The New York Jets put on their pads for the first time today, on Monday, at the start of their second week in Florham Park.
Against traditional procedure, the Jets went straight into tackling drills, attempting ball carries and live one-on-one situations that emphasized the need to create “identity in the team,” according to head coach Aaron Glenn.
“You start to figure out who’s going to be a part of that identity, and that’s what the evaluation process is now,” Glenn said to the media after practice. “They all know that that’s a part of who we want to be. And the good thing is, man, they look forward to it. That’s what I’m happy about more than anything is they look forward to the physical part.”
Glenn also noted how the team “looks forward to me stressing them mentally” as part of the preparation, the roster needs to bounce back from a toiling 2024 season.
“They know it’s going to help them, and they know it’s going to help us as a team and as an organization, get to where we want to go,” Glenn said.
Quarterback Justin Fields returned to full practice as well after his injury scare on Thursday. He was held back from practicing on Friday, instead watching from the sidelines.
“He was limited, but he was limited the way that we want to be limited,” Glenn said. “He made some good throws out there. And again, when Justin gets on the field, we’re going to let him be who he is. There are some things he did today that I was very pleased with, but also some things he needs to get better at, too — he knows that.”
Glenn’s hopeful vision for a new look Jets offense seems to be falling into place after the franchise lost Tyler Conklin in March when free agency opened. He called the tight-end spot his own for three seasons.
The Jets drafted Mason Taylor out of LSU using their No. 42 pick in the second round of the draft and ESPN’s Rich Cimini tweeted that the young tight end “looks like he belongs.”
He could be an exciting playmaking foil for Fields, who already has an arsenal containing contract-extended receivers Sauce Gardner and Garret Wilson.
The Jets also picked up former Rams WR Tyler Johnson in free agency, and Glenn seems to think he could be an essential piece of the puzzle.
“He was smart, understood exactly where to sit in the zone, how to create leverage in man,” Glenn said. “He might not be the fastest guy, he might not be the quickest, but when you’re smart as he is, you can create things that other guys with all that speed can’t because he understands leverage. Once we had a chance to sign him, it was a no-brainer for us.”
