We meet anybody in the world, and I think we're gonna win.
Next Sunday gets wonder, can't put your seat belts on and getting ready for the ride.
Welcome into the Official Jets podcast, Eric Allen here one Jets Drive, joined by my man Quitsia Nonwa. Before we get into a lot of topics, including the NFL schedule release, Q OTAs on the horizon for Aaron Glenn and company. I want to get your thoughts on rookie Mini caamp and the draft as well. We might even go game by game and get your predictions for that schedule. We are presented by Kendra Scott. Game Day and every Day.
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My man? Oh man?
I can't complain everything as well. I love coming back to the building. Brings me back, you know, So those are always great memories.
All right.
So from a player's perspective, when the schedule is released, do you pay any attention to it?
Just a little bit, you know? Everybody's different. I'd say for myself, I think back to like twenty sixteen, we play the Chiefs and we play the forty nine Ers, if I'm not mistaken, and those two games are important to me because I grew up a Chiefs fan, and then my family's from California, so I'm like, okay, where am I going to see my family? So I just had to make sure I knew when that time was coming.
All right. You guys are creatures of habit, though, do you ever look at the times of games or travel Because for the Jets from their perspective, this year thirteen one o'clock games, not many travel miles either, about half of them one trip to London.
Yeah, no, I think that's definitely a big part of it.
You know.
I think you love the Pride Time game just because you get more eyes on you. But it's always good to get a one o'clock game. Then you get your nights, you know, to recover, and it's not so late, right, so you get to play the game, you get to do your work, and then you get to go home and enjoy yourself obviously after a win.
So what was your game day prep like? If you knew a one o'clock game was on the rise, because that's where the Jets are gonna start at the friendly confines of MetLife Stadium week one against the Steelers and then week two against the Buffalo Bills.
It was pretty simple. You know.
Obviously I would wake up. I tried to wake up before breakfast so I can kind of get my mind ready for the day. Go down to get breakfast, you know, go over any notes I need to have, watch a little bit of film, and then from there, you know, I'm at the stadium probably as early as possible. You know, if it's in away game, then you have certain busses that will leave at certain times, but if it's a home game, you could just drive there. So I try
to get there pretty early. Because what's pretty early, I want to say like ten, maybe around there, nine thirty, just so I can kind of I like to So what I like to just get here is early. I mean you saw me say I guy here early. I don't always like to do that.
Yeah, we're taking a nine ques already on the staircase at eight fifteen saying where the hell is everybody?
So you know, I like to get early and just kind of get comfortable, you know, so I like to walk on the field, you know, just kind of look at the bleachers, look at the sign, like I don't know, I like to ground myself in the place that I'm at.
All right, So, holistically, thirteen one o'clock games, two prime time games for the Jets. Your thoughts in terms of the change and maybe what the league expects from the team this year.
I mean, to be honest with you, let's just talk about ag I think it's exactly what he wants, right, Like, he'ss not looking at a season like we've had the last couple of years, where it's so many primetime games, so much attention. I think this is exactly what they're looking for. Less eyes on them, so they can just kind of work, right. Those one o'clock games will have just kind of the local people and anybody wants to
tune into a Jets game. And so for the team, it's like, okay, you know, we don't have as much expectation, but that's okay because we can come from the bottom and really show what we're capable of.
How about the storylines there in Week one? The Jets and the Steelers have never met in a season opener. Justin Fields is new here the QB one for the Green and White. He signs an offseason. He was the starter for the Steelers last year, appeared in ten games, started six, but after leading the Steelers to a four and two start, they gave the keys to Russell Wilson. He signs, Field signs with the Jets and free agency, and now his first start with the Jets comes against the Steelers.
Yeah.
I mean there's going to be a lot of storylines there, obviously, and I think the biggest one for him will be the emotional part of it. I think you think about this is his first game as a starter for the New York Jets and it's against your former team. I don't think there's any animosity for him against but I know from what he's spoken about, they didn't let him be his best self at quarterback, right. There was a little bit of they didn't have confidence in him to
be the starter. They didn't give him the reins to just go ahead and do everything he wanted to do. So I think he wants to go out there and show like, this is what I'm capable of. And one thing I like about ag is that He's putting a lot of confidence in his coaches, so we're gonna see hopefully the best version of him because they're going to coach him hard.
What do you think feels is capable? This is his third team, obviously drafted by the Chicago Bears' number eleventh overall back in twenty twenty one, then traded to the Steelers. This is his fifth season coming up.
Yeah, yeah, I mean it's crazy to think about that, but I think you know, we've seen what he's done, right, He's done something that maybe only I think two other quarterbacks have done in the running game as a quarterback. So that's amazing, right. His legs are elite. Right now, we've got to see a little bit more of his arm.
I know that he can throw the ball. He has some issues with accuracy at times, but I think what we're going to see here is the ability to add in the play action pass right, So that'll give him the opportunity to make those quick passes like you think about like tool right, Like their offense is so quick. He's an accurate quarterback, but they also don't make him think too much. It's just kind of getting the ball
out of there. I kind of want to see that a little bit with him and allow him to use his legs really be a dual threat, because then it'll kind of put a little pressure on the defense.
