The Jets‘ offense is mostly set after a memorable offseason that included the acquisitions of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and receivers Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman, and Randall Cobb.
“Mostly” is the keyword here.
There are still various question marks at the two offensive tackle positions. Duane Brown (shoulder) is still on the PUP list and the rest are either inconsistent and/or injury-prone. The glaring problem might be getting to the team’s star quarterback.
“We got to figure out who the first five is going to be. So, a lot of guys in competition right now. It seems like they’re switching the tackles left and right, just about daily with Max [Mitchell] and Billy [Turner], just looking for consistency with those guys,” Rodgers told reporters after Wednesday’s joint practice with the Panthers. “I feel like the interior has been a bright spot, pretty consistent for us both the first and second group, we just need a little more consistency on the edge.
“Usual for the NFL is there’s going to be multiple starting offensive lineups throughout the year because of injuries or guys they think can play that aren’t starting right away. So, we’ll figure it out. There are a few jobs up for grabs, for sure. It will be nice to see somebody [over the] next couple of weeks to grab one of those.”
Rodgers is right on all counts when it comes to this group of five — the interior is consistent and the exterior is anything but.
Laken Tomlinson and Alijah Vera-Tucker will respectively return to the starting left and right guard roles with veteran Connor McGovern on track to retain his starting center role. Second-round rookie Joe Tippmann, despite impressing in last week’s Hall of Fame Game, still has a long road ahead before becoming a starting option.
Meanwhile, the two tackle spots are unclear even through nearly three weeks of training camp and one preseason game.
Brown is still not back and it’s unknown when he will be. Jets head coach Robert Saleh insists he’ll be ready for Week 1. Even if he’s back a tad before then, will the veteran have enough time to learn Nathaniel Hackett’s offense? Meanwhile, Mekhi Becton improved in Wednesday’s practice and impressed in the run game but still doesn’t seem ready for extended reps after back-to-back knee injuries. Max Mitchell could be a starting option but is mostly unproven, veteran Billy Turner is more of a backup, and fourth-rounder Carter Warren is only a rookie.
The Jets must solve multiple blocking issues to fully reap the benefits of having a future Hall of Famer under center. There’s still time to figure it out, but that time is diminishing each day as the regular season approaches.
