New York Jets Position Battles to Watch

Jul 31, 2013; Cortland, NY, USA; New York Jets running back Bilal Powell (29) runs with the ball during training camp at SUNY Cortland. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

As the New York Jets preseason opener approaches, there are still several positions in the starting lineup that have not been decided on. Tonight, as the Jets take the field for the first time this year, be sure to watch carefully which players excel while both the first and second string players are on the field.

SAFETY POSITION BATTLE

After losing both Laron Landry and Yeremiah Bell to free agency, the Jets were in a dire need of quality safeties. While they managed to sign former Jaguar Dawan Landry, the second safety position remains a mystery. Tonight, Antonio Allen will join Landry, Milliner, and Cromartie in the secondary with the first team defense, but after he comes out Jaiquawn Jarrett will have a chance to prove himself. While both players have yet to blossom as a quality starting safety in their careers, both have impressed Rex Ryan during training camp. While Allen may be the frontrunner heading into tonight’s preseason opener against the Lions, his starting role is subject to change and will need to continue his impressive performance to solidify a spot with the first team defense.

TIGHT END POSITION BATTLE

After Dustin Keller signed with the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets divisional rival, the Jets found themselves with a dearth of quality tight ends. Jeff Cumberland, who at the time appeared to have locked up the starting job, had the potential to be a decent starter in the NFL, but his unproven résumé caused the Jets to sign veteran tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. Winslow, who has had minor success in the past as a member of the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is coming off a year with almost zero production. After failed experiences with the Patriots and Seahawks in 2012, the Jets brought in Winslow with little expectations. Winslow exceeded all these expectations in training camp, but injury concerns have the Jets unsure whether he is the solution for their tight end problems. Tonight against the Lions, Cumberland will get the start, and if the monster athlete wants to maintain his current position on the team he will need to impress during tonight’s game and the other three preseason matchups.

HALFBACK POSITION BATTLE

This offseason, when the Jets brought in Chris Ivory and Mike Goodson, it seemed that those two would become the dynamic duo the Jets have been waiting for at running back. With Ivory’s power and aggression paired up with Goodson’s quickness and versatility, the Jets believed that they had the personnel at halfback that would frustrate opposing defenses. However, due to Ivory’s hamstring problems and Goodson’s issues on and off the field, neither has been able to produce at training camp. Instead, third year tailback Bilal Powell has been getting first team reps, and he has done nothing to disappoint. Jets running back coach Anthony Lynn is comparing Powell’s unlikely blossoming to that of Terrell Davis in 1995.

“When Terrell Davis got to the Denver Broncos, he was ninth on the depth chart,” Lynn explained. “He just kept showing up every day and doing his job. A couple people got hurt here; someone got kicked off there; (Davis) made a couple plays here — and by opening week he was the starter.” It’s not that hard to make the connection in this scenario. Bilal Powell has been impressing everyone thus far, and circumstances arose that may make him the prime solution for the Jets’ running back concerns. Not only is his ability on the field admirable, but this offseason Bilal has displayed his natural leadership, assisting young running backs on the Jets roster with all of their problems. “When guys have questions in our room, they go to him. He is a quiet guy, but he knows what he’s doing. He takes care of all of us,” commented Chad Spann, one of the many unheralded halfbacks on the Jets roster.

Tonight against the Lions, Bilal Powell will be playing with the Jets’ first team offense, and we will all be given an opportunity to witness what the coaches have been praising all training camp. If all goes well, we may see Bilal Powell as the Jets week one starter instead of Chris Ivory.

QUARTERBACK POSITION BATTLE

As it has been all offseason, the Jets’ quarterback controversy is still the top storyline for Gang Green. With all the drama that has happened thus far, including Geno Smith declining Mark Sanchez’s invitation to Jets West Camp, it will be a relief to finally see them battle it out on the field. Tonight against the Lions, Mark Sanchez will be given the start, although we can expect Geno Smith to be given reps with the first team offense as well. As of now, there is no clear-cut frontrunner in this heated competition and one can see that by observing the depth chart. While all other positions have one player named the current starter, for the quarterback position on the depth chart the starter is “Mark Sanchez/Geno Smith.”

Tonight, Mark Sanchez will get the start, but that is by no means an indication that he will be the regular season starter as well. Geno Smith has been very impressive so far in camp, and aside from his lack of proper conditioning he would be a suitable backup for any team. However, is Geno Smith ready to become the starter? He has no NFL experience and many question his decision making and accuracy at times. As I previously stated, Geno would be an ideal backup for any team. Unfortunately, the Jets aren’t just any team. With Mark Sanchez’s quarterback play at an all-time low, the Jets may be forced to hand the reigns over to Geno Smith before he is NFL-ready. Sanchez will need to show that he has the capability to bring the Jets back to the playoffs to regain the starting job, and tonight we will finally see if he has improved at all over this year’s offseason.

Needless to say, there is a lot of action and players to watch in tonight’s preseason game, as some performances on the field tonight may affect the New York Jets roster for the entire season.