Per Connor Hughes of The Athletic, New York Jets receiver Vyncint Smith will be sidelined for the next 5-8 weeks with a core muscle injury. Smith missed practice on Sunday and later visited a specialist, leading to a verdict of surgery.
With the expected recovery period, the earliest Smith could return would likely be after the Jets’ Week 3 tilt with the San Francisco 49ers on September 20.
Smith, 24, is set to enter his second season with the Jets. He was signed off of the Houston Texans’ practice squad last September and earned 277 yards of offense on 20 touches (17 receptions). Of that total tally, 17 Smith touches led to first downs and he also earned the first rushing touchdown of his career during the Jets’ regular-season visit to Philadelphia last fall. Smith also had reps as a secondary kick returner.
With Smith’s injury, the Jets’ already precarious receiving corps has taken another hit. Second-round pick Denzel Mims has been dealing with a hamstring issue and has been held out of the opening practices, likely leaving veteran newcomer Breshad Perriman as the top target for the time being. Jamison Crowder returns in the slot, but there’s a major drop-off in experience from thereon. Smith’s injury will likely lead to increased opportunities for the unrelated Jeff Smith, who spoke to Randy Lange of NYJets.com about this new opportunity.
Jeff Smith, a second-year undrafted free agent out of Boston College, partook in one game last season and earned 12 yards on a single reception.
“I think my main thing is just to know the whole offense and wherever my chance comes, to be able to go in there, not think too much, and be able to play fast,” Jeff Smith said to Lange. “Next man up.”
The Jets also signed former New England Patriot Chris Hogan earlier this week. Hogan, a two-time Super Bowl champion, is currently awaiting clearance to practice in quarantine after his signing was announced on Sunday.
Displeased with losing, New York Jets linebacker Jordan Jenkins, one of the longest green veterans, is ready to change the NYJ perception.
Jordan Jenkins partook in 13 losses during his four seasons with the University of Georgia Bulldogs. It took only a year and three weeks to match that total with the New York Jets.
Jenkins was among the first New York Jets to emerge from isolation to speak publicly this week. His words when asked about the Jets’ last decade of distress, would likely be better suited for HBO rather than NFL Network or SNY. But Jets fans of all ages may nonetheless see them as essential listening.
“I know that the Jets didn’t have really a winning history and it really sucks that in the last four years we couldn’t get it done,” Jenkins remarked in a report from SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano.” But me being back here, been here four going on five years, and I’m tired of (expletive) losing so, you know, now just gotta ramp (expletive) up and, you know, try and get the ball rolling.”
“No one is used to losing, and no one likes losing,” Jenkins continued, this quote from Olivia Landis of NYJets.com. “The sentiment is, losing sucks and no one wants to come out here and play a game just to lose every game. Ultimately, we want to go out there and win. I’m not from New York, but I’m pretty sure they’re tired of it too.”
For all of the losses the Jets have suffered in Jenkins’ tenure, the linebacker has been a rare silver lining of consistency since his arrival as a third-round pick (83rd overall) in 2016. Over the past two seasons, Jenkins is one of 17 outside linebackers throughout the league to earn at least 15 sacks.
Contrary to popular belief, Jamal Adams wasn’t the Jets’ 2019 sack master wasn’t the departed Jamal Adams, but rather Jenkins, who earned a career-best eight quarterback takedowns (good for sixth amongst AFC linebackers). Among those sacks was a vital third-down stop of Daniel Jones in the battle of MetLife Stadium last November. Jenkins’ strong efforts were rewarded with a new single-year contract worth $3.75 million.
That showdown against the Giants led to a rare win in Jenkins’ era. Since 2016, only the Cleveland Browns have a worse winning percentage than the Jets.
“No one is used to losing, and no one likes losing,” Jenkins said in Landis’ report. “The sentiment is, losing sucks and no one wants to come out here and play a game just to lose every game. Ultimately, we want to go out there and win. I’m not from New York, but I’m pretty sure they’re tired of it too.”
Set to enter his fifth season in green, several releases have transformed Jenkins into the longest-tenured Jet alongside fellow defender Steve McLendon. Jenkins’ role as a team leader will likely only increase with Adams traded and linebacker compatriot C.J. Mosley opting out of 2020. With so many newcomers in tow, many of whom are inexperienced and raw, the Jets need some semblance of sanity to work their way through an AFC full of changing offenses.
