FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The Jets were holding a team-building activity when I visited. Still, it was my 25th visit to training camp. This is what I discovered. • Geno Smith has impressed, and that especially goes for some who were around when he was around a decade ago and can see the growth as a result. Will he be the quarterback for the next five years? Probably not. But he gives the Jets a level of stability at the position they haven’t had for a while, and he has quickly proven to be a solid option for new coordinator Frank Reich’s offense. His focus, professionalism and concentration have been contagious among the younger players, his accuracy is still elite and his arm strength is still there. So there’s a lot of hope that he’ll spark real growth with a talented group of young players on offense, and be a very effective bridge in the short term, and be a good torchbearer for Aaron Glenn’s program (Glenn first met Smith when Glenn was a scout with the Jets during the quarterback’s first season here, and the two stayed in touch. Glenn is calling the defensive snaps, and the unit is built in his image, strong. That’s it. It starts with T’Vondre Sweat, the enormously talented tackle the Jets acquired in a trade. Sweat had his issues, weight and otherwise, with the Titans, but he’s made a good impression in New York and has certainly looked like an impact guy returning from injury to play a role that Glenn envisions similar to the one Malcolm Jenkins once played for him with the Saints. So Glenn’s defense looks like the one he had in Detroit with Alim McNeill, Jack Campbell and Brian Branch in the middle. Another similarity with Detroit: The offensive line group is coming together with first-round tackles backing the unit now at left tackle, and the Armand Membou camp has the Jets believing he could be one of the best right tackles in the league in relatively short order. Guard Joe Tippman, resigned and now in his fourth year, has become the most vocal leader of the group, Josh Myers is back at center and Dylan Parham arrived from Las Vegas to fill the group’s other guard spot. has continuity and Reich’s system has brought a lot of optimism. Still, they will have to stay healthy, with depth a concern. Garrett Wilson is another guy who has been challenged to step up as a leader and has looked like a true No. 1 in Reich’s offense: showing his high-level ability to stop and start, run routes and hands, and bring energy to the group. The same goes for running back Breece Hall, whose ability to make something out of nothing has been demonstrated over the summer, when the defense has challenged. offense and the hope is that a couple of complementary weapons emerge around those two. The injury absence of Kenyon Sadiq, which adds an infield element to his game, is another, as he is a big, fast and strong vertical target. However, he still has to put it all together. Reich’s old friends in Indy have helped with the background there, and the Jets believe he can become a good No. 2. Then, there is first-rounder Omar Cooper Jr., a player who can play outside and could play outside. bring a strong, tough running-after-catch group of receivers (but he’ll have to edge out Isaiah Williams for the third receiver spot.) Finally, the coaching staff seems confident that the mentality is changing, something Glenn has focused on deliberately building in the same way Dan Campbell did when he was defensive coordinator in Detroit. And nowhere is that more evident than at corner, where Glenn, who the Jets traded last year, has come to embody that. and. It will be interesting to see what happens there as second-round pick D’Angelo Ponds recovers and a similar competition plays out outside, with Azareye’h Thomas and former Bear Nashon Wright struggling to start opposite Brandon Stephens. There’s a gritty, tough feel to the group Glenn is looking for as the Jets emerge from what was a tough camp. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow.
