jets TE's.. Better, Worse,.. or the same ? ? ?

[kelly]

Will the 2016  New York Jets tight ends be better, worse or the same as the 2015 Jets ?

For the purposes of this article, the traditional in line tight end, the move tight end, and the h-back are all included in the tight end group. The 2015 Jets featured Jeff Cumberland, Kellen Davis and Quincy Enunwa at tight end.  Yes, I know, Enunwa was already included in the wide receivers article.   Enunwa's a bit of a hybrid, so I'm going to cheat and include him in both the wide receivers and the tight ends groups. So sue me.

Cumberland in 2015 had the worst year of his career, nabbing  5 receptions for 77 yards and zero touchdowns, while blocking at pretty much a league worst level.  Cumberland was so ineffective he lost his starting position to Davis halfway through the season.  Davis, a standard issue blocking tight end, did what Davis does.  He blocked well enough, and he caught three passes for 18 yards and one touchdown.  Enunwa was very effective blocking, significantly improving the Jets' run game whenever he was in there.  He also caught 22 passes for 315 yards and zero touchdowns.

The 2016 Jets will feature some combination of Jace Amaro, Kellen Davis, Quincy Enunwa, Zach Sudfeld and Wes Saxton at tight end.  I'm going to mark Kellen Davis as stay the same.  He'll block well enough when he's in there. He might catch a pass or two.  A lot like 2015, although his snaps will likely be reduced.  Enunwa will likely improve in his pass catching duties in his second year, and I expect him to remain an effective blocker, so mark down Enunwa as better.  That leaves Amaro, Sudfeld and/or Saxton to try to improve upon Cumberland's impressive 2015 production.  Although that task is monumentally difficult, I expect Amaro, Sudfeld and/or Saxton to rise to the challenge.  Chalk those three up for somehow managing to put up better numbers combined than Cumberland's GOATish five for 77, while managing to block even better than Cumberland's patented matador style.   Ole'!  Overall that means two of the three slots manned by last year's tight ends will see improvement in 2016.  I'm going out on a limb here, but what the heck, it's the offseason, let's throw caution to the wind. I'm predicting the Jets tight ends in 2016 will be better than the 2015 group.

What about you ? How do you see this year's tight end group compared to the 2015 Jets ? Will the 2016 group be better, worse, or the same?  Let us know in your comments, and give us your reasons why.  Other than, you know, how could they possibly be worse ?

>    http://www.ganggreennation.com/2016/6/20/11975706/ny-jets-tes-better-worse-or-the-same

[PepPep]

So, I don't think Saxton makes the 53 man roster barring an injury. 

But simply having Amaro healthy will boost the offensive production in a major way. So better. Much better. 

[jetfan39]

the only way the TE position can be worse is if they never get on the field.

[Warfish]

Amaro Healthy > Amaro Hurt All Season

[NYs Stepchild]

43 minutes ago, jetfan39 said:

the only way the TE position can be worse is if they never get on the field.

 

43 minutes ago, jetfan39 said:

the only way the TE position can be worse is if they never get on the field.

Can't be worse unless they run the wrong way

[Rangers9]

10 hours ago, kelly said:

Will the 2016  New York Jets tight ends be better, worse or the same as the 2015 Jets ?

For the purposes of this article, the traditional in line tight end, the move tight end, and the h-back are all included in the tight end group. The 2015 Jets featured Jeff Cumberland, Kellen Davis and Quincy Enunwa at tight end.  Yes, I know, Enunwa was already included in the wide receivers article.   Enunwa's a bit of a hybrid, so I'm going to cheat and include him in both the wide receivers and the tight ends groups. So sue me.

Cumberland in 2015 had the worst year of his career, nabbing  5 receptions for 77 yards and zero touchdowns, while blocking at pretty much a league worst level.  Cumberland was so ineffective he lost his starting position to Davis halfway through the season.  Davis, a standard issue blocking tight end, did what Davis does.  He blocked well enough, and he caught three passes for 18 yards and one touchdown.  Enunwa was very effective blocking, significantly improving the Jets' run game whenever he was in there.  He also caught 22 passes for 315 yards and zero touchdowns.

The 2016 Jets will feature some combination of Jace Amaro, Kellen Davis, Quincy Enunwa, Zach Sudfeld and Wes Saxton at tight end.  I'm going to mark Kellen Davis as stay the same.  He'll block well enough when he's in there. He might catch a pass or two.  A lot like 2015, although his snaps will likely be reduced.  Enunwa will likely improve in his pass catching duties in his second year, and I expect him to remain an effective blocker, so mark down Enunwa as better.  That leaves Amaro, Sudfeld and/or Saxton to try to improve upon Cumberland's impressive 2015 production.  Although that task is monumentally difficult, I expect Amaro, Sudfeld and/or Saxton to rise to the challenge.  Chalk those three up for somehow managing to put up better numbers combined than Cumberland's GOATish five for 77, while managing to block even better than Cumberland's patented matador style.   Ole'!  Overall that means two of the three slots manned by last year's tight ends will see improvement in 2016.  I'm going out on a limb here, but what the heck, it's the offseason, let's throw caution to the wind. I'm predicting the Jets tight ends in 2016 will be better than the 2015 group.

What about you ? How do you see this year's tight end group compared to the 2015 Jets ? Will the 2016 group be better, worse, or the same?  Let us know in your comments, and give us your reasons why.  Other than, you know, how could they possibly be worse ?