Jenkins’ skills in the pass rush may be more vital than ever with new developments in the AFC East. Recent NFL Top 100 Players nominee Josh Allen returns to Buffalo, New England filled the Tom Brady-sized gap with former NFL MVP Cam Newton, and Miami drafted former national champion Tua Tagovailoa. Each of the newcomers has been shown to be capable of changing the course of games through the air and on the ground.
The linebacker believes that the Georgia alum is more than ready to accept the challenge and be that source.
“That’s, honestly, a really great factor for this defense. We’ve got some new faces in here and being able to have the same defensive scheme,” Jenkins said of Williams and his system through Matt Howe of 247Sports. “It sort of puts you ahead of the ball. And the way we do stuff, the way we go through the plays and whatnot, we’re ahead of the curve than we were this time last year.”
“Having Gregg back is going to be a great asset to the defense. It gives guys comfort in that you already know what you’re supposed to do, so go out there and just do it.”
Head coach Adam Gase himself was high on the idea of Jenkins making a bigger impact in the New York stoppage.
“Jordan has these subtle, little pass-rush moves that guys sometimes don’t understand that he’s really effective with,” Gase remarked upon Jenkins recommitment to the Jets. “He gets his hands on you and then he throws you. He’s a very strong player.”
“The sack is never good enough for him. He’s always trying to get the ball out.”
Since he was shipped to the other side of the country, the New York Jets can’t let the memory of Jamal Adams linger.
If the start of training camp is any indication, the modern New York Jets may resemble the forgotten 2012 blockbuster The Bourne Legacy. Despite trying to move on with a fresh face of the franchise…Sam Darnold may well be the Jets’ Jeremy Renner in this scenario…the project may doomed to spend its runtime living in the shadow of its star attraction’s departure.
In this edition, the role of Matt Damon/Jason Bourne will be portrayed by Jamal Adams…except there’s more than likely no reunion tour coming four years later.
Jets representatives are emerging from isolation as training camp and Adams is the one name on their minds. The most prolific name of the Jets’ late 2010s offerings demanded his way out of New York and now begins his own training camp proceedings with the Seattle Seahawks. Yet, his prescience hasn’t truly left One Jets Drive.
Part of the lingering Adams sentiment obviously stems from modern times, as the Jets join the NFL in trying to navigate its way through the ongoing health crisis. Chances to speak to the Jets have been scarce compared to a normal offseason and the local media pounced on any opportunity to ask the defenders Adams left behind about his turbulent departure.
“That’s a situation between him and his party and the guys upstairs,” Adams’ former secondary companion Marcus Maye said, per Brian Costello of the New York Post. “Obviously, he was my running mate for three years, a hell of a player. He was looking for other things. I guess they had to part their ways.”
Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was the most vocal about the former safety, to the point of starting a war of words with Adams’ new employers in the Pacific Northwest.
“Jamal may get bored there because they don’t use their safety-type things with all the complexities, maybe not showing what they’re doing as much as we do,” Williams said per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, taking a slight shot at Seattle’s Cover 3 setup. “We’ll still do a lot of the same exact things, but we’ll highlight the people we have here. As you saw what we did [last season], he had maybe his most productive year here because of how we highlighted the skill set he has.”
Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Both Adams himself and Seattle head coach Pete Carroll has since responded to Williams’ comments with a more direct jab at the long time defensive coordinator. Time will only tell if the bad blood makes it to the teams’ scheduled get-together in December.
But any flare-ups, references to Adams, or unnecessary rekindlings of the New York-Seattle rivalry that has been dormant since the 2001 ALCS is the last thing that the Jets need. Thus, it’s time to let Adams go.
As more Jets take to the practice fields, questions will continue to rise about Adams’ impact on the team or lack thereof. His ex-compatriots on the secondary will be asked how much they’ll miss him. Answering those questions is fine, but they can’t do what Williams did and start a verbal scuffle on the other side of the country. Once the first few practices of the post-Adams experience commence, the Jets need to focus only on New York…the green side of it, anyway.
“I’m not going to give a gauge on that, but hopefully we’re pretty (expletive) close,” linebacker Jordan Jenkins said in another report from Costello when asked about how close the Jets are to a breakout. “It’s ultimately up to us to decide whether to go out and do it. All the talking is done. It’s time for us to go out and do it.”
