What is Next for Jace Amaro?

[Gas2No99]

What is Next for Jace Amaro?

 

 

In the space of a year, 2014 2nd round pick Jace Amaro has gone from a potential breakout player to possible camp cut. Facing a make-or-break training camp, how and where can Amaro set himself apart from his competition on the New York Jets?

 

Before predicting what 2016 could have in store for Amaro, let’s rewind to 2014 and go over the prospect he was and his production during his rookie season. 

Amaro declared early for the draft after breaking the NCAA single season record for tight end receiving yards. He can lend this success partially to playing as what was essentially an oversized slot receiver, playing a reported 87.5% of his snaps in the slot as a junior at Texas Tech. He proceeded to be the combine’s top tight end performer in several categories and solidified his value as a top fifty pick in the 2014 draft. Amaro entered the league with an NFL body for the position and a willingness to block, but with very little experience playing as an in-line tight end. 

As expected, the Jets during Amaro’s rookie season used him primarily as a move tight end, mostly looking to get him involved in the passing game. Playing just a shade under 40% of the snaps, 68.4% of them had Amaro running a pass route according to Pro Football Focus. In comparison, starting tight end Jeff Cumberland ran a pass route 41.2% of his snaps. Unfortunately for Amaro’s development, Rex Ryan’s staff chose to play familiar faces in an attempt to save his job rather than play youth over the course of the entire year. This led to Jeff Cumberland consistently starting over Amaro the entire season, despite Cumberland being arguably the worst performer on an offense full of major disappointments.

After being the top performer of an admittedly meager 2014 rookie tight end class, buzz built around Amaro as a potential breakout player for the Jets in 2015. Unfortunately his sophomore season was gone in an instant, suffering a shoulder injury in the first preseason game that ended him on IR. With a pivotal third year coming up and a staff that has no ties to him, where does Amaro go from here?

Compete with Quincy Enunwa at H-back. 

This is the role the Jets had originally planned for Amaro last year. There is good reason for that; it’s the role his skill set is ultimately best suited for. This role isn’t that different to what Amaro was doing his rookie year as a second tight end in Marty Mornhinweg’s system. Often while Cumberland would play in-line, Amaro could line up almost anywhere: in-line on the other side or next to Cumberland, as a fullback, slot receiver or split out wide. This helped minimize the amount of blocking Amaro would have to perform against bigger ends and linebackers, more often seeing favorable match-ups against opposition secondary. Naturally at 6’5″ and 265 pounds, Amaro matched up better in these situations.

Not too long ago Joe did a piece on Enunwa that shows Amaro has an uphill battle to take snaps away from the fellow 2014 draftee. Despite Amaro being the 2nd round pick and Enunwa the late-round flyer, it is Enunwa that looks most likely to be a potential breakthrough player for the Jets offense in 2016.  This is not to say that Amaro doesn’t have useful traits for the offense in this role because he certainly does. The problem is that it’s a specific role that is currently held by a player that at the same age has already shown the ability to tick all the boxes necessary to play the position. Enunwa’s weaknesses are similar to Amaro’s as well, notably some poor drops and occasional stiffness in terms of route running. Given that, Amaro really doesn’t have a skill that Enunwa already is bringing to the table. Conversely, one trait that Enunwa has over Amaro that is key is explosiveness. Amaro may move well for a 265 pound man and can be a problem after the catch, but he could never take a catch in the flat and dart down the sideline for nearly 50 yards the way Enunwa did against New England late last season.

Simply put, if it’s Amaro versus Enunwa for first team H-back in training camp, Enunwa is the favorite. Amaro does have better natural receiving skills however, so if Enunwa’s receiving skills remain unrefined and drops remain a problem, Amaro will have a real chance to jump ahead.

Compete to start as an in-line tight end. 

On paper this is the path of least resistance, and the position Amaro believes he should be playing. There was little doubt that tight end was in need of upgrade after last season and the only competition standing in Amaro’s way here is Kellen Davis, arguably the team’s most underwhelming starter.

The issue here is that Jace Amaro has never really played tight end in the sense of how the Jets use one under Chan Gailey. The in-line tight end is a blocking position first and foremost in this offense. Kellen Davis last year ran a pass route on just 25.8% of his snaps according to PFF. Consider again the role Amaro was playing as a collegiate junior with the vast majority of his snaps as a slot receiver. As a rookie, the Jets offense under Marty Mornhinweg didn’t treat him much differently than an oversized receiver or H-back type player that the Jets currently view Amaro as. Take for example his most productive game as a rookie, the 10 catch performance against Denver. According to PFF Amaro played 36 snaps. By my count, he played only 3 of those as an in-line tight end. The rest came either in the slot or completely split wide, with one snap as a fullback.