>    http://www.ganggreennation.com/2016/6/20/11975706/ny-jets-tes-better-worse-or-the-same

Of course the big ? is Jace Amaro. Before he was injured last year he was not being held in high esteem by the new coaching staff. It could have been tough love or maybe they just didn't like the guy. I kind of think he's in their plans one reason they didn't draft a tight end or sign a significant free agent although they reportedly were interested in Gresham. I think they like Sudfeld who could be a surprise. And Quincy could play in a couple of spots. I could see him and Amaro on the field at the same time. Q could end up a solid player for us. So I think if we emphasize our short passing game along with both running backs who are good receivers and with Decker and Marshall and hopefully Devin Smith there's a lot to look forward to. We could have a very solid offense. That's why it's crazy not to re-sign our best Qb. Our team has a lot of talent no matter what the naysayers say. 

[j4jets]

Wait, why is "worse" even an option? We were historically worse last year. Beating such a feat in a back to back season would put the Earth on a direct collision course with VY Canis Majoris, the largest star known to mankind. It's just not possible in our lifetime. 

[David Harris]

It's fair to say Amaro has limited upside because he's  not a super freak athlete for the NFL.   But I would take Heath Miller any day. We just need a reliable dependable alternative at tight end.  

[drdetroit]

No Cumberland so ... Better

[drdetroit]

On June 20, 2016 at 10:34 PM, David Harris said:

It's fair to say Amaro has limited upside because he's  not a super freak athlete for the NFL.   But I would take Heath Miller any day. We just need a reliable dependable alternative at tight end.  

I don't know why we can't get our act together at that position like ever

[New York Mick]

The TEs don't matter without a QB. 

[drdetroit]

On June 20, 2016 at 10:34 PM, David Harris said:

It's fair to say Amaro has limited upside because he's  not a super freak athlete for the NFL.   But I would take Heath Miller any day. We just need a reliable dependable alternative at tight end.  

Heath Miller? You mean the guy we drafted a kicker over?

[kelly]

It almost goes without saying that this will be an important Jets training camp for Jace Amaro.

Amaro, a 2014 second-round draft pick, is entering his third season. He missed last year after injuring his shoulder during training camp and landing on injured reserve. But even before he was hurt, Amaro was getting backup reps. He didn't appear to be much in favor with a Jets coaching staff that had inherited him in 2015.

The biggest issue for Amaro ? His ability as an in-line blocker.

Amaro had played in a wide-open system in college in which he more or less functioned as a slot receiver. But the Jets' offense under coordinator Chan Gailey demands a degree of physicality from its pass-catchers, and from its tight ends in particular.

It's now on Amaro to prove he can do it in camp, when the pads are on and there's no holding back.

"That's something he didn't necessarily do when he was at Texas Tech," Jets tight ends coach Jimmie Johnson said. "But he's made a lot of strides, when he was in pads last year prior to getting hurt. And thus far, what we've asked him to do here in OTAs [and minicamp], he's doing a good job with his in-line blocking and his pass protection."

Players wore, as Johnson said, "T-shirts and shorts" during OTAs and minicamp, so there's no way to know just yet how far Amaro has come. But Johnson did say this about Amaro's acceptance of what he has to do as a blocker: "You can see that he's put a lot of effort into trying to improve that part of his game."The Jets' tight ends were virtually invisible in the passing game last year: just eight catches on 25 targets, though Amaro and Zach Sudfeld (ACL)—who both thrive more as pass catchers than as blockers—were on IR the entire season.

"This is a big year for me," Amaro had said during OTAs back in May.

Amaro was talking at that time about his fit as a pass catcher—the part of his game that was never in doubt. But the blocking might be just as important, just so the Jets can play him in any situation, and not just in obvious pass scenarios.

"That's what we're striving to have, so we can have guys that can be in there on every down, as opposed to coming in and out," Johnson said.

> http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/07/what_jets_coaches_want_to_see_this_summer_from_jac.html#incart_river_index

[kelly]

Breaking down the New York Jets' roster, unit by unit, in preparation for training camp :

Position: Tight end

Projected starter: Jace Amaro.

Projected reserve: Kellen Davis.

Notable on the bubble: Zach Sudfeld.

Top storyline: Can anybody catch the ball? Better yet: Will anybody get a chance to catch the ball? In 2015, the tight ends combined for eight catches on 23 targets. The Jets essentially turned the tight-end position into a sixth offensive lineman, opening the door for Davis -- a career journeyman -- to become the starter because ... well, he blocked better than the others. Is offensive coordinator Chan Gailey anti-tight end? Not at all. He says his job is to get the ball into the hands of the best players, as opposed to forcing the ball to a certain position. It's a meritocracy, which is the way it should be. Translation: Don't count on a huge spike in the tight-end receptions.

Player to watch: Amaro is one of the most fascinating players in camp. The former second-round pick (previous regime) was off to a slow start last summer when he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, so this will be a critical camp for his career. Amaro has enough receiving skill to work his way into a starter-type role. The question is, is he tough enough? That's the knock on him. He has worked hard on his blocking, and he believes he has improved in that area. If he doesn't win the trust of Gailey and Todd Bowles, Amaro could go from potential starter to odd-man out.

Training camp will be a success if ...: Amaro has wrested the starting position from Davis, who missed the offseason workouts due to thumb surgery.

Wild card: Jason Vander Laan is a wild, wild card. The undrafted rookie was converted to tight end after a record-setting career as a quarterback at Ferris State. Vander Laan (6-foot-4, 244 pounds) ran for 5,953 yards, making him the all-time leading rusher for quarterbacks in all divisions. He has a lot to learn about playing tight end, but he's willing to give it a try.