Jenkins is exactly right: only the Jets can control their future fortunes. Adams has nothing to with it. Let’s act that way.
(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Williams has been a rare, silver lining in this infantile era, one that has had Jets fans and players alike ready to run into a brick wall. But going after Adams reeks of sour grapes, which is the last thing they need this season.
This 2020 campaign is going to present new, and hopefully temporary, challenges for each of the NFL’s 32 teams. The Jets are a team starting to open a new decade on the right note. Their infamous moniker of “same old Jets” has been earned through not just losing, but losing through ways that are entirely avoidable and over-the-top. Pining after Adams and trying to get in the last word is the type of move that can define a season and set things off on the completely wrong foot.
Even without the challenges of working through a global health crisis, this was going to going to be a season that’d be awkward for the New York Jets. Making the playoffs was going to be a challenge, even with an extra invitation being sent out to each conference. This was going to be a year for the Jets to find themselves, a chance to build for the future, a chance for players, many of whom are on affordable single-year contracts, to prove why they should be allowed to stay for the (potential) glory days ahead. There may be heavier consequences for some…a make-or-break year for Adam Gase isn’t one for Sam Darnold…but there’s still a chance to earn mini-celebrations through development and growth.
This year, if and when we’re allowed to complete it, is a chance to prepare for a new decade, for a future. The last thing the Jets can afford to do is spend its first chapter fixated on the past.
The New York Giants’ young secondary has had a rocky offseason. Second-year cornerback DeAndre Baker was arrested earlier this summer and has several severe criminal charges being prosecuted. On top of that, cornerback Sam Beal has opted out of the 2020 NFL season due to COVID-19 concerns, leaving the Giants even more thin at cornerback.
Luckily for the Gmen, there is a new addition to the cornerback group that could fill the hole that has been opened. Darnay Holmes, the Giants’ fourth-round selection out of UCLA was initially thought to be a slot cornerback exclusively. But as the offseason rolled on, many fans have come to the realization that Darnay Holmes has a pretty good chance of being an outside cornerback for the Giants. Now, in training camp, Holmes is officially training for both the inside and outside cornerback positions.
Darnay Holmes Being Cross-Trained
New York’s defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson spoke with the media today and shared some insight on the state of the cornerback position. At the outside cornerback position, Henderson said that all the cornerbacks are “competing” and that the team does not have “a true depth chart” at cornerback just yet.
When asked specifically about Darnay Holmes, Henderson had this to say:
We’re cross-training him right now, outside and inside, as all our players are doing right now. He’s doing a good job in camp, but he has a long, long way to go. We haven’t even gotten to the pads yet to really see. That’ll be when you can really see what you have in those guys, is when we put the pads on and it’s a little more competitive, it’s real and he’s going against guys. Right now, we’ve just been in shorts. He’s been positive, doing some positive things. He has some growing to do. But we’ll see what he is when we put the pads on and actually compete against each other. – Jerome Henderson on Darnay Holmes 8/14/20 via Giants.com
Darnay Holmes has been cross-training at both outside and inside cornerback, according to Jerome Henderson. This is exciting news for Giants fans who were worried about the lack of depth at outside cornerback. Now the question is, will Darnay Holmes be able to succeed on the outside, and will it suit him better than the inside?
Could Darnay Holmes Succeed On The Outside?
Darnay Holmes was drafted to play inside at the nickel cornerback position. But this would be a first for Darnay. The cornerback spent his collegiate career at UCLA playing outside cornerback. Darnay’s playing style is actually similar to that of a prototypical outside cornerback. The problem is, Holmes is small. Darnay stands in at roughly 5 feet 10 inches and 195 pounds (but it would not be surprising if those numbers are a little high).
How small is Darnay Holmes, really? When comparing him to the Giants’ last outside cornerback, Janoris Jenkins, they are about the same height and weight. So maybe size will not be a big issue for Holmes. Darnay could continue playing the position he was so good at in college with the Giants.
The New York Giants‘ offense has battled injuries over the last couple of seasons. Last year, all of the Giants’ top playmakers missed time with injuries at some point or another. Saquon Barkley, Daniel Jones, Evan Engram, Golden Tate, Darius Slayton, and Sterling Shepard were all absent at one point or another. All of those players suffered injuries midseason and did get regular-season action. But the Giants have another playmaker on their roster who suffered an injury prior to the start of the regular season, keeping him sidelined the whole year.