If Amaro does get his way and competes as an in-line tight end in camp, there are two important questions to answer in predicting production for 2016. Has Amaro shown anything thus far to convince anybody he can be at least a decent blocker when called upon? And if he can fulfill that necessary level of competence, would Gailey then also scheme to utilize the in-line tight end more in the passing game?

The first question is a little difficult to answer based on the pure lack of opportunities Amaro has had to prove himself as a blocker, but that may tell us something in itself. As a rookie Amaro was asked to pass protect on just 11 of his 380 total snaps, while running passes routes more than twice as often as he was in for run blocking according to PFF.

Amaro unfortunately did not get a ton of experience blocking as a rookie, and the few opportunities were mostly unimpressive. Here are examples below of Amaro being tasked with a run and pass block like a traditional tight end.

As for whether Gailey would utilize the in-line tight end more frequently as a receiver if the player can also block competently, it’s unlikely. Gailey’s offense functions with a receiving tight end (H-back) and a blocking in-line player, and they’re pretty well defined roles. In Buffalo it was much the same. Scott Chandler, a player before his retirement that some touted as a logical tight end upgrade due to the Gailey connection, was actually the team’s H-back. In 2012 it was Lee Smith as the in-line guy, who ran a pass route on just 6.5% of his snaps.

The talk of Amaro having an impact as an upgrade over Kellen Davis just doesn’t equate. In Gailey’s offense it is a block-first position which has never been Amaro’s game. While there is a “well anyone is better than Kellen Davis” element to this, it is more likely someone else surpasses Davis here than Amaro.

Specialize as a red zone weapon. 

Despite Quincy Enunwa having the inside track for Amaro’s most logical position, there could feasibly still be a role for Amaro in the Jets offense. Already one of the best red zone teams in the league last season, the Jets could further cause problems by adding Amaro as another towering option to cause height-weight-speed match-ups inside the twenty.

A red zone offense rolling out Marshall, Decker, Amaro, Enunwa and Forte has four big bodied receivers and one of the league’s most accomplished pass catching backs of his generation for an opposing defense to contend with. One of the keys for offensive improvement over last season, regardless of the quarterback, is having consistent passing outlets for situations where Marshall and Decker are drawing too much attention. In an offense predicated on spreading the field and identifying mismatches, Amaro would get his fair share of advantageous opportunities and help Marshall and Decker continue to see there’s.

Trade bait or training camp cut. 

It’s the worst-case scenario, but one to still be wary of. Amaro had a slow start in both of his first two training camps, and this year the Jets are unlikely to be as patient with him. Particularly if Enunwa looks head-and-shoulders above Amaro and shows growth as a receiver, the Jets brass could view Amaro as expendable.

If the Jets are set on moving on from Amaro, a trade would be ideal. The Jets would be unlikely to get anything past a late-round pick given Amaro’s career arc thus far, but it would be better than nothing for a team that remains on the older side. Given Amaro’s easily attainable rookie contract and relatively high draft status, there would likely be suitors.

If you’re the doom-and-gloom type, you could argue that Amaro’s insistence on being the Y tight end rather than a H-back could already be creating some dissent between the player and coaches. If Amaro in the end is not willing to accept the positional role the coaches have planned him, then his time will indeed be short-lived. Todd Bowles in year one showed on multiple occasions how he handles culture misfits.

Amaro being released or traded shouldn’t be met with outright shock if it does happen later this summer. Nonetheless, with an offensive coordinator that prioritizes utilizing the talent he has to put players in space and in favorable match-ups, there logically should be a role for Amaro on this team somewhere.

Prediction: On the depth chart Amaro will be listed as a backup at tight end, but in reality he’ll be an occasionally utilized backup to Enunwa as an H-back. He sticks around as a supplementary passing game weapon and chess piece in the red zone.

[Gas2No99]

What Jets coaches want to see this summer from Jace Amaro

By Dom Cosentino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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.

Dom Cosentino may be reached at dcosentino@njadvancemedia.com.

 

 

[Gas2No99]

 

Is THIS MAN the X FACTOR missing in the Jets offense?!?!?!?!?

[SouthernJet]

I think he has a chance but it has to be as a in motion TE/HB like Patriots use. In motion rarely on line of scrimmage when ball is eventually snapped

[no psls]

Maybe , selling sausage and peppers on the concourse ?

[JiFtheOracle]

More like, what is first for Jace Amaro?

Right?  Right?  

[Il Mostro]

8 hours ago, Gas2No99 said:

 

Is THIS MAN the X FACTOR missing in the Jets offense?!?!?!?!?