By the numbers: Ryan Fitzpatrick threw 17 of his team-record 31 touchdowns when there was at least one tight end in the game, against only four interceptions, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Amaro & Co. might want to pass that along to Gailey.

>     http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/61275/jets-te-jace-amaro-facing-potential-all-or-nothing-training-camp

[kelly]

Each day after the Jets finish their training camp practice, Jace Amaro makes his way to the JUGS machine that spits footballs out at him.

He stands by himself on a corner of the field catching football after football.

It is part of Amaro’s daily routine and part of the third-year tight end trying to prove to the Jets he can be a major piece of this team. He missed the entire 2015 season after shoulder surgery. That came a year after an up-and-down rookie year, when he sometimes struggled to catch the ball.

With a new coach and a new general manager in place last year, missing an entire season was not the way to earn their trust. Now, he is working on that.“They just haven’t really seen what I can do,” Amaro said. “I’m just trying to get open and catch every ball and do every assignment correctly. I’m blocking as hard as I can because that’s ultimately going to mean me playing a lot, you know as much as I want to. I’m just trying to do the little things right and get better with every practice. I feel like I did that in these first four practices.”

Amaro, 24, has stood out during the early days of Jets training camp. He is making a lot of catches, including a few diving ones, and has been a noticeable target in red-zone drills. The Jets are searching for another target in their offense besides Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. Amaro could be that missing piece. The tight end position was just a rumor for the Jets in 2015. Tight ends caught eight passes on 23 targets. Would it have been different had Amaro remained healthy? There is no doubt he is a better receiver than Kellen Davis, who became the team’s primary tight end, but Amaro was already buried on the depth chart last training camp before his injury. Quincy Enunwa emerged as a hybrid receiver/tight end, and that may be whom Amaro is fighting for reps this year.

Amaro spent this offseason at his home in San Antonio working on his run blocking, catching a ton of footballs and concentrating on nutrition. He said he is down about 10 pounds, from 270 last year in camp to 260 this year.“I feel like I’m running a lot better. I have more endurance,” Amaro said. “I didn’t lose any strength [with the weight loss]. Things like that I feel like will help me down the road in the regular season.”

The Jets selected Amaro in the second round of the 2014 draft after he caught 106 passes in his junior year at Texas Tech. But the men who drafted him — John Idzik and Rex Ryan — are long gone. Now, Amaro knows he has to earn the trust of Todd Bowles to get on the field.“I definitely still have a lot to prove to these guys,” Amaro said. “That’s going to come with me coming out here every day and doing the little things right. I’m not going to win them over in one day. It’s going to have to be one, two, three, four, five days and then the preseason and then ultimately when the weeks go by in the regular season, just showing them game by game what I can do. Hopefully I improve every single week and showcase what I can do.”

>          http://nypost.com/2016/08/01/the-first-signs-of-a-long-awaited-jace-amaro-breakthrough/

[Gas2No99]

1 minute ago, kelly said:

Each day after the Jets finish their training camp practice, Jace Amaro makes his way to the JUGS machine that spits footballs out at him.

He stands by himself on a corner of the field catching football after football.

It is part of Amaro’s daily routine and part of the third-year tight end trying to prove to the Jets he can be a major piece of this team. He missed the entire 2015 season after shoulder surgery. That came a year after an up-and-down rookie year, when he sometimes struggled to catch the ball.

With a new coach and a new general manager in place last year, missing an entire season was not the way to earn their trust. Now, he is working on that.“They just haven’t really seen what I can do,” Amaro said. “I’m just trying to get open and catch every ball and do every assignment correctly. I’m blocking as hard as I can because that’s ultimately going to mean me playing a lot, you know as much as I want to. I’m just trying to do the little things right and get better with every practice. I feel like I did that in these first four practices.”

Amaro, 24, has stood out during the early days of Jets training camp. He is making a lot of catches, including a few diving ones, and has been a noticeable target in red-zone drills. The Jets are searching for another target in their offense besides Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. Amaro could be that missing piece. The tight end position was just a rumor for the Jets in 2015. Tight ends caught eight passes on 23 targets. Would it have been different had Amaro remained healthy? There is no doubt he is a better receiver than Kellen Davis, who became the team’s primary tight end, but Amaro was already buried on the depth chart last training camp before his injury. Quincy Enunwa emerged as a hybrid receiver/tight end, and that may be whom Amaro is fighting for reps this year.

Amaro spent this offseason at his home in San Antonio working on his run blocking, catching a ton of footballs and concentrating on nutrition. He said he is down about 10 pounds, from 270 last year in camp to 260 this year.“I feel like I’m running a lot better. I have more endurance,” Amaro said. “I didn’t lose any strength [with the weight loss]. Things like that I feel like will help me down the road in the regular season.”

The Jets selected Amaro in the second round of the 2014 draft after he caught 106 passes in his junior year at Texas Tech. But the men who drafted him — John Idzik and Rex Ryan — are long gone. Now, Amaro knows he has to earn the trust of Todd Bowles to get on the field.“I definitely still have a lot to prove to these guys,” Amaro said. “That’s going to come with me coming out here every day and doing the little things right. I’m not going to win them over in one day. It’s going to have to be one, two, three, four, five days and then the preseason and then ultimately when the weeks go by in the regular season, just showing them game by game what I can do. Hopefully I improve every single week and showcase what I can do.”

>          http://nypost.com/2016/08/01/the-first-signs-of-a-long-awaited-jace-amaro-breakthrough/

Redundant much?

