Jets using more motion in 2024, defense looking to step up
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- A look at what's happening around the New York Jets:
1. On edge: When John Franklin-Myers learned the Jets had traded for Haason Reddick, he told a friend, "I'm gone," according to a source. He was reading the handwriting on the big, green wall. Four weeks later, he was traded to the Denver Broncos -- one of the defensive-line moves being scrutinized in the aftermath of a brutal Week 1 performance.
From March 11 (Bryce Huff's departure in free agency) to April 29 (Franklin-Myers trade), general manager Joe Douglas changed the composition and personality of the team's strongest position group -- and not for the better, based on the early results.
The Jets surrendered 180 rushing yards in a 32-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, as their edge players -- most notably, Jermaine Johnson, Micheal Clemons, Will McDonald IV and Takkarist McKinley -- set soft edges in the run game and combined for only three tackles on 72 run snaps, per Next Gen Stats. The 49ers are known for chewing up defenses with their ground game, but that didn't stop Johnson from apologizing to teammates in a film session.
"[Accountability] is something I take very seriously," Johnson said. "That was the first thing I said. I stood up and said, 'I'm sorry, I let y'all down. The edges were not what they should have been on my part.'"
Johnson is one of their better players, so he figures to rebound. The players not named Johnson and Quinnen Williams are the ones with questions.
Of course, Reddick is the biggest question because of his holdout. The Jets have received no return on their trade, only a headache. It's forcing them to use rotational players -- McDonald, McKinley and Clemons -- in prominent roles.
Huff and Franklin-Myers were popular, longtime players who exceled in their roles. Huff was the team's sack leader in 2023. After losing him to the Eagles, coach Robert Saleh compared Huff to former Yankees relief pitcher Mariano Rivera because of his ability to close out games with sacks. He sounded like a coach who was upset they let him out the door.
The Jets thought they had free agent Jadeveon Clowney lined up to replace Huff, but Clowney opted for the Carolina Panthers. Under pressure to fill the void, Douglas made the deal for Reddick even though it was widely known the Pro Bowl edge rusher wanted a new contract. The Jets have refused to offer him one to his liking, and here we are.
Douglas said they couldn't afford to keep Reddick and Franklin-Myers, so he gave Franklin-Myers permission to seek a trade soon after the Reddick trade was finalized. Franklin-Myers found a new home, as the Jets restocked their edge players.
"That's just not our standard, that's not the norm of us," Johnson said of Week 1. "Nevertheless, we put that on tape, right? So we have to go out there [this] week and put that to bed pretty quick, which I have full confidence that we will."
2. Highway robbery: Douglas is getting heat for Reddick, but Sunday at Nissan Stadium he'll be watching his best trade in living color. Former Jets star safety Jamal Adams is now a member of the Tennessee Titans, his second stop after being traded in July 2020.
Instead of meeting Adams' demand to be the NFL's highest-paid safety, Douglas dealt him to the Seattle Seahawks for first-round picks in 2021 and 2022 -- a massive haul. He parlayed the picks into wide receiver Garrett Wilson and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.
Adams got his money from Seattle, but he battled injuries, never lived up to expectations and was released.
3. Shorted: The Jets always seem to be battling negative trends. This week's trend is troubling: They're 0-6 under Saleh on short weeks, having been outscored 181-88.
They studied it in the offseason, looking for ways to improve in terms of rest and recovery. On Wednesday, they didn't have a full practice, only a walkthrough. But that's hardly revolutionary; they've done that in the past. Players said there wasn't anything radically different about this week's schedule.
This week is particularly challenging because it involves a quick turnaround after a road game on the West Coast. Next week is also short -- Thursday night against the New England Patriots in the home opener.
4. Man in motion: Even old quarterbacks can learn new tricks. InAaron Rodgers' case, he has come to embrace pre-snap motion, which has increased around the league.
Rodgers has evolved from his younger days, when he had "a love affair with what Peyton [Manning] was doing" -- set formations with no movement before the snap. It worked well for Manning, obviously. Rodgers, too. It gave him a clear snapshot of the defense and allowed him to shift into up-tempo mode without having to worry about moving parts. Pre-snap motion wasn't his cup of tea, he said many times in the past.
In the season opener, the Jets used some form of motion on 60% of their plays, an increase from 41% in 2023, according to Next Gen Stats -- a wrinkle they practiced throughout training camp. They made a concerted effort in the offseason to join the leaguewide trend.
A meeting of the minds?
"I would say there was a meeting of the chefs and everybody was in the kitchen, throwing in their ingredients," Rodgers said. "[There were] a lot of sous chefs figuring it out."
Rodgers was always hesitant because he felt pre-snap motion compromised pass protection for a quarterback in a West Coast system. Times have changed, according to Rodgers, who says he believes defenses have become less aggressive in terms of bringing pressure. Motion, he said, creates stress for a defense.
"It's all the rage," he said.
So, count him as a new fan.
5. Fun fact: Tennessee is the Jets' last true road game until Week 7 (at the Pittsburgh Steelers). After Tennessee, they have three home games, plus a game in London against the Minnesota Vikings.
6. The Allen Lazard Project: Lazard is showing signs of a turnaround season. He scored two touchdowns in the opener, doubling his 2023 production, and made a seal block on Breece Hall's 3-yard touchdown run.
Lazard rebounded after a drop on his first target. A year ago, that drop "probably would've caved his whole game," Saleh said. Lazard's disappointing season came after signing a four-year, $44 million contract in 2023.
What's the difference between then and now?
"Aaron Rodgers," Lazard said. "It's pretty simple."
7. Big respect: Highly regarded Titans offensive line coach Bill Callahan received unsolicited praise from Saleh in the media. Backstory: After the 2022 season, Saleh looked into hiring Callahan, then theCleveland Browns' line coach, as a replacement for offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. Saleh reached out to more than 20 coaches, eventually hiring Nathaniel Hackett. Callahan was the Jets' line coach from 2008 to 2011.
8. Titanic: There's a definite Tennessee flavor to the Jets' coaching staff, as three offensive assistants came directly from the Titans -- Todd Downing (passing-game coordinator), Keith Carter (line) and Tony Dews (running backs).
9. Youth is served: At 20 years, 233 days old, running back Braelon Allen became the youngest player in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to gain a yard from scrimmage in a game, per Elias Sports. He's also the second-youngest player to record a touch in a game since 1950.
10. The Last Word: "Our standard will be revealed." -- defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich on what he expects from his unit against the Titans.