Do you like the Jets overall starting at home though, in front of their fans, You know that atmosphere is gonna be crazy because those Pittsburgh fans travel pretty well themselves. That's the national brand Jets Steelers.
Yeah, no, I think so. I think that first home game, or that first game being a home game is deep because you know, you want to get that fan base kind of on your side early, right, and so when you can get that, when you go out on the field and everybody's cheering.
For you, you.
Know, there's so much more excitement. Now on the other side of it. I do love playing the villain, you know, I don't mind going to it in an away game and everybody's kind of booing you. But it's something about everybody cheering you as an entertainer that feels pretty good.
All right. Who's going to be the Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback in Week one? Huh? Is it a guy who started seventeen games for the Jets last year?
That's that?
It could be. I mean, I wouldn't put it past him, but you know again, I don't.
I don't know.
It's hard to tell, Like you really don't know what he's thinking. Obviously, we you know, we've we've we've dealt with that, so we are going to see. It's getting down to the wire, right He's starting to start. OTA's you know, you kind of want to be in there getting used to your guys, getting used to the system. So I guess we're gonna find out if he goes there otherwise makes the Rudolph exactly that that would be the next guy.
I love it from the perspective of yes Fields against the Steelers, the Moujik Glenn era gets underway at home. Maybe Aaron Rodgers is facing his former team, the Jets. But how about the jets vastly improved offensive line. You got some depth pieces you draft ar My Membu is gonna be competing for that right tackle spot against the defensive line that starts with TJ. Watt, one of the better defensive players in the National Football Cam Hayward's still there.
They drafted Derek Harmon in the first round as well. This is a defense that gets after you and you know, the Jets offensive mentality is going to be completely different than it was last year when they were thirty second in the National Football League in terms of rush attempts. The Jets are going to try to win at the line of scrimmage. And you know, the Steelers played bullie ball themselves.
Yes, And one thing that we didn't talk about is, you know, last year that wasn't the best game for the Jets against the Steelers. But one thing I do remember was Garrett Wilson had a pass that you know, bounced off his chest. I know he's going to want to come back. And now he's got his guys quarterback they got exactly right, exactly He's gonna want to come back and kind of prove that you know, this is not you know, you guys are gonna play me at my best self, right, And now I have my guy
from college. That synergy there is going to be amazing for him. I think when you think about having a guy that you got a chance to really become who you were in college, now you get to go out here and show that this is who he's capable of. I think he's going to want to show that justin fields is that as well. So it's gonna be a great showing for that first game.
Steelers got a big weapon on the outside and all season Tk Metcalf, but then they just traded George Pickens to the Cowboys.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you thought it was gonna be a little one two punch, but I guess they got tired. I mean, listen, I don't know Pickett or Pickings personally, but there's a lot of talk on the outside about, you know, his attitude and stuff like that. So we know that Tomlin is a guy that can deal with some personalities, but it seems like they kind of recent end of his lease.
I guess, all right, so quickly we're gonna go through every game and then I'm going to ask see it for a record for this.
Let me make sure I see this go ahead, all right?
So second game, Buffalo, that's a team that's won the division the last five years. Josh Allen coming off in MVP type season. So from your perspective now in the media world, does that put a little bit of extra on that home opener where you like to get at least one in your pocket before you to the road. In Week three against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, not saying you can't beat the Bills. Yeah, but we'll follow on paper, probably the more complete team than the Steelers.
And you know what's you know what's wild about that is last year there's a lot of question marks on Buffalo, especially in the receiver room, like they don't have anybody. You know, they just lost Diggs and you know those guys stepped up, so you know, now they have Elijah Moore, it's gonna be a challenge. You think about those two games that the Jets played against them last year. You know, it wasn't exactly the best. Josh Allen did some ridiculous things,
So you definitely want to get that win. It's a divisional game, but the first game is definitely gonna be a win you're gonna want because that second game is gonna be a battle.
Yeah, the Bills have won the last five AFC Eastern titles. Week three going to Tampa. So Todd Bowles down there, former Jets head coach. He was Aaron Glenn's positional coach, both here with the Jets and later with the Dallas Cowboys. How about this queue, Tampa is the only team in the NFL he's made the playoffs in each of the past five seasons, so quietly, just very consistent down there. And if you're looking for a great story in terms
of a quarterback reclamation project, how about Baker Mayfield. So Jets fans can look at Mayfield and say, hey, maybe we got a different type player here with the physical skill set. But Justin Fields is twenty six. His story's not over by any.
Means at all, and I think that age is definitely looking at that, right, He's looking at a guy like Baker Mayfield. Obviously we talk all the time about Donald, we talk all the time about Geno, but Mayfield is another guy, you know, And I think that's something that you want to look at and say, hey, listen, he was coached this way. We put him in an environment where he's successful. We gave him all the tools he needed, and they're continue to give him tools.
Right.
They just drafted a Mecca a Buka. So yeah, I think the Jets are looking at that mold and want to do the same thing for Justin Fields.
Interesting challenge right away for the Jets secondary because you mentioned a book Mike Evans just produces year and yeah, wow, crazy.
