the Pats at some books and tied or listed with the same odds as the Bills (tied for second). We opened at +1200 and can now be found as low as +800.
I think that this is partly due to the defense looking more cohesive than in previous seasons. The green and white picked up J.J. Wilcox, a veteran free safety who can roam up into the box or in the Will spot in a Dime defense. Wilcox stated that it was a three-way decision, and he and his family felt that East Rutherford was the best place for him. He wants to be here.
The middle of the field is looking good too. Darron Lee and Avery Williamson are clicking. Williamson joined the squad back in March, and since then, Lee has been helping him with the playbook, and they have spent time together after practices developing a camaraderie.
Williamson stated that he feels like there is a great mix [defensively] between the two of them. And they are starting to get their communication figured out and helping each other out so he can see them "thriving."
On the offensive side of the ball, what remains to be seen is how much playing time Sam Darnold will see. Interestingly enough. Darnold still hasn’t signed with the Jets. It isn’t a big deal because there are 16 other high-profile rookies who still haven’t signed with their teams as well. What is expected is a 4-year 30 million dollar deal. But will he make an immediate impact this season or be sitting behind McCown and Bridgewater?
Either way, things are looking up. The Jets have depth in QB with Bridgewater, Darnold, and McCown. There is a lot of depth and talent at WR. Chris Hendon could very well make a great impact playing Slot TE. And with Rawls coming over from Seattle, the RB core has been boosted with a physical and reliable tailback.
The Jets are coming up. It’s going to be a fun season.