Wide receiver Corey Coleman tore his ACL in training camp last year. He missed the entire 2019 season. The Giants certainly felt Coleman’s absence as the season went on, seeing multiple injuries arise in the receiving corps. But entering the 2020 season, wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert says that Corey Coleman is healthy and ready to go.
Tyke Tolbert On Corey Coleman
New York Giants wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert spoke with the media today as the team begins full-squad practices. Tolbert has been a coach with the Giants since 2018, making him one of the few coaches leftover from Pat Shurmur’s staff. Tolbert has done an excellent job with the Giants’ wide receivers and has received plenty of praise from his players.
Tolbert discussed wide receiver Corey Coleman today, saying Coleman is “pretty much back to what he was before he was injured.” Coleman has struggled with injuries throughout his career, so it is encouraging to hear he is healthy and ready for 2020.
Tolbert also had this to say about Darius Slayton:
Tyke Tolbert says the biggest thing for Darius Slayton is that he has game experience now.
Corey Coleman has been with the Giants since 2018. Since then, he has only been active for 8 games and started in 1 game. Last offseason, former head coach Pat Shurmur expressed confidence in Coleman, saying he had big plans for the receiver. Unfortunately, Giants fans never got to see those plans put into place as Coleman suffered a torn ACL early on in training camp.
Coleman is a former first-round pick that has struggled to stay on the field in his career. He has never played more than 10 games in a season. Corey was electric during his collegiate career at Baylor and has certainly flashed potential in the NFL. But he has never been able to put it all together.
Now that Corey Coleman is fully recovered from his injury, he can finally return to the field and prove the doubters wrong. The Giants have plenty of depth at the wide receiver position. They recently signed three undrafted free agents to compete for the backup wide receiver positions. Coleman will need to impress in training camp to prevent one of the rookies from taking his spot.
The New York Giants have had their first player officially opt out of the 2020 NFL season: offensive tackle Nate Solder.
Nate Solder announced today that he will be opting out of the 2020 season due to serious health concerns. Nate’s son, Hudson Solder, has been fighting an ongoing battle with cancer. Hudson is at high-risk if he were to contract the coronavirus. The Solder family has also welcomed a baby boy as a new addition to the family this spring. Nate Solder has eliminated certain risks by opting out of this year’s NFL season to protect his family’s health.
Nate Solder released this official statement on Twitter below:
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to numerous opt-outs across the NFL. Nate Solder is the twenty-sixth NFL player to opt-out of the season, the first member of the New York Giants to do so. Training camp began yesterday for the Giants. Players underwent their first round of COVID-19 testing and will continue to be tested until they are cleared to practice.
With this news, the Giants have lost one of their two starting offensive tackles. This leaves the door wide open for rookie Andrew Thomas to start immediately at left tackle in 2020. Solder opting out also frees up $19.5 million on the Giants’ 2020 salary cap. But the money does roll into 2021 and likely extends Solder’s career with the Giants.
Nate Solder’s opt-out could also have a ripple effect across the Giants’ offensive line. This creates even more uncertainty over who might start at both right tackle and center. Nick Gates could see himself take a starting role this season and rookie Matt Peart might now have a shot at the right tackle position.
Nate Solder’s family is the top priority. He has made this careful decision to protect the health of himself and his loved ones and he deserves respect and admiration for doing so.
The New York Jets have their first opt-out of a potential 2020 season in the form of the backup offensive lineman.
The #Jets have an opt-out: OL Leo Koloamatangi, source said, informed the team that he’ll do so due to COVID-19 concerns. He got playing time late last season.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, New York Jets offensive lineman Leo Kolomatangi has opted out of the 2020 season due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. He is the first member of the Jets to opt-out of a potential upcoming season.
The 26-year-old blocker entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He spent two years in the Detroit Lions’ system before joining the Jets’ practice squad last October. Kolomatangi was later promoted to the active roster in November, though he did not appear in any games. The Jets re-signed Kolomatangi in April.
Kolomatangi has been working in Hawaii this offseason, forming the Hawaii Towards Zero program, which, according to its mission statement, focuses “on achieving ZERO cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Hawaii” and to “restore what our lives once were, in a safe and new way”. The Fort Worth native spent his college days at the University of Hawaii, where he helped the Rainbow Warriors end a six-year bowl drought with a victory over Middle Tennessee in the 2016 Hawaii Bowl.