Yeah, we're in the same Jeff guys. So see him still going. I talked to him when we did the joint practice, you know. So it's just cool to see him continuing to be elite at a high level consistency, like the model of consistency.
Wait, four Monday Night Football, Miami Dolphins. Yeah, so I'm looking at the division and saying, hey, New England spend a lot of money in free agency, a lot of people really like their draft class. They got Mike Frable, so they should be seeing it as a sending team. I like what the Jets are doing here. Where does Miami kind of fit in inside the division right now?
Yeah?
So that's it. That's a that's a good question. I mean they've been in a little bit of a question mark with two is health, right, So we're we're gonna see. I know that there's another thing. Did they get rid of Jayalen Ramsey or not? I know that was a question mark, right, So that's another part there. Yeah, So there's a lot going on there Tyreek Hill. So you know they've got a lot. They got a cloud over them, you know, So we're going to see how that looks
going into training camp and all those different things. How does your team look this season. It's going to be different. It's definitely going to be different. It's going to be a little bit of a challenge for them to be the team that we've seen at least two years ago.
Yeah, and what's going to happen with Tyreek Hill now that he's on the back half of his career when we were talking about thirty years old. They did take Kenneth Grant, the defensive tackle out of Michigan there in the first round. We'll try to get some players back that they lost the injury last year. You know, they've always been very competitive with two is in the lineup. There's no doubt about that Monday Night football earlier in
the year. From a player's perspective, what do you have to do to get yourself ready for South Florida is anything?
Yeah, definitely.
I mean because it helps us game. It's a different heat, but yes, the night game is going to be helpful. I love I love the primetime games. Honestly, you know, those are the opportunity for I always say this, like NFL players were entertainers, right, this is an entertainment business, and so when you go out there knowing that old eyes are on you. Different level that comes out of you. So that's gonna be a lot of fun to watch. I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun to play as well.
So two division games in the first four, you have Buffalo at home. You got the road game against the Miami Dolphins the week four. Okay, let me throw a couple games at you, all right, let's do it. America's team. Yeah, the Dallas Cowboys coming back. That Dak Prescott returning from injury. He's an elite player when he is healthy. We mentioned Pickens before they got Cedee Lamb, so we got a partner for Cedee Lamb Brian Schottenheimer now that head coach
of the Dallas Cowboys. So it sets up like this. Miami won in a football short week home against Dallas, and then you're going across the pond where you're gonna be the home team against Denver Broncos at Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium. And Denver is the team who's made the playoffs, it made the postseason last year. Yeah, So first six games you're playing four team teams that made the postseason last year.
Pittsburgh and week one Buffalo. In Week two, Tampa on Week three, and then finally the Broncos in Week six. The other two games are at Miami divisional rival went eight to nine last year, and then the Cowboys, who have a lot of talent themselves. So for me, this six game stretch is awfully difficult.
Yeah, definitely, But and I think that'll be something that you talk about in the locker room. Is that or excuse me, in the meeting rooms?
Is that? Listen?
Guys like these are some playoff teams, are teams that made it to the playoffs last year, so we kind of get to gauge who we are this year. Obviously we have a whole new regime from the GM to the head coach to the coaches in general, but you kind of want to see, Okay, how do we measure up to these teams that know what it looks like to be in the playoffs.
Yeah, I totally agree with that. So after that game against the Broncos, you come back home and you face the Carolina Panthers, and that's followed by gas against Cincinnati Bengals the Cleveland Browns and did I skip our bye here? Then you have a Thursday night actually after the Bengals, you have your buys. So the week nine by so it's Carolina followed by the Cincinnati Bengals. Who listen, Joe Burrow and those receivers.
Yeah, just pay those guys too.
Yeah, you gotta get after them defensively though, Yeah, I listen as far as the Jets are concerned.
That's why you drafted a corner and brought in another corner, right, so you know you you you are ready for the test this year.
Yeah, But offensively, you know, when you're looking at Cincinnati Bengals, I mean the way you envisioned the Jets right now? Ye, And I'm looking ahead the week nine on the schedule. I know it's crazy, but I'm just saying from a philosophical perspective, offensively, what do you think they want to be?
To be honest with you, I think they do want to look like Detroit, you know. I think they're kind of going in that mold. When you think about the draft, when they drafted Arion Smith, I knew they wanted a speed guy, they wanted to burn it. They didn't have anybody like that on the roster, And now Detroit had a guy in Jamison William who's a little more than just speed, but he does have the speed, and that's something that they didn't have on the roster. So they
want to look similar to that. You know, you have three great backs. Detroit had two really good backs, you know, so it's very much in that mold. The one big difference will be the quarterback and his ability to move. Now, how are they going to switch there? Tanner Ainstran is gonna have a little bit of a challenge because I don't think he's had a quarterback that can move like him. But that's a good challenge to have, you know. So I'm excited to see how they can incorporate that.
Do you like fields as far as his opportunities in the play action game if you get the run game gone, because that's where Detroit completely excels. Yeah, where they started dominating the line, pushing guys off the line of scrimmage and then everybody was playing run and they go up top.
Yeah, exactly.