[kelly]

45 minutes ago, Gas2No99 said:

Redundant much?

it's a " sliding scale "..

 

 

[jgb]

as long as they don't affirmatively lose games, they can't be worse than the 2015 Jets TE corps: non-existent.

[nyjunc]

how can they not be better w/ 2 of our TEs coming back after season ending injuries a year ago?

[kelly]

- Jace Amaro didn't like the way Jace Amaro looked in the mirror.

When the Jets reported for organized team activities and minicamp, New York's second-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft stepped on the scales and weighed 274 pounds. That wasn't unusual, as Amaro played his first two years in the NFL at 270.But the beginning of his NFL career hadn't exactly been what Amaro envisioned. So, he decided to make a change ... and lost 15 pounds. When Amaro arrived at One Jets Drive last week for the start of camp, he weighed just 258.

"I felt like losing some fat mass isn't going to hurt me," Amaro told NJ Advance Media on Tuesday. "I feel really good, man. I feel quicker, like I've got more endurance."

Through the first week of Jets camp, Amaro is starting to turn heads. He's making plays in the passing game, showing an improved ability as a blocker and earning additional reps with the first team. On Tuesday, Amaro was our fan-selected player to be spotlighted at practice.

We followed his every move to get a detailed look at how he's doing in camp. The results? Let's get right to it :

MORNING : 

Amaro gets up at 7 a.m. and heads over to the team's facility for breakfast and meetings. As part of his new diet -- which contributed to his weight loss -- his breakfast usually consists of four or five egg whites and a fruit smoothie. 

After breakfast, Amaro gets in the hot tub, stretches and does rehab work. Following two hours of meetings, he'll lift weights, some more rehab and then head out to practice for a walkthrough. Amaro will arrive at practice 30 to 35 minutes early, so he can catch 50-75 balls before the rest of his teammates get out there.

PRACTICE 

SPECIAL TEAMS

Immediately after the team stretch, the Jets break off into special teams work. Normally, when the team's wearing pads, as it was on Tuesday, this means contact work on kick/punt coverage. On this particular day, Amaro and his teammates ran through a drill designed to help improve blocking on kick return. 

Here's how it worked: Two players lined up about five yards away from each other. On the whistle, the two players ran to a designated area through cones. The player who lined up in front would get to the cone, then turns around and attempt to block/slow the player that was lined up behind him before he would get to a tackling dummy another 8-10 yards away. 

Amaro performed this drill three times on Tuesday. His partner? Wes Saxton. All three times, Amaro and Sexton looked even. Amaro was much better at squaring up and blocking here than he was with rushing. 

POSITIONAL DRILLS [only tight ends]

After the special teams portion, Amaro and the rest of the Jets' tight ends convened with their position coach Jimmie Johnson on the far field. A set of 6-8 cones was set up. The players then proceeded to work their way through and around each of them in different designs. 

Amaro's footwork looked immensely improved. Of everyone in the positional group, he undoubtedly had the smoothest movements and quickest feet. After losing the weight, Amaro said he feels quicker ... it showed here. Impressive. 

INDIVIDUALS [no defense]

After 15 minutes, the Jets tight ends got together with the quarterbacks to run through the route tree. In this drill, each tight end took a turn running a different route. Everything from ins, outs, posts and flags.

Amaro got four reps (video highlights of the four above). In each, his route running appeared improved. He didn't give anything away with his hips, his footwork was nice and after catching the ball, he'd cut up the field with ease. 

While he didn't drop anything, it doesn't appear as if Amaro's new catching methodology is as natural as it should be yet. Yes, he's using his hands, but he's sandwiching it and then bringing it into his body. It's a hybrid body/hands catch. He's working every day to be strictly a hands catcher. He's getting better. It's just not all there yet. 

1-ON-1 [TE vs. S]

The next drill for Amaro and Co. was full-speed 1-on-1. The receivers, tight ends, quarterbacks, safeties and corners all came together. The receivers and corners went against each other, while the tight ends and safeties battled it out. This drill took place on the far field, so it was not the easiest to observe.

• Facing off against Rontez Miles, Amaro beat the safety with an out, made the reception and cut up the field. Nice route got a step or two on Miles and allow an easy throw for the quarterback. 
• A drop here from Amaro on a tough play. Covered by Ronald Martin, Amaro got a step or two when running a flag. The ball was a bit too far out there, and Amaro dove to try to catch it. It looked like he got his hands on the ball, but it popped out when he hit the ground.
• Matched up again against Rontez Miles, Amaro beat the safety on a five-yard out. 

11-ON-11

Following a walkthrough, the Jets offense and defense came together for a controlled scrimmage. 

• Amaro checked in with the first-team at tight end. The Jets ran to the opposite side, but Amaro had a nice seal on Mike Catapano. He didn't control or drive the defensive end 10 yards down the field, but he stuck on him. 
• One play later, Amaro (at tight end with first team) and offensive guard James Carpenter double-teamed Trevor Reilly. Carpenter eventually peeled off, but Amaro stuck on him and drove Reilly into the ground. 
• Amaro checked in with the first team during a two tight end set. On a bootleg by Ryan Fitzpatrick, Amaro was tasked with blocking linebacker Freddie Bishop 1-on-1. Bishop originally got the best of Amaro, but Amaro stuck with him. When Fitzpatrick rolled around, Amaro held onto Bishop long enough to allow Fitzpatrick to take a deep shot down the field. 
• Lining up at H-Back with the first team, Amaro got deep down the seam and beat safety Marcus Gilchrist for a 20-yard gain. Amaro made a great adjustment on the ball to catch it behind his back. Not an easy play.

