Mo Wilkerson's Return, QB's Will Be Focus at Jets' Minicamp

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Mo Wilkerson's return, QBs will be focus at Jets' minicamp

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Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer

 

 

New coach Todd Bowles is expected to have his entire team together for the first time Tuesday, when the New York Jets begin a mandatory minicamp. The three-day event will cap an eventful offseason for the Jets, who rebooted after a 4-12 disaster. They have a new coach, a new general manager, new marquee players and renewed hope.

 

 

A quick look at the top storylines:

 

 

After skipping the voluntary portion of the Jets' offseason, Muhammad Wilkerson will be at minicamp barring a last-minute change. AP Photo/Tom Lynn

 

1. Mo in the house: Barring a change of heart, defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson will show up after skipping the voluntary portion of the offseason. He knew a week ago, maybe longer, that he'd be showing up, but he remained noncommittal publicly, perhaps hoping to make the Jets squirm a little. Wilkerson, signed for 2015, is looking for a long-term extension and he's frustrated by the team's glacial approach. Any player who misses a mandatory minicamp is subject to a $60,000 fine, according to the collective bargaining agreement. Maybe his presence will have a positive impact on negotiations; it can't hurt unless he pulls a Darrelle Revis, who once feigned a hamstring injury in a minicamp when he was looking for a new contract.

 

Then again, it didn't hurt Revis, who still cashed in.

 

2. Williams & 'Sons': Because of Wilkerson's no-show and Sheldon Richardson's sporadic attendance in the offseason program, the starting defensive line hasn't worked together since 2014. Now there's a new element -- No. 1 pick Leonard Williams, who joins an already-talented unit that also includes nose tackle Damon Harrison. There has been a lot of speculation about how Bowles will deploy them. Nothing will be finalized in this camp, but it could provide an early glimpse into the team's thinking.

 

 

3. Geno and the Porsche: Geno Smith wasn't unavailable to the media last week, so we still haven't heard his reaction to Willie Colon's "Porsche" quote. Knowing Smith, he'll probably shrug it off, saying, "No big deal." Colon has been a Smith supporter, so he probably wasn't trying to be critical of the third-year quarterback, but his words -- likely shared by many in the locker room -- underscore the belief that Smith is out of alibis and needs to galvanize the offense. That's added pressure.

 

With Ryan Fitzpatrick (broken leg) back in team drills, the competition/non-competition is underway. It's a stretch to suggest he can level the playing field over the next three days, but Fitzpatrick can send a warning flare, letting Smith know he's out there, lurking.

 

 

4. Positional battles: No one will win or lose a job based on a June minicamp, but there are a few areas we'll be monitoring. The right guard job is wide open, with Colon and Oday Aboushi the leading candidates. Who's the No. 5 receiver? A handful of players are in the hunt. What about punt and kickoff returner? This could help settle the previous question because a number of receivers are involved, such as T.J. Graham, Saalim Hakim, Chris Owusu and Walter Powell. On defense, the 11 starting jobs appear locked up, but there's good competition for backup jobs on all three levels of the defense.

 

 

5. The itinerary: Just like everything else in the NFL, there are strict rules about minicamp. For instance: Teams can have two practices on two of the three days, but one of the two has to be a walk-through. No practice can last longer than 2 1/2 hours and, of course, there's no contact. You may recall the Seattle Seahawks got busted for excessive contact in last year's minicamp.

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What to watch for in Jets camp: QB competition? Wilkerson gives in?

 

By Brian CostelloJune 8, 2015 | 5:53pm

 

Summer does not officially hit for a few more weeks, but for the Jets’ purposes, once Friday comes the summer is here.

 

The Jets will conduct their three-day mandatory minicamp starting Tuesday then break until late July when training camp opens in Florham Park. For the players and coaches, it is the last break before the season arrives.

 

But before they head for vacation, they have three days of football to get through. Here are a few areas to watch during this minicamp:

Welcome back, Mo

 

Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson has stayed away from the team’s workouts this spring as he seeks a contract extension. At a charity event on Friday, Wilkerson would not say whether he planned on attending the minicamp, but a source told The Post’s Steve Serby last week Wilkerson will be there.

 

This is the first mandatory activity of the football year, meaning Wilkerson can be fined if he does not show up. Those fines can total around $70,000 if he misses all three days. It is unlikely Wilkerson wants to spend that kind of money to make a point.

 

If Wilkerson is on the field, it will be interesting to see if he looks rusty or struggles with Todd Bowles’ new defensive scheme. He has been working out and has all of the plays loaded on his iPad, but he has had no work with coaches in the classroom or practice time like his teammates.

 

Geno vs. Fitz

 

The Jets coaches have made it clear Geno Smith will be the starting quarterback in September unless he trips all over himself. Nothing Smith does this week will affect his hold on the job, but you can bet if he has a three-interception day it is going to make headlines.

 

 

Ryan Fitzpatrick has been doing more and more each week as he recovers from a broken leg. He should be able to do nearly everything in the minicamp, if the last two weeks of OTAs are an indication.

 

This will be a preview of the way the quarterbacks will be used in training camp practices. Jets reporters have become experts at covering quarterback “competitions.” We’ll see how this one plays out.

 

On guard

 

Though the quarterbacks will be the most interesting story line this summer, the biggest question mark right now is who will start at right guard. There is no contact during the minicamp, so evaluations on linemen are impossible. But we will get some clue what the coaches are thinking by how they rotate players at the position. Oday Aboushi, Willie Colon, Brian Winters, Dakota Dozier and Brent Qvale all have spent time there this spring. Aboushi appears to be the favorite, but the veteran Colon won’t go away quietly.

 

Batman and Robin return

 

The biggest story of the Jets’ offseason was the return of cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie. For now, they will be the Gang Green offense’s problem. The battles between new wide receiver Brandon Marshall and Revis and Cromartie have been fun to watch this spring. There surely will be a red-zone period in the minicamp that will be must-watch. If Smith and Fitzpatrick can look good against these two cornerbacks, that bodes well for the Jets’ offense.

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If Revis has any kind of a sense of humor, he won't show tomorrow.  Just for old times sake

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a little disappointed , I was hoping Cimini was going to begin all his articles with " vroom vroom" going forward.