And and one other extra piece that they had was I talk about this repeatedly that they were a big yak team too. So you know, you get that play action pass and if you can't go deep, if you can get it to somebody in the short shallow routes. You know, you give him opportunity to make a big play. They've got some guys that can do that for you. So it should be a pretty big year. I really want to see how Corley steps up this year, right like being a draft pick last year not getting his opportunities.
This is an offense that is kind of catered to his skill set. He's not an I'm mon Ross Saint Brown receiver, but he can at least look at that model and say, look, this is how I want to play.
Yeah, it's going to be fascinating because this is not the coaching staff that was here when he was.
Drafted, not at all. That's always tough, but you.
Know, he basically had a red shirt year last Year's second offense in as many years. But we should not forget him, forget about him when we're talking about the receivers. Okay, So after the buye Yah Cleveland at home, you have a road game against the New England Patriots. That's Thursday night, the New Patriots, and then you're coming back ten days later and you face the Baltimore Ravens. So that's gonna be a tough two games stretch on the road.
Yeah, definitely. In Cleveland, we don't even know, you know, what they're gonna look like.
At quarterback.
You're gonna be sure Sanders is gonna be Joe blackall I know.
Now, I think when you look at the roster, I would like to see shutter standards, But we don't know what's gonna happen in that building. They got a lot of guys there.
But in a stout defense Myles Garrett.
Well, they've had a great defense for a while, so you know that that's that's no question there. You know, New England is a new that's a new team. Stephan Dizzy at that point will probably be healthy enough to beat Stephan Diggs, you know, so that'll be a different way. You know, they'll have another weapon for their quarterback. And then Baltimore is Baltimore. You know, so that's that's that's a that's a that's a tough stress there.
Yeah, Baltimore. Lamar Jackson, he was not the MVP last year, but he easily could have been the m v P. And you're talking about a guy who man a dual threat. They just resigned King Henry in the backfield, they continue to load up on defense. I like that draft pick of Malchai starts one of the tougher places to play international football League. You mentioned Diggs before with New England coming back from injury. Yeah, you like that pick up for the Patriots.
I think it's a it's a good safe pick, you know. I was.
I think that you want to give your guy as many weapons as possible. You know, he ended up playing pretty well done the stretch last year. You know, they started off I think with Brissett, and then he came in. He showed himself, he showed he showed that he's you know, he's an adequate quarterback. So you know, you give him some more weapons, you know. I think that was one thing that was kind of missing for them last year.
They didn't really have any weapons back there. So you know, now he's got some receivers or he's got a receiver, and I think they picked somebody else up as well. I'm not mistaken, Yes they did.
I mean they made a ton of moves in offseasons. So I also wanted to ask you about you mentioned. You know, we're talking about Digs from a professional perspective on the field. He was at the garden the other night with Cardi b So.
Yeah, I saw that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, tis getting front row treatment.
Yeah, in New York. We got to have our guys out there, right, Yeah.
Well Fields has been the MSG a few.
Times, threw the ball around a little bit.
Yeah, yeah, all right, so let's keep on rolling with the schedule. Here. We got through Baltimore and now we're going to go to at the atl Yeah, narrowly missed the playoffs last season, but you bring them up here. That's a team that plays inside. Yeah, here's a defensive coordinator that knows you very well on Jeff Albrick.
Right, yeah, right, knows the roster in and out at this point, right outside of a couple of guys. Yeah, no, that'll be an interesting game, especially because Obrick is coming back here, right, So there's a good chance. One thing that I noticed when he was the head coach is that he now kind of took over a little bit more of the defense, and they were blitzing a lot,
a lot, a lot more than they usually had. Whether that's because of the people on the roster at the time or because he felt like now he can do a little bit more of what he wanted to do. So you know, we're gonna have to watch out for that. You know, you've got to make sure that you're prepared that this guy might bring the house a little bit.
Did you like Panis Yeah? Yeah, on small samples last year.
You know, I liked it a little bit. I like, I liked what I saw.
I didn't get to watch too much of them, but it's got He's from the same area as I am.
Saw. You know, he already gets my support.
Drake London he's coming on too.
Yeah, yeah, definitely.
Okay, So after Atlanta, we run through a few games here. Yeah, we're already into December. We got Jets at Jaguars Travis Hunter, so he's gonna play on both sides of the ball. Is he gonna be seeing Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson?
I don't think.
I think you don't. You don't jump up to grab him if you're not going to use him in that way. You know, like they they they knew what they wanted out of them. So I think there's going to be you know, I think we're going to see some some crazy stuff.
I skipped a return matchup with Miami because I was going back and forth here. Yeah, yeah, so Atlanta. Then you're home to Miami. That's a game where I circle on the calendar and say, you have to win. Yeah, you've won two in the past three at home against the Dolphins. You got them up here at your place in December. It's a divisional matchup. I like holme serve at home inside the AFC East. I just look at that one. It's like, let's take care of business.
Definitely.
And last year you think about how they lost in the overtime. You know, that's not something that you want to relive.
So they didn't win at home in the season of Finelle.
Yeah, so you got a little chip on your shoulder. I didn't talk about that when we talked about them in week four, but yeah, I think that's something to think about.