For the remainder of practice, Amaro worked exclusively with the second team as the Jets stuck with set lineups. No one subbed in. This was a situational drill. The starters worked against the starters. The second team worked against the second team. 

• Lining up at tight end, Amaro beat Ronald Martin on a flag deep down the field.Geno Smith was sacked on the play, but because there is no hitting the quarterbacks, the play continued which allowed Amaro to make the grab.  
• Lining up at tight end, Amaro ran a flag route and had a step. Without enough time in the pocket, Geno Smith instead dumped it off to the running back. 
• Lining up at H-Back, Amaro ran a quick in-out. Great coverage by Bruce Carter essentially rendered Amaro irrelevant five yards in. 

AFTER PRACTICE

Amaro had a quick meeting with his positional group before heading over to the jugs machine to catch another 50-75 balls. After that, he met with the media, had a two-hour break, got treatment, ate dinner, then concluded his day with another three hours of meetings. 

AT HOME

Once he's done with the team around 9:30 p.m., Amaro said he'll head back to his hotel with roommate Zach Sudfeld and watch some YouTube clips to unwind. Outside of that? He'll catch up with a little FOX News or CNN to keep up-to-date with what's happening around the country regarding politics. 

Around 11:30 p.m. or 12 a.m. Amaro will crash before waking up and doing it all over again. 

> http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/08/jets_player_spotlight_hows_jace_amaro_doing_in_tra.html#incart_river_index

 

[FidelioJet]

On June 20, 2016 at 4:35 PM, Warfish said:

Amaro Healthy > Amaro Hurt All Season

Amaro Healthy > Amaro Hurt All Season > Cumberland

[kelly]

— For as long as Jason Vander Laan can remember, math has fascinated him.

He loves numbers, the clarity and the certainty and the comfort of them. Words may have connotations, but it is unassailable that he rushed for 5,953 yards at Ferris State, the most by a quarterback in N.C.A.A. history, and that only three others — not two, not four — have won the Harlon Hill Trophy, awarded to Division II’s top player, multiple times.

Those accomplishments heralded professional possibilities, and with his future beckoning, Vander Laan analyzed the situation with cleareyed certitude: He was no longer a quarterback.He abandoned the only offensive position he had played since fourth grade and began a transformation that continued Tuesday at Jets training camp. Instead of throwing passes, he caught them. Instead of avoiding blocks, he made them.

“I think of myself as a tight end now,” Vander Laan said.

Until recently, Vander Laan, 23, had never blocked before, which is a rather critical facet of the job. Actually, there was this one time, on a reverse sweep in college, when he homed in on a defensive end, but the play was blown dead, so he does not count it.But based on his frame — 6 feet 4 inches and 246 pounds, about 10 more than his playing weight in college — and his disposition, the Jets figured he would be eager to learn. Before signing him as an undrafted free agent in May, they assessed his strengths as a quarterback — strong instincts, keen spatial understanding, familiarity with offensive concepts and defensive coverages — and divined that perhaps he could evolve into an N.F.L. player, if he were willing to adapt. He was.

At first, the change disoriented him. It was odd, he said, putting on a white jersey instead of the red no-contact pinnie worn at practice by quarterbacks. And when a nice touchdown pass is tossed, a paroxysm of envy grips him. He satisfied that urge after practice Saturday when the throwing machine malfunctioned and he volunteered to whip spirals to an unsuspecting Quincy Enunwa.He said it was possible to achieve a comparable sensation, laced with glory and adrenaline, at tight end — a crushing block, a sweet catch. He also wants to. Really wants to.

If he did not, the Jets never would have considered investing in him.

Early in the draft process, the Jets deemed Vander Laan a quarterback, grading him accordingly, but in February, some of their scouts suggested projecting him at tight end. At about that time, Vander Laan was training in Atlanta, working out two days a week at quarterback and two at tight end, unclear how the N.F.L. perceived him. When he arrived a month later at his first pro day, at Northwestern, several scouts circled him and asked whether he planned to work out at quarterback or tight end.

“I don’t care,” Vander Laan told them. “Whatever you want.”

At both, they said, and when Mike Maccagnan, the Jets’ general manager, later viewed the tape of Vander Laan running and catching and moving, he said he thought, “Wow, that’s interesting.” In stature and in temperament, Vander Laan reminded him of a player the Texans drafted while Maccagnan had worked in Houston: tight end Owen Daniels, a high school quarterback who switched positions at Wisconsin.“This guy looked natural,” Maccagnan said of Vander Laan in a recent interview. “I’m sure there are quicker, faster guys out there, but when we watched this guy, we felt he was athletic enough to make the transition.”

Vander Laan’s college film, loaded with tackle-breaking runs, informed that appraisal. His attributes indicated that he could adjust quickly to a position with fewer responsibilities and nuances. But equally important was a personality, the Jets felt, that was suited to embracing the demands of memorizing a new playbook and its attendant terminology. “My degree was so challenging, the studying I did and the amount of homework I had, that I’m used to that stuff,” said Vander Laan, who graduated with a degree in applied mathematics and a concentration in actuarial science. “I’m used to having difficult tasks put in front of me.”

Maccagnan compared the task to driving for the first time at the Indianapolis 500, although it is not as difficult, Vander Laan figures, as trying to make the Jets’ roster at quarterback. The learning curve from an option scheme at Ferris State to a pro-style offense in the N.F.L. is intimidating. However counterintuitive it may seem, Vander Laan said it was easier — everything’s relative — to change positions at the highest level.

