Jets use more movement in 2024, defense wants to improve

FLORHAM PARK, NJ – A look at what’s happening around the New York Jets:

1. On the edge: When John Franklin-Myers learned the Jets had signed Haason Reddick, he told a friend, “I'm gone,” a source said. He read the handwriting on the big green wall. Four weeks later, he was traded to the Denver Broncos – one of the defensive line transfers under scrutiny after a brutal Week 1 performance.

From March 11 (the departure of Bryce Huff as a free agent) to April 29 (the trade of Franklin-Myers), General Manager Joe Douglas changed the composition and personality of the team's strongest position – and according to early results, not for the better.

The Jets gave up 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 weak edges in the running game, combining for just three tackles on 72 running snaps, according to Next Gen Stats. The 49ers are known for wearing down defenses with their running game, but that didn't stop Johnson from apologizing to his 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 you all down. The edges were not what they should have been on my part.'”

Johnson is one of their better players, so he will likely rebound. The players not named Johnson and Quinnen Williams are the ones with questions.

Of course, Reddick's absence is the biggest question. The Jets got nothing in return for their trade, only trouble. They are forced to use rotation players – McDonald, McKinley and Clemons – in prominent roles.

Huff and Franklin-Myers were popular, long-time players who excelled 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 for his ability to end games with sacks. He sounded like a coach who was upset they let him go.

The Jets thought they had free agent Jadeveon Clowney in store to replace Huff, but Clowney chose the Carolina Panthers. Under pressure to fill the void, Douglas made the deal for Reddick, even though it was widely known that the Pro Bowl edge rusher wanted a new contract. The Jets refused to offer him a contract 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 shortly after the Reddick trade was completed. Franklin-Myers found a new home as the Jets stocked up on their fringe players.

“That's just not our standard, that's not our norm,” Johnson said of Week 1. “Still, we got that on tape, right? So we have to go out there [this] week and we'll get this under control pretty quickly and I'm fully confident we can do that.”

2. Street robbery: Douglas is under pressure because of Reddick, but on Sunday he will see his best transfer in full color at Nissan Stadium. Former Jets star safety Jamal Adams is now a member of the Tennessee Titans, his second stop after transferring in July 2020.

Instead of granting Adams' demand to become the NFL's highest-paid safety, Douglas traded him to the Seattle Seahawks for first-round picks in 2021 and 2022 – a massive sum. He invested the picks in wide receiver Garrett Wilson and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.

Adams got his money from Seattle, but he struggled with injuries, never lived up to expectations, and was released.

3. Short circuited: The Jets always seem to struggle with negative trends. This week's trend is troubling: Under Saleh, they are 0-6 in short weeks, having been outscored 181-88.

They've been studying it in the offseason, looking for ways to improve in terms of rest and recovery. They didn't have a full practice on Wednesday, just a walk-through. But that's not exactly revolutionary; they've done that in the past. The players said there was nothing radically different in this week's schedule.

This week is particularly challenging as we have to catch up quickly after an away game on the West Coast. Next week is also short – on Thursday evening we play our first home game against the New England Patriots.

4. Man in motion: Even old quarterbacks can learn new tricks. Aaron Rodgers, for example, has learned to move before the snap, something that is becoming more common across the league.

Rodgers has evolved since his youth, when he had “a love affair with what Peyton [Manning] tat” – fixed formations with no movement before the snap. This obviously worked well for Manning. For Rodgers, too. It gave him a clear view of the defense and allowed him to go into up-tempo mode without having to worry about moving parts. Movement before the snap is not his thing, he has said many times in the past.

In the season opener, the Jets used some form of motion on 60% of their plays, up from 41% in 2023, according to Next Gen Stats — a technique they practiced throughout training camp. In the offseason, they made a concerted effort to join the leaguewide trend.

A meeting of the minds?

“I would say there was a meeting of the chefs and everyone was in the kitchen throwing in their ingredients,” Rodgers said.[There were] many sous chefs find out.”

Rodgers was always hesitant because he felt that pre-snap movements hurt a quarterback's pass defense in a West Coast system. Times have changed, according to Rodgers, who believes defenses have become less aggressive in terms of pressure. Movement, he said, creates stress for defenses.

“It’s the latest craze,” he said.

So count him among the new fans.

5. Interesting fact: Tennessee is the Jets' last real road game until Week 7 (at the Pittsburgh Steelers). After Tennessee, they have three home games and a game in London against the Minnesota Vikings.

6. The Allen Lazard Project: Lazard is showing signs of a turnaround this season, scoring two touchdowns in the opening game, doubling his 2023 output, and blocking Breece Hall's 3-yard touchdown run.

Lazard rebounded after a drop on his first target. A year ago, that drop would have “probably ruined his whole game,” Saleh said. Lazard's disappointing season came after he signed a four-year, $44 million contract in 2023.

What is the difference between then and now?

“Aaron Rodgers,” said Lazard. “It's very simple.”

7. Great respect: The Titans' highly respected offensive line coach Bill Callahan received unsolicited praise from Saleh in the media. Background: After the 2022 season, Saleh considered hiring Callahan, then line coach of the Cleveland Browns, to replace offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. Saleh contacted more than 20 coaches and eventually hired Nathaniel Hackett. Callahan was the Jets' line coach from 2008 to 2011.

8.Titanic: The Jets' coaching staff clearly has a Tennessee touch, with three offensive assistants – Todd Downing (passing game coordinator), Keith Carter (line coach) and Tony Dews (running backs) – coming directly from the Titans.

9. The youth are served: According to Elias Sports, at 20 years, 233 days old, running back Braelon Allen is the youngest player in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to gain a yard from the scrimmage line in a game, and he is also the second-youngest player since 1950 to record a touchdown in a game.

10. The last word: “Our level will show.” – Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich on what he expects from his unit in the game against the Titans.