So Jaggs, they got a first year head coach. So when you're talking about these next couple of games coming up December fourteenth and the twenty first, and even the twenty eighth, if you want to include that into the Yeah, Liam Coloran, Kellen Moore, Mike Rabel, they're all first year head coaches with the respected franchises. Obviously, Vrabel a lot of head coaching experience with the Tennessee Titans. But these are all teams that are starting out or are in transition.
I would argue that the Patriots are further along than the Jaguars, and the Jaguars further along than the Saints. Saints look like on paper, that could be a team that has a top five pick next year.
Yeah, they just lost Derek Carr too.
Yeah, you know when you look at it though, since we're talking about December, you know, at that point, you think that you're a little bit more set in who you are and who your identity is, so you would hope that it's not You're not going through those oh I got new coach mistakes at that point, I think everybody will kind of be solidified and like, this is who we are, this is our identity. But you never know, you know, sometimes things just don't go to way you want throughout the whole season.
So you think Hunter's playing both sides.
I think he's going to get opportunities to play both sides. Is he going to play consistent like he did in college? Dad is ridiculous in NFL, but he does it better. Man, He's ridiculous as a corner. Yeah, Like some of the plays he was making sitting in there. Yeah, there was a couple of plays that he's that I watched him, and it's like, that's like unguardable, I mean, excuse me, undefendable in terms of a quarterback being able to read that and know what to do.
Right.
The guy is so rangy at receiver, I think it'll be easier for you to just kind of plug and play him than it is on defense. So I think personally I would put him on defense and they just kind of plug and play him on offense.
Okay, and then Jets Bills. That's a final game at Buffalo's old stadium, high Mark Stadium, after a fifty three year run. So who knows what's going to be at stake at that point? Yeah, last couple of years. I don't even know if Buffalo has been playing for anything in that final week, right, But you finish up the season with two divisional games, prediction time.
Let's do it.
So, Yeah, what I think, Yeah, to be honest with you, I'm thinking about I think about the season. I think about what the past few seasons seven and ten, seven and ten, five and twelve, with high expectations, and now this is a very similar roster. My hope is that he can get nine and eight. Right, I'm looking at nine and eight. I don't think I think they'll just
miss the playoffs. But I think if you talk about a guy like ag who comes from such a successful background in terms of being with the Lions, he knows what, he knows what to expect, he knows what he wants to see. This roster has the ability to be good this first year. But I don't think they are make a run through the playoffs just yet.
Now.
I've never been to the playoffs, right, so I really don't know what it looks like personally, but I think that it'll be tough to bounce back from where they were and just be that team right now.
But nine and eight would be something very big to build off for s year one hour program. Absolutely, when you're trying to instill a new culture.
Absolutely, and I think you know you talk about the way the roster's built. One thing that I keep saying is that he's really expecting a lot from his coaches, right. He has a lot of confidence in his coaches. He wants everybody to get the most out of his players.
Save your thoughts, yes, speak, We're going to take a break, yes, and then we're gonna come back and talk about the roster. The twenty twenty five New York Jets schedule, presented by Jeff blewis landed from now until Monday, May nineteenth, at nine fifty nine am. Visa cardholders have access to Purcher's single game tickets before they go on sale to the general public. Head to New York Jets dot com slash tickets now to lock in your seats at met Life
Stadium this season. Terms and conditions apply. Okay, Quincy, you just mentioned a very important point when we were ending our schedule discussion. Aaron the philosophy with his coaching staff elaborate.
Yeah, So you know, I think he's expecting a lot from his coaches. He wants them to get the most out of his players. When you look at some of the guys, whether it be the free agent acquisitions, right, you talk about Cisco, you talk about Stevens, both guys that everybody was like, oh, they didn't have great years
last year, right. Think you talk about Aaron Smith in the draft, right, these are guys that you know, everybody's talking about their flaws, right, But ag sees something out of them, and I think every time he talks about them, he acknowledges maybe that they didn't do what they wanted to do last year, but also how talented they are underneath.
And so that's that's big on coaching. I think about when I first got here, you know, there was a lot of knocks on me, not being able to catch the ball, all these not being able to run routes right. And I think one thing that really helped me was good coaching, right, coaches that believed in you but also knew how to get the technique out of you. So, you know, I think he's really crafted a coaching staff
that can do that. Now this first year will be the test to see if they're really capable of doing that. But I'm looking forward to it because I think you don't put this much confidence in these guys if you don't believe in them.
All Right, you played receiver. You just mentioned some of your experiences. Let's talk about a couple guys. We don't have to go inside the entire group. We know what Garrett can do. Yeah, that two spots hanging out there, dangling out there for fans and they've been circling that. Yeah, what do you see right now, as far as roster construction, who should be the two early on?
Yeah?