 

I don't know if he is the missing X Factor, but he could very well be the Missing Link in the theory of evolution.

[New York Mick]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say trading camp. 

[mkajet01]

The bench

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

[no psls]

6 hours ago, New York Mick said:

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say trading camp. 

What is he going to trade ?

[PepPep]

Amaro will show that he has improved his blocking enough to be more involved in the offense. He IS a dangerous offensive weapon and will prove this by being a consistent pass catcher, whether its coming out of motion like a split end (which is how he was utilized in college) or as an in-line TE on passing plays. I don't see him used as a H-back or being Enunwa's 'backup'. He will definitely not get cut or traded. 

[New York Mick]

36 minutes ago, no psls said:

What is he going to trade ?

Hopefully Geno. 

[SouthernJet]

14 hours ago, New York Mick said:

Hopefully Geno. 

Mac has a trade out for Geno now per daily News. They report the other GMs think Mac is asking for too much

 

[mkajet01]

Job at taco bell

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

[drdetroit]

Amaro is going to end up saving our season next year.

[drdetroit]

18 hours ago, PepPep said:

Amaro will show that he has improved his blocking enough to be more involved in the offense. He IS a dangerous offensive weapon and will prove this by being a consistent pass catcher, whether its coming out of motion like a split end (which is how he was utilized in college) or as an in-line TE on passing plays. I don't see him used as a H-back or being Enunwa's 'backup'. He will definitely not get cut or traded. 

Teams are going to put their #1CB on Marshall and double Decker or vice versa which means plenty of man to man for Amaro against some scrub safety. 

[Gas2No99]

4 hours ago, drdetroit said:

Teams are going to put their #1CB on Marshall and double Decker or vice versa which means plenty of man to man for Amaro against some scrub safety. 

Agree. Amaro should TEAR UP ¢.05-backs and LBs by sheer brut physical ability alone. 

I'm rooting for #88 and he IN THEORY should THRIVE in this offense in terms of receptions and &red zone threat due to the mismatches he can create when spread out. Dustin Keller had similar attributes and was poorly utilized while a Jet. Take advantage of this MONSTER WRs categorized as a "TE" and let them out muscle smaller DBs and burn by oafish LBs. 

[SouthernJet]

13 hours ago, Gas2No99 said:

Agree. Amaro should TEAR UP ¢.05-backs and LBs by sheer brut physical ability alone. 

I'm rooting for #88 and he IN THEORY should THRIVE in this offense in terms of receptions and &red zone threat due to the mismatches he can create when spread out. Dustin Keller had similar attributes and was poorly utilized while a Jet. Take advantage of this MONSTER WRs categorized as a "TE" and let them out muscle smaller DBs and burn by oafish LBs. 

ya, all depends on health and brains

[jdeacon]

Blocking, Blocking, Blocking. If this dude can block we will have 4 real receiving threats in marshall, decker, forte and amaro. One can only  hope he still isnt soft as charmin.

[Augustiniak]

one thing about these jet weapons is height.  marshall, decker, enumwa - add amaro and you have real red zone weapons, with defenses playing cbs under 6 feet.

[PepPep]

1 hour ago, jdeacon said:

Blocking, Blocking, Blocking. If this dude can block we will have 4 real receiving threats in marshall, decker, forte and amaro. One can only  hope he still isnt soft as charmin.

He was never 'soft'. He was just never asked to block in college. He played 'split' end, meaning he was pretty much a slot WR on almost every play. Watch some highlights from TT. He NEVER blocked in that shotgun spread system. Being a good blocker is not just about being tough. Its strength, effort and having good technique. I think Amaro has the strength and certainly showed that he is willing to block but I would not be surprised if he just needed work on technique.

Hopefully this year he will show he has improved in that department.  

[peebag]

I don't get the hate for the kid.  He did alright in his rookie year, got injured in his 2nd training camp and never played.

Jury is still out.

[jbt]

4 minutes ago, peebag said:

I don't get the hate for the kid.  He did alright in his rookie year, got injured in his 2nd training camp and never played.

Jury is still out.

because he is an Idzik pick

[FidelioJet]

1 hour ago, peebag said:

I don't get the hate for the kid.  He did alright in his rookie year, got injured in his 2nd training camp and never played.

Jury is still out.

Exactly...People seem enamored with Enunwa and hate Amaro...yet Amaro's numbers in his rookie year (with Geno and that awful team) are better across the board than Enunwa's last year.

 

 

[Big Blocker]

2 hours ago, jbt said:

because he is an Idzik pick

Well that certainly is not in his favor.  But it doesn't justify the negative comments.