His coach at Ferris State, Tony Annese, said Vander Laan’s greatest flaw was his perfectionism.

“Everything for Jason is so calculated that it wasn’t easy for him to take risks,” Annese said in a telephone interview. “That’s just not his nature.”

This is not a risk for Vander Laan. It is a commitment.

His first two weeks on the team, all he did was study, it seemed, and that barely helped. The first reason players get cut, Jets coaches tell players, is if they do not know their assignments. The play is called once, and Vander Laan had to know where he was going and what he was doing, at once. As his legs started tiring from running so many routes, he started empathizing with his old receivers.With contact prohibited during off-season workouts, Vander Laan focused on his technique and stances. When teaching blocking, coaches implore players to get their hands inside the other man’s shoulder pads, which is difficult when neither player is wearing shoulder pads.

“Every day you think you’re getting better at one thing,” Vander Laan said, “and then you have to fix another thing.”

Before training camp began, he returned to Ferris State to train with the offensive line coach in one-on-one tutorials that centered on footwork. He supplemented those sessions by watching the Jets’ primary tight ends from last season, Kellen Davis and Jeff Cumberland, on game film loaded to his tablet.

“You can sit in a classroom and look at stuff,” Davis said, “but when it’s happening fast in front of you, it’s not the same.”

Maccagnan said there was no easy way to measure how far behind Vander Laan was from where he would have been if he had played tight end all through college, but the Jets have sensed steady improvement. He is unlikely to make the roster, but if he progresses, Vander Laan could merit a spot on the practice squad.

“Coming from math, I’m used to there being one right answer,” Vander Laan said. “Now I’m kind of thinking there’s more one way to do something.”

>      http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/03/sports/football/new-york-jets-jason-vander-laan-harlon-hill-trophy.html?ref=sports&_r=0

[kelly]

 -- Tuesday's wake-up call, Day 13 of New York Jets training camp :

What's happening : The Jets practice at 1:50 p.m., their last full practice before facing the Jacksonville Jaguars in the preseason opener Thursday night at MetLife Stadium.

What's hot : Jace Amaro is making a statement on the practice field. Each day, he notches one or two plays that make you think he can be the pass-catching tight end the Jets so desperately need. At the same time, incumbent Kellen Davis has been quiet in the passing game, which shouldn't be a surprise. He's a blocker, not a receiver, but his blocking might not be enough to remain in the starting lineup. Amaro has a chance to unseat him if he can perform in the preseason games. This could be now-or-never for the former second-round pick.

rest of above article : 

> http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/61925/it-took-some-time-but-jets-te-jace-amaro-finally-catching-on

[kelly]

They started as sophomores at MacArthur High in San Antonio. Clinton Killough was the quarterback. He wore No. 15. Jace Amaro was the tight end. He wore No. 22. And they were magic together … until Amaro tore his ACL four games into his junior season.

“When he first tore it, you could hear his reaction, and it was a scream,” Killough recalled Thursday by phone, “and the stadium went silent, and I can still remember that moment. It’s kind of surreal. And I know he probably didn’t know he could come back from that. Sometimes you don’t see the end of the tunnel. He made a decision then just to kind of get back on his feet and come back, and his senior year he came back even better.

“I’ve never seen a kid at that age respond that quick and get back on his feet. “I had no doubt when he had the shoulder surgery this last year that he was gonna come back even better.” So Thursday night Jace Amaro wages another comeback, this one an NFL comeback with the Jets, a comeback that would open up the middle of the field for Ryan Fitzpatrick, and he won’t be coming back alone, he will be carrying the memory of Tim Killough, his best friend’s father, with him. He tweeted out the following message this week :

 

Jace Amaro 

 

✔@J_ACER22

I just can't wait to run out of that tunnel, wearing my Jets jersey. This one is for you. TK

 

Amaro on Tuesday: “I haven’t played in that stadium in so long, over a year-and-a-half now, so it’s gonna be definitely a very surreal feeling again that I’m getting to play in MetLife. My best friend’s father passed away, and he was best friends with my dad too, this past summer. It’s just another big reason that’s inspiration for me right now. He wanted to come see me play this year, so it’s just one of those things where I’m excited, and maybe somehow, some way, he’ll be watching anyway.”

Clinton Killough cheers his friend from afar, and makes this guarantee to Jets fans:

“He’s gonna tear it up this year.

“I think the fans of New York, after this year, there’s gonna be a lot more 88 jerseys around.”

Tim Killough died in June at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio following lung surgery. Amaro was at his side the night before he died, and was a pallbearer. His high school quarterback retweeted it.“It was a shoutout to my pops, and I’m not gonna ignore that,” Killough said. “And Jace can attest to it, man, my dad was one of the most genuine … he was the best man I ever knew. He was a Booster Club president, and didn’t have to be. Jace saw that, ’cause his dad did the same thing. He loved Jace because of the type of person he was, whether or not he was healthy catching touchdowns or whatnot.”

The boys have been friends since junior high.

“Very fiery kid,” Clinton recalled of Amaro. “As a young kid he was extremely passionate, and sometimes that passion got the best of him and he let people know. As an aspiring coach, I hope that one day I get to coach a kid with that amount of determination and passion even from a young age.”