So, I mean I think right now everybody's talking about Alan Zard. He's been with a team longer. You know, he's got more experience being in New York. But I think Josh Reynolds will push him. I think there's the reason why they brought him here. They know what he's capable of. And I think he is of the two more consistent receiver, right and that's one of the biggest
things you want from me number two. Now, Alan Lazard had a good showing the first few weeks before he had that injury, and you know, that was a pretty that was a pretty tough injury that he's not really spoken on. But it's have to come back from that and then go ahead and play at a high level again. But I would say, if he can bring that out and be consistent with that, and I think that's kind of been the biggest question with Alan REZARTI is are you going to be consistent. If he can do that,
he'll be the number two. But right now, what I've seen from Josh Reynolds is he's capable of being at number two.
Well, talk to us like one of the wide receiver role. What do you like about reynolds game.
Yeah, so I like one thing I've seen while watching this film is that he's got consistent hands. He's able to get open on slant routes. You see him win multiple times in the red zone in the field. He's able to do that. He can go up and get the ball right. He just doesn't have that exceptional speed and he doesn't have that exceptional leaping ability, but he has those qualities that you need from a receiver that
shows like, Okay, this guy is a consistent receiver. That The other side of it, though, is he didn't have many special teams reps. And this is a guy that was not fully on a roster all year and still didn't have a lot of special teams reps. So are you going to be able to pull a lot that pull that out of him? If not, then it's tough to put him at the three. So that's why I say, Okay,
this guy is probably more of your two guy. He's able to run the rouse for you, he's able to get open, he can stress the field a little bit for you.
Just so that Garrett wasn't gonna come underneath.
Aaron Smith can streuss the field a lot.
Oh yes, Aaron Smith is another guy really stretched.
Okay, so what does Sean Jay Shawn Joffres have to work on with him? Is he attempts to make this transition because we know what he can do and what he struggled with because his speed, one of the faster guys in the National Football League, probably entering his career. But at the same time, the big knock on him last year coming out of Georgia, we all know what was the hints.
Yeah, so this is what I say.
I kind of did a little bit of research on him, and one thing is that all four years he was there, or at least the last four years Georgis had a different starting quarterback, So you don't really have a guy to grow with. And college is a position where some guys play receiver in high school for maybe four years, right, so you don't have a lot of you know, background in the receiver position. So once you get to college, you really want to have somebody that you can assistantly grow with.
He didn't have that.
On top of the fact that he was also doing track right like he was the All American in track. So I think when you get a guy in the building that you can now say, look, we're going to focus on football and this is your quarterback, like really get to know him and feel comfortable with him, you can change everything. Like again, I'll bring in my own
experience in college. I had my senior year, I had three different quarterbacks, right, so hands was tough for me because I felt like I had the confidence to catch it. But it's hard when you have three different quarterbacks and you had to have confidence in those three guys. Sometimes you lose confidence in yourself trying to figure out what's going on so that may or may not be happening to him. But I think with coaching right, you can get these guys to focus on just being within yourself
and stop worrying about all those other things. But also like all the other technique things that come with running around.
I have two questions about fields. Do you like the dynamic that he played collegiately with Garrett, So there is a relationship already there. I know it's a few years ago when you go back to Ohio State, but it's not like, Hey, we're meeting each other for the first time, and can you speak to a wide receiver quarterback dynamic because something struck me the other day that Aaron Glenn said about Justin he's just not going to speak to speak. He will speak when he has to, and there's ways
of communicating. So can you speak to that dynamic those two? Yeah, and also what you want from a quarterback that's your guy, that's the leader, because what we're hearing about Fields is he's really well respected and he can communicate quite well, but that doesn't mean he's the most vocal dude in the row.
Yeah, I mean, honestly, like, one thing that I personally appreciate about a quarterback is somebody's gonna get a little dirty, and a guy that's running the ball is going to have to get a little dirty, right, So I think that gains your respect, right if you go out there, you don't see anything there and you're gonna go get those tough yards, you know, and make those big plays. Honestly like that, because everybody wants to see a football
player right like old school. As much as you love having a quarterback that can go out there and sling it, like, I love to see guys that just love to play football, right like whether or not. You could throw it, you could go out there and play. So personally that's a
big plus for me. But in terms of just that relationship with having a guy from college, like man, college is like it's so different from me even the NFL because you're just so close to people, right, like you know, sometimes you be in the same dorms or all these different things. It's just you don't have your outside family.
Everybody.
Your family is the team. So that's a relationship that goes long past college. So I think no matter what, they're gonna have that relationship and it's gonna be good just to kind of go out there and have that together.
On the other side of the ball. Quickly, you mentioned Cisco and Stevens before they also took a z Thomas Yep in the third round on of Florida State. Do you like what Aaron's saying here in terms of what he wants from his cornerback, from a guy who played the receiver position, because we're seeing the prototype that he wants. He wants big dudes on the outside, physical, their hands on people and can play man.
Yeah, definitely.
I mean I think when he on the draft call, he told him the choke guys or something like that. Right, So yeah, I mean, listen, he's got a guy that he can model his game after and sauce a guy that he can really learn a lot from. But one thing I saw about Az is that he's a long, physical guy. He loves to get his hands on guys. And you know, he may not have the speed, I think that's one thing that people were talking about. But
if you can slow down the route, that's huge. I mean, the biggest thing is timing with the receivers in the quarterback.
So if you're.