“I am with Hawaii Towards Zero because I feel this is the least I can do for a state and a people that have impacted my life so much,” Kolomatangi says on the organization’s site.
With Kolomatangi’s opt-out, the Jets are down to 85 players on their active roster after two other moves relating to the current health crisis. The Jets are also set to place rookie cornerbacks Bryce Hall and Shyheim Carter were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Hall was chosen in the fifth round of April’s draft while Carter is an undrafted free agent. Teams are set to cut down to 80 players by August 16.
Placement on the reserve/COVID-19 list does not necessarily mean a positive test, as placement could mean mere contact with someone who tested positive.
Football is back! The New York Giants officially reported to training camp on Tuesday, marking the beginning of the 2020 NFL season. Veterans reported to training camp today as the team does its first wave of COVID-19 testing. This will be a crucial season for the Giants as they enter the year with a brand new coaching staff and a revamped roster.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no preseason this year, making training camp that much more important. Many of those players who standout in the preseason to earn their roster spots will not be afforded such an opportunity this year. Instead, the Giants’ new coaching staff will have to gauge their players’ talents in training camp alone.
With that being the case, who are the top players, or what are the top positions to watch during training camp in 2020?
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The New York Giants have agreed to terms with the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, offensive tackle Andrew Thomas. The Giants and Thomas are in agreement on a four-year, fully guaranteed $32.345M contract with a $21.1M signing bonus, according to Ian Rapoport.
Andrew Thomas, the three-year starter out of Georgia, is the fourth top-five pick to get his deal done. Thomas will take a physical today then sign the contract.
The New York Giants desperately needed an upgrade at offensive tackle this offseason. Last season, the Giants’ starting offensive tackles allowed a combined 96 pressures. Nate Solder accounted for 56 of those pressures and also allowed 11 sacks on the season. Andrew Thomas is now in a contractual agreement to be the Giants’ left tackle of the future.
Andrew Thomas played 1,075 pass-block snaps in his collegiate career. On those snaps, Thomas allowed only 37 total pressures. He also has not allowed more than 2 pressures in a game since 2017 (his freshman season at right tackle).
The Giants report to training camp tomorrow. New York is working to get its entire rookie draft class under contract. Sixth-round pick Cam Brown signed his rookie contract earlier today. Seventh-round pick Tae Crowder has also signed. TJ Brunson, Matt Peart, and Darnay Holmes have also agreed to terms with the Giants. There are only a few rookies left for the Giants to sign, including second-round pick Xavier McKinney. Expect to see the Giants complete these deals with their rookies very soon.
The New York Giants have had two key players on their roster dealing with legal trouble this offseason. The first of the two, cornerback DeAndre Baker, was arrested earlier this offseason after being accused of committing armed robbery. The case has had numerous developments arise since it began in May but Baker has not yet been found guilty or innocent.
Kicker Aldrick Rosas also found himself in legal trouble after a hit-and-run car accident in California last month. Rosas was charged with three misdemeanors – reckless driving on the highway, hit and run property damage, and driving with a license suspended for DUI. Contradictory to earliest reports, Rosas was not tested for driving under the influence.
Upon hearing the news of Baker’s accusations, the Giants asked him to distance himself from the team’s virtual meetings. Baker has been training on his own since then and has not been given permission to join virtual meetings for the entirety of the offseason.
Rosas And Baker To Report To Camp
According to a new report by the New York Post, Rosas and Baker’s time away from the team is about to end. Paul Schwartz and Ryan Dunleavy report that the Giants have not told DeAndre Baker or Aldrick Rosas to stay away from training camp, so they are both planning on attending. Training camp begins on Tuesday for the Giants.
Neither DeAndre Baker nor Aldrick Rosas has had their legal situations resolved yet. Baker’s attorney Patrick Patel is “hopeful of a dismissal soon” and stated that the case is “pending.” The NY Post also reports that Rosas “has an arraignment hearing Sept. 4 that does not require an in-person appearance” which allows him to be with the team at training camp until the case is resolved.
In the United States of America, you are innocent until proven guilty. The Giants are doing the right thing by allowing their players to participate in training camp, despite their pending legal situations.
Both players struggled in the 2019 regular season. With no preseason in 2020, this summer’s training camp could be crucial for each player’s future in the league. Luckily for Baker and Rosas, they are officially receiving the opportunity to prove themselves on the field, starting next week.