They didn’t play together at Texas Tech because Clinton transferred as a freshman to University of the Incarnate Word.“I’ve never seen a more competitive person in the field ever,” Clinton said. “The only other person I would like to compare, and I don’t want to toot my horn, is me, and I think also that’s why we gravitated to each other. Same with our fathers. If Jace needed anything, my dad was there, and vice versa, I know his dad would be there.”

Amaro caught another TD pass from Fitzpatrick on Tuesday, this one in the left corner of the end zone. With Amaro shelved for his sophomore season, Jets tight ends were targeted a pathetic 25 times in 2015 and caught just eight passes.“It was obviously written about a lot, but our tight-end position didn’t have a ton of catches last year,” Fitzpatrick said. “Part of that is just kind of who we’re trying to get the ball and how we’re scheming passes and things, but to be able to have somebody to stretch the field at tight end and make some big catches, would be a great addition for us.”

Music indeed to the ears of Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker.

“You can see the confidence, I think things are slowing down for him this year,” Decker said. “He’s got tremendous speed [4.4-ish] at that position, so as far as spreading the ball out and getting downfield and just working the middle of the field at times, it’s gonna be crucial for us. … It allows us receivers on the outside to still have those matchups.”

Amaro, a second-round draft choice in 2014, is a sleek 6-foot-6, 258 pounds, down from 275.“I’m excited about me catching the ball and being able to do things out in the open field,” Amaro said. “I feel like it’s something that can separate me from a lot of the other guys in the league.”Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey can deploy Amaro as an H-back as well. His blocking? “It’s a lot better,” Amaro said.

The occasional weekend drinking have been replaced by 11 p.m. bedtime.

“Back home when I was training, I didn’t drink any alcohol,” Amaro said. “It was one of those things where I just said, ‘This is the year that I’m putting all the marbles into it.’ I want to play quicker, I want to play faster, I want to play longer than everyone else during the season.”

For the Jets. For himself. For TK.

“Physically, I’ve never seen him in better shape,” Clinton Killough said. “We kind of have a running joke that he’s never been able to really beat me in a 40-yard dash or anything like that. I’m glad that I stopped playing. He’s slimmed down, he’s kind of lost that extra weight.

“He’s freakish again.”

>         http://nypost.com/2016/08/09/this-one-is-for-you-tk-jace-amaros-extra-motivation/

[ScarletKnight89]

The group is definitely better with Amaro back and healthy. Question is, is Amaro a real tight end. He's more of a hybrid if you ask me because his blocking is sub par.

[UpstateJetsGuru]

The bar could hardly be lower...

[kelly]

 — The Jets want tight end Jace Amaro to be a complete player. No doubt about it. 

They believe he can be, too. He just isn't there yet. While there's little doubt Amaro can stretch the field, his blocking, tight end coach Jimmie Johnson said, is a "work in progress." 

"He has done a better jobsustaining his blocks and trying to stay engaged," Johnson said. "All of that is promising." 

When the Jets selected Amaro in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, he arrived in Florham Park a raw but talented physical athlete. He had near perfect size (6-6, 260 pounds) and impressive measurables (4.74-second 40-yard dash, 33-inch vertical at the NFL Combine), but his technique needed an awful lot of work. 

Amaro was a tremendous receiving option at Texas Tech — he caught 106 passes for 1,352 yards and seven touchdowns in 2013. Because of that, he rarely, if ever, was asked to block. It's not that Amaro can't block. He was just never really asked before he was drafted. "At this level, sometimes you've got some real big guys on the other side of the ball," Johnson said. "You've got to focus a lot on your technique, footwork, hat placement and hand placement. Those are the things that will help him be successful with his in-line blocking. 

"If he can continue to work on those things, Jace will be OK. Those things are your saving grace because sometimes you get guys that are bigger than you, stronger than you, and your technique will get you through."Amaro's blocking ability isn't the only area the Jets are hoping to see improvement. He has a strange knack for making the impressive, eye-popping catches... but then dropping the easy ones. 

Amaro spent the offseason working on his catching, but like his blocking, it's not perfect yet. He dropped two passes in the Jets' second preseason game against Washington. One of those passes would have resulted in a first down near midfield"He's had some drops, but overall, he's done a good job catching the ball," Johnson said. "Some of his drops are focus drops. You need to concentrate better. He has done a better job with that."

The skills and ability are there. Amaro just needs to fine tune them and put it all together. 

"That is what we're trying to get," Johnson said. "We don't want guys that you put in and the defense says, 'They're about to throw a pass!' We want guys that you can keep in there all three downs."

>       http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/08/jace_amaros_blocking_a_work_in_progress_says_jets.html#incart_river_index

[drdetroit]

Well Jace is looking like the latest horrible Jets tight end

[peebag]

1 minute ago, drdetroit said:

Well Jace is looking like the latest horrible Jets tight end

based on your opinion?

[drdetroit]

18 hours ago, peebag said:

based on your opinion?

No based on reality

[kelly]

The New York Jets must cut their roster to 75 by 4 p.m. ET Tuesday and to 53 by 4 p.m. ET Saturday. Here’s a final 53-man roster projection :

~ ~   TIGHT END (3) : Kellen Davis, Zach Sudfeld, Jace Amaro

Frankly, it wouldn't shock me if Amaro gets cut. After a promising start in training camp, the former second-round pick hasn't generated much production in the games. He was in uniform on Saturday but didn't play. Maybe it was because of a nagging groin injury; maybe not. Sudfeld is heavily involved in special teams, helping his chances. Tight ends coach Jimmie Johnson called Davis one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL, so it doesn't look like he's going anywhere.

rest of above article  :

>  http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/62578/jets-solve-qb-riddle-by-keeping-four-in-53-man-roster-projection

[Big Blocker]

Dam I was really expecting Amaro to step up, and of course not playing meant he didn't show one way or the other.  But Sudfeld looks increasingly solid as a receiver, even if he isn't much of a blocker.  But then neither is Amaro.  If they keep 3 I expect both will be there along with Davis, but if I had to choose between Sudfeld and Amaro, I would take Sudfeld.