Messing up the timing because you're keeping the guy in position in space in that space for a second, right, that turns off the timing. And unless the quarterback is like, you know, forget it, you know, f it ball right, Like I'm just gonna throw it to my guy. Anyways, he's got to go to the next guy, you know. So the biggest thing there with the corner position is the d line that pass rush has to get to the quarterback and make it hard.
But ag in his time as defensive coordinator with Detroit Lions, Steve Wilks, Yeah, throughout his career, they're both known for bringing the heat in numbers, So those guys are going to be asked, They're going to be asked to play be played. Play it on an island. Yeah, yeah, you're alone there, Q.
It's the perfect combination there. I think as long as you have a know, a good pass rush, I don't think speed is as important at the corner position. If you can make sure you can just kind of mess things up.
Yeah.
Lastly, before we get to OTAs, is this the perfect spot for Sauce Gardner right now in his career, entering his fourth year? Because you mentioned Aaron's faith and the coaching staff and how they're gonna coach people up. You not only have Aaron Glenn here, you have Steve Wilkes, who's specialty before he long before his calling plays, was the defensive backfield. You have Chris Harris here, you have dre BLYI here. Is this the perfect spot for Sauce right now?
Absolutely? I think for Sauce is gonna be for him. I don't think that he has an ego, but it's just going to be about dropping any ego he has because a lot of coaches will come in and they'll know that this guy, I mean, rookie of the year right, all those different accolades that he has, and they'll be like, Okay, I don't have to too much. Some guys might push you in as a as a guy that kind of has a lot of confidence in your ability, you have
to be willing to be coached, you know. And even those year four he's a vet, you know, and so he knows exactly what he needs to do. He also has to be willing to say, hey, listen, I don't know everything you know. Let me go ahead and listen to what you have to say.
Let's say your quick break and I want to get your final thoughts here on OTAs Official Jets Podcast is presented by Kendrick Scott, the jewelry company That's shiny brighton doing good, shop Game Day Ready, jewelry stories and so much more at kendrickscott dot com. Ota is coming up. Man, It's unbelievable how quickly the off season is flown by the Jets. Start of the off season with searches for a GM and a head coach heiror Aaron Glenn, then Darren Mougi, we see how they operate in free agency.
The draft is behind us. Now, what are you looking forward to? In terms of OTAs.
Uh, you know you kind of I want to see because I know OTAs are now where you can kind of go against the defense, right, so you get that opportunity to kind of see how do I match up against the d You know you got You've been able to watch them on the other field a little bit, but now it's like, okay, it's mono imano, let's get this little test in, especially those young guys, right, Like you got a young corner as a receiver, you got a young corner over there, right, You've got some corners
from another team, and Brandon Stevens, right, So you just kind of want to see how you measure up going into uh, now OTS and then training camp.
What's it like for rookie coming in? It was just drafted a couple of weeks ago, and now we're out here practicing.
And it's weird.
I'm not gonna lie to you, like I throw myself back in that position. And when I think about when I was going through OTS, I mean we had Mike Vick out there right, Like, I mean it was just so many uh we didn't have read that yet, but we did have Chrimarti out there, right, so guys that you grew up watching like that you were watching in college,
now you're playing. Eric Decker was there too, So it's it's it's a little bit of like okay, I got to get through that shock of like like okay, yo, these guys are my teammates, and then it's like, okay, now let's work for real.
Even as a young buck, because you dudes come out of college, you know a lot of times like hey man, I'm the man.
Well I was a six round drafted, like I barely got drafted, you know. So to me, it's like I got a lot to work.
And we had three we drafted three receivers that year, so those two guys ahead of me, I felt like they had the spot right. I had confidence in my ability, but also knew like that I had a tougher role to make, you know, so you kind of have to get through that and then also obviously what I talked about before.
But yeah, it's just work. You know.
You try your hardest to make sure you get the playbook down. Like every day is like let me make sure I know what I'm doing, because it's not a lot of reps.
Do you think it's advantageous for a guy like Mason Taylor to have a pops. Jason Taylor's a Hall of Famer in our league. Now he's coaching defensive line for Miami, of course, but yeah, giving him tips about what's.
To come, Yeah, definitely.
I Mean, the NFL loves pedigree, right, they love pedigree, So you know, I think ultimately there's a reason behind that. You know, you get to see, like I imagine, I imagine putting myself in Jason Taylor's shoes, right and getting to give him so much game because I knew what the NFL looks like, I know what it feels like to make it to this point. So it's you just have a leg up again above everybody else.
What do you think about Mason what you saw on tape at LSU.
Oh Man, great hands, great hands. One of those that was one of the biggest things I saw was like, when the ball comes to him, you know he sticks it. Now, He's not a guy I didn't see like, you know, he was making like contested catches right like, but I saw that when the ball came to him, it didn't feel like, even if he was open, that he was going to drop the ball.
That was one of the biggest things.
Right.
He not as much wiggles as a as a as a ball carrier. But I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with him because I know that he has some receivers around him, so he didn't get an opportunity and college tight ends like if you're not a guy where there you're the feature guy, you don't really get to you don't really get to show who you are, not only as a pass catcher but also everything else.
