New York Jets Jace Amaro Expecting Big Things In 2016

By Kenneth Teape | May 28, 2016

Nov 24, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; New York Jets tight end Jace Amaro (88) against the Buffalo Bills at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports /

New York Jets third-year tight end Jace Amaro is ready to contribute in 2016 after missing all of the 2015 season with a shoulder injury.

The New York Jets production from the tight end spot in 2015 was nonexistent. Part of the reason was because the offense that Chan Gailey runs isn’t reliant on tight ends; he prefers to spread things out with bigger wide receivers that are capable of blocking instead of using a tight end. Another reason was because Jace Amaro missed the 2015 because of a shoulder injury.

Amaro was selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Texas Tech. He may have been labeled a tight end, but at Texas Tech Amaro played in a wide open system in which he played slot receiver a majority of his snaps. Because of that there was a lot that Amaro had to improve upon to become a solid contributor at the NFL level.

The shoulder injury didn’t do him any favors, as he missed all of his sophomore season. But now, entering a make or break third year, Amaro is healthy and is predicting big things for 2016.

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“I plan on getting involved at lot this season,” Amaro said during OTA’s this week. “I’ve really only played one year. This is a big year for me . . . And I know that we [the tight ends] plan on getting more involved this season. I plan on getting involved a lot this season. So it takes a lot of practice, a lot of reps, catching the ball, doing the right things, getting open. and I think that’s one of the things I can do extremely well,” Amaro also added.

Amaro has a lot on his plate this season, as he is playing in his third different offense in four years after going from Texas Tech, to Marty Mornhinweg and now to Gailey. But, Amaro is not lacking for confidence, as he believes he is finally beginning to pick things up in his second season under Gailey, and first that he will take the field.

“Going from college and then going to Marty’s system and then going to Chan’s system, it was a big turnaround for me learning a new system every single year. But now I feel really comfortable. I know the whole playbook inside out, I feel really good about the plays. It took me a second last year to really get it going last year, like everybody else,” Amaro said.

The Jets are hoping that Amaro can get things figured out, as it will add another dimension to their offense. With dominant weapons on the outside in Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, the Jets are lacking many threats in the middle of the field.

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Amaro could fill that void this season. This could be his last chance to make an impact with the Jets, as he was selected by the last regime before Todd Bowles and Mike Macaggnan arrived. But, he will not have much of a benchmark to clear, as the Jets had tight ends catch only eight passes last season.

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