[kelly]

 — Will Jets tight end Jace Amaro make their final 53-man roster? That's a question that has never really crossed Amaro's mind.

After Thursday's preseason finale at the Eagles, Amaro said he's not worried about his roster spot entering cutdown weekend. The Jets must trim their roster from 75 players to 53 by 4 p.m. Saturday.The Jets drafted Amaro in Round 2 in 2014, under a previous general manager/coach regime.Jets coach Todd Bowles on Thursday was noncommittal when asked about Amaro's roster spot security.  

Amaro sputtered through his rookie year, but wasn't terrible. He missed all of last season with a shoulder injury. He looked improved early in training camp, but didn't exactly excel in preseason games, while dealing with a groin injury lately.These were Amaro's stats in three preseason games: five catches (on 11 targets) for 35 yards. 

Amaro played extensively in Thursday's all-backups preseason finale, which typically isn't a good sign for a player's roster spot security."I've never really been concerned about making the roster," said Amaro, who on Thursday had three catches (on four targets) for 24 yards.Amaro could be saved by the Jets not having an impressive stable of tight ends. Kellen Davis, Zach Sudfeld, and Brandon Bostick are their other primary tight ends. But last season, under new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, the Jets barely used their tight ends, Jeff Cumberland and Davis. 

Plus, wide receiver Quincy Enunwa plays a hybrid receiver/tight end/H-back role which requires a lot of inline tight end-style blocking. Could the Jets go with Enunwa and Davis or Sudfeld on their 53-man roster (one hybrid player and one traditional tight end)? Cutting Amaro this soon after he was drafted would be unusual for a second-round pick, especially since Amaro has really played just one season. But cutting Amaro would create about $810,000 in 2016 salary cap space for the Jets. His cap figure if he's on the team would be $1.17 million. 

Since the Jets drafted longtime middle linebacker David Harris in Round 2 in 2007, they have mostly failed with second-round picks.Here's the grim ledger since Harris: offensive lineman Vlad Ducasse (2010), wide receiver Stephen Hill (2012), quarterback Geno Smith (2013), Amaro (2014), receiver Devin Smith (2015), and quarterback Christian Hackenberg (2016). 

The jury is still out on Amaro, Devin Smith, and Hackenberg, to be fair. 

The Jets cut Hill — who was terrible — after just two seasons, but he played in both of those seasons, unlike Amaro.Thursday evening, Amaro maintained a calm demeanor when asked about his roster status.He seemed surprised that reporters were quizzing him about this. "I don't think I've ever heard that from the coaches," Amaro said. "The only reason I really played a lot today is because I didn't play last week [against the Giants], because of a [groin] injury. I don't think it really had anything to do with being on the roster bubble or anything like that. I just came out here because I haven't played in such a long time [after missing last year], and just still getting the kinks out.

"I've never really been worried about making the team or not making the team. I've felt like I've played well enough in OTAs and in training camp. I got an injury last week and missed a couple practices, but other than that, I felt like I've been pretty consistent on the practice field. I think I've done what they've asked me to do in the passing game."Obviously, catching the ball out here is a little different than practice. I haven't played in so long. It's been almost a year and eight months, and getting the ball and then handling it. It's just getting that back and getting the feel of it. I felt better out there today." 

>       http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/09/jets_jace_amaro_ive_never_really_been_concerned_ab.html#incart_river_index

[kelly]

If there's a high-profile player released by the New York Jets over the next 24 hours, it could be tight end Jace Amaro, a former second-round pick who has failed to live up to expectations.

This is news to Amaro, who told reporters late Thursday night, "I've never really been concerned about making the roster."

Amaro got off to a fast start in training camp, but he wasn't able to transfer his production to the games: Five catches (11 targets) for 35 yards, plus a couple of drops. He tweaked a groin muscle and missed last week's game, but he returned for the preseason finale, playing in 26 of 67 offensive snaps. He caught three passes for 24 yards.

During the game, general manager Mike Maccagnan told CBS TV that tight end is "the most wide-open position" on the roster. Translation: Anything can happen on the final cutdown. Incumbent Kellen Davis is a strong bet to make the team, but Amaro, Zach Sudfeld, Brandon Bostick and Wes Saxton are battling for one, maybe two spots.

Amaro apparently doesn't think he's in jeopardy.

"I don't think I've ever heard that from the coaches," Amaro said. "The only reason I really played a lot [Thursday night] is because I didn't play last week. I don't think it really had anything to do with being on the roster bubble or anything like that. I just came out here because I haven't played in such a long time, and just still getting the kinks out."

Remember, he missed last season with a shoulder injury.

Amaro believes he has been "pretty consistent on the practice field," adding, "Obviously, catching the ball out here is a little different than practice. I haven't played in so long. It's been almost a year and eight months, and getting the ball and then handling it. It's just getting that back and getting the feel of it."

>    http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/62773/te-jace-amaro-former-second-round-pick-could-be-on-jets-chopping-block

[Beerfish]

If we are forced to keep Kellen freakin Davis I'll have an aneurysm.