You know, So it's a fair point. I'm going to put you under the gun here, so to speak. Yeah, before we get back to just thinking about you, when you're talking about some of the receivers and what you like about Reynolds and Lazard coming back and the restructure and the Jets draft Mason Taylor, who's gonna be the target that gets the second most targets behind Garrett Wilson on this offense.
M that's a good question. I mean, we have to see.
You don't have to have the answer right now.
Yeah, I don't think. I don't think I do.
I generally don't because I think what I need to do is I want to see OTAs. I want to see training camp. That's how I know, like, Okay, who's really stepping up in this offense?
Right?
Because again we talk about quarterbacks and you know, why didn't this guy perform? Well, why didn't this guy have success? And a lot of it is the scheme, right, So who's going to step up in this scheme? I can say what I think guys do outside of this scheme, But how do you show up when the players are called and annou it's your turn to make a play?
How you approaching this spring if you are, because this is a different situation. Now you are the guy, and not only you are the guys coming in as a rookie with Chicago where your head's kind of spinning, but you're the guy and you can have a few years under your belt in this organization is saying hey man, we're embracing you, we're giving you the rock, and we want you to be central command of the offense.
Yeah.
I mean, I don't think he's really had that since he first started in Chicago. And when you think about Chicago, he had multiple coordinators, right, so it was a lot of inconsistency there. So I think for him it's got to be exciting to know that the team paid me to be the starter. They have confidence in me as a starter, they're getting me weapons. I think you approach it as though you know this is a new start, right, Like you've seen guys be able to like we talked
about Baker Mayfield. You've seen guys be able to do that. Now you've got to go and prove that they did the right thing and bringing you here, What do.
You expect from Aaron in terms of being on the grass. That's one thing that he's always talked about. He brings so much energy. This is a guy who scouted you. Just now he's going to have everybody here. For the first dove you could see how energetic and lively he was here just for rookie mini camps. But now OTAs is taking it up another step and then our next step is training camp.
Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing how he is as a coach. You know, you got to see it a little bit on the hard knocks kind of his attitude and mentality. Now, one thing we saw was he was barking back and forth with who was a duce? Day was the other for the running back coach? Who was I forgotten? But I think somebody. I know it was a former Saints running back, but yeah, man, so it'll
be cool. Who's going to be his opponent now, Like who's going to be barking back and forth with because that energy, that competitive fire is cool to see that it's stayed there because that's something that you experienced as a player. To him to have as a coach, I want to see if he still has as a head coach.
Yeah, he said it during Rocky Mini camp. They said, you know you're used to having your group. Yeah, it's a secondary group in New Orleans from sixteen to twenty under Sean Payton, and then he goes with Dan Campbell to Detroit and then it's more like twenty three guys, I got the defense now with everybody right, So Aaron could be he can watch quarterbacks over here. Maybe in the next drill he's gonna be looking at the linebacker. Maybe the last group he's gonna look at now is
the secondary. Or maybe he starts the secondary and then jumps around right.
Yeah, I mean, listen, this is a new spot for him. This is a new opportunity. I think in the beginning he might catch himself maybe too much in a defense and he'll have to kind of just every day kind of takeing a just kind of an examination of Okay, where have I been the most and how can I make sure that I'm spending myself around and making sure everybody feels my presence.
You like the hires at those important positions, and these are guys that we're gonna get to know a lot better here in the next couple of weeks and months. But you got Wilkes who's got head coaching experience. I've been calling defensive plays for Roberts, so he can lean on him if he's got any questions from a head coach perspective. Engstrand, he was a very valuable piece that
Detroit offense. I asked Ben Johnson about him at league meetings in Palm Beach and he said, well, he got involved in everything we were doing here offensively, passing game coordinator, calling the shots now and Chris Banjo talk about energy.
Dude. Yeah, oh my god, he was playing when I was playing. He still can play, definitely. Yeah.
No, it's cool to see that, you know, guys, uh, that he's given young guys an opportunity, right like, not just Tanner Ekstra, because that's a guy that climbed the ladder, but climbed it pretty quickly.
Right.
He passing game coordinators in that officer corner. He took the same route to Ben Johnson. But Chris Banjo is a guy that you know I was playing when I was playing. Now he's special teams coordinator. That's a big spot to be at. Man, Special teams really changes the game. We've seen that over and over again last year missing kicks, right, There's so many different aspects of the special teams game that are important to win. So you know, to be exciting to see that.
Thanks, man, this was fun. What's going on with you? You got the camp company?
Off, got the California Yes, sir, so that'll be fun and I love that those opportunities to see the kids having fun on the field.
And what do you do as far as the camp is concerns.
You know, just it's free. It's free.
Everybody gets an opportunity to California, the Southern California. Baby, we at ten o'clock, ten to two. I appreciate the shout out for me, and you know, it's just fun. The opportunity to go out there at my old high school joining with them. And everybody just wants to go out and learn some football. I have some guys coming back as well, high school Rancho Verdet And what's the date, June seventh, June.
Seventh, So if you're out there in southern California, sign up. Baby will take care of you. Being learned from Jets legends, Yes.
I appreciate it. Thank you,