New York Jets Training Camp Preview: Wide Receiver

As July comes near an end, NFL football moves closer and closer. In the coming days, NFL training camps will begin as teams will begin preparing for the 2015 season. For teams like the New York Jets, training camp will be extremely important as they have a new regime in place with Todd Bowles replacing Rex Ryan as head coach. The Jets are also starting to get some expectations, as they made some big upgrades to their roster, adding weapons offensively and bringing back some familiar faces on the defensive side of the ball. All of this has caused some optimism for Gang Green, making them a team to keep an eye on throughout training camp.

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While there may not be many training camp battles per say, there are still plenty of things to keep an eye on. Here at Empire Writes Back we have you covered, as we will give a position by position, or unit by unit, preview leading up to training camp beginning July 29th in Florham Park, New Jersey. The fourth position we will be taking a look at will be wide receiver.

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Current Depth Chart:

Starters: Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker; Slot: Jeremy Kerley
Backups: Devin Smith, DeVier Posey, T.J. Graham
Potential Cut Candidates: Quincy Enunwa, Shaquelle Evans, Saalim Hakim, Chris Owusu, Walter Powell

You may recognize some new names in this unit from last season, with Brandon Marshall being the most recognizable. The former Chicago Bear was acquired by the Jets, along with a seventh round pick, in a trade earlier in the offseason for the small price of a fifth rounder. Marshall has the potential to be a difference maker for the Jets this season and could make or break the season.

He has a chance to become the first legitimate go-to No.1 guy since they had Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards. He has been one of the better WR in the NFL for the better part of the last decade, recording seven consecutive 1,000 yard seasons prior to injuries and ineffective quarterback play plaguing him last season. The only real question mark with Marshall right now is his age, as he is currently 31 years old. But, he will be highly motivated to show that last season was just a blip in the radar and not the beginning of the end of his career.

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Where Marshall will be a huge help to the Jets is in the red zone. He gives Geno Smith a huge player to target when the field gets smaller, something that should increase his effectiveness and efficiency. The Jets were very weak when trying to punch the ball into the end zone, and Marshall will help with that problem.

He will also take a lot of pressure off of the other players on the roster. Guys like Eric Decker and Jeremy Kerley will now fall into places on the pecking order they are better suited as; No.2 and No.3 options. Last season they masqueraded as top options, but in reality that is just not the skill set they possess. Decker is more of a possession receiver than a go-to guy, while Kerley is better suited to operate out of the slot than on the outside where his size becomes a huge deterrent to him succeeding.

The other new name on the depth chart is Devin Smith, the rookie receiver the Jets selected with their second round pick this past draft. He is a true wild card for this team, as there are some question marks about how his talents will translate to the next level. Luckily for the Jets, they will have the luxury to bring him along slowly with accomplished options ahead of him, something they would not have been able to do in recent seasons.

He will be fighting for No.4 reps, and could bring an added dimension to the Jets offense. At Ohio State he averaged an absurd 28 yards per catch in 2014, which led the NCAA. He could be a deep threat the Jets have been without, but his numbers will obviously come down as NFL cornerbacks are not as easily blown by as college ones.

May 27, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Devin Smith (84) during organized team activities at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

But, he will have a lot of competition for No.4 duties. T.J. Graham is a burner as well, and could find his way into the field stretching role when the Jets decide to spread things out. DeVier Posey has the inside track to a roster spot, as he is a Mike Maccagnan favorite, who happens to now run the Jets front office. Saalim Hakim also has a trick up his sleeve, as he also has played cornerback for the Jets in addition to being a receiver and working special teams.

That is where the real training camp battle begins at WR. After Marshall, Decker and Kerley, there is nothing set in stone. While Smith, Graham and Posey seem to be ahead right now to make the 53-man roster, this will be battle that should wage on throughout the summer. It could come down to special team play, as players near the chopping block have to contribute there normally to hold onto their roster spot.

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This could be one of the more intriguing storylines of the summer for the Jets. They have as much talent at the position as they have had in recent memory, which makes for some tough personnel decisions to be made as they have a lot of holdovers from last season, but not many guys with high upside. The fight for the last couple spots at the position will be fun to watch.

Next: Five Things That Could Keep The Jets Out Of The 2015 Playoffs

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