[drdetroit]

3 hours ago, jbt said:

because he is an Idzik pick

So? Dick Kotite discovered Wayne Chrebet

[Gas2No99]

35 minutes ago, drdetroit said:

So? Dick Kotite discovered Wayne Chrebet

He didn't really discover him, it was more a result of happenstance because the Jets were so dearth in receiving talent at the time only carrying 4 on the roster.

 

PRO FOOTBALL; Jets Take Hard Route Without Mitchell

By GERALD ESKENAZI

Published: September 15, 1995

 

HEMPSTEAD, L.I., Sept. 14— The Jets' most dangerous offensive performer has been praying -- literally -- for his back to be healed so he can return. 

As of today, Johnny Mitchell's prayers have not been answered. . . 

Without him, the entire Jets' passing package is potentially fragile, filled with rookies and inexperienced or injured players. Thus, Richard Mann, the receivers' coach, waited after practice today. 

"You think they'll give me five minutes?" he said of the tight ends, cracking a smile. 

His prize pupil is the No. 1 draft pick Kyle Brady. The 6-foot-6-inch 260-pounder from Penn State is suddenly the team's No. 1 tight end, but he tries not to let the responsibility overwhelm him. He dropped three of six passes thrown to him in the opener, when he also missed blocking assignments. Then he came back with a four-catch game against the Colts. 

"I have to think of next Sunday as one more game," he said. "It grows more comfortable each week." 

He isn't the only instant starter. Consider this collection: 

*Wayne Chrebet of Hofstra, dogged and sure-handed, starts on one side for the wide receivers while the dangerous Charles Wilson, who has caught two of Boomer Esiason's three touchdown passes, is on the other. Wilson is nursing a sore ankle. 

*Behind them are Ryan Yarborough, who lost his starting job even though he was the only receiver who was with the team last year, and Curtis Ceaser, the seventh-round draft pick recently picked up from the practice squad. That's it. Four wide receivers, with Ceaser dressing but unlikely to see action Sunday beyond special teams. . . . . . 

 In two games Chrebet has 5 catches for 57 yards and a touchdown while Wilson already has snared 7 passes for 70 yards and his two scores. Brady has had 16 passes tossed his way, the most on the team, with 7 receptions. 

Chrebet's psyche apparently is strong enough to offset the memory of his drop in overtime that could have helped the Jets into position for a winning field goal. 

"You don't get to this point, if you're from a small school, without that toughness," Coach Rich Kotite said today. 

"I think we're building," said Mann. "I don't think we've got a great receiving corps, but C. W. has been a great addition." 

Wilson also happens to be the most experienced receiver, although not here. At Tampa Bay, he averaged 21 yards a catch last year, second-highest average in pro football. EXTRA POINTS 

ALAN ALLEN, a receiver with the London Monarchs during the World League spring season, has been signed to the practice squad. ALAN YOUNG, a defensive end, has been cut from that squad. . . . The Jaguars' backup quarterback MARK BRUNELL, who will start against the Jets, also happens to be their leading runner with 66 yards on 5 carries. . . . SIUPELI MALAMALA, the right tackle (and as such BOOMER ESIASON's blindside protector), has an injured knee that makes him questionable for Sunday. JAMES BROWN would replace him. TONY CASILLAS, who is scheduled to return from back surgery in three games, worked out lightly for a second straight day

 

GOOD GOD was that team HORRENDOUS. who only carries 4 WRs on the 53 man roster?!?!!?

 

[drdetroit]

4 hours ago, Gas2No99 said:

He didn't really discover him, it was more a result of happenstance because the Jets were so dearth in receiving talent at the time only carrying 4 on the roster.

 

PRO FOOTBALL; Jets Take Hard Route Without Mitchell

By GERALD ESKENAZI

Published: September 15, 1995

 

HEMPSTEAD, L.I., Sept. 14— The Jets' most dangerous offensive performer has been praying -- literally -- for his back to be healed so he can return. 

As of today, Johnny Mitchell's prayers have not been answered. . . 

Without him, the entire Jets' passing package is potentially fragile, filled with rookies and inexperienced or injured players. Thus, Richard Mann, the receivers' coach, waited after practice today. 

"You think they'll give me five minutes?" he said of the tight ends, cracking a smile. 

His prize pupil is the No. 1 draft pick Kyle Brady. The 6-foot-6-inch 260-pounder from Penn State is suddenly the team's No. 1 tight end, but he tries not to let the responsibility overwhelm him. He dropped three of six passes thrown to him in the opener, when he also missed blocking assignments. Then he came back with a four-catch game against the Colts. 

"I have to think of next Sunday as one more game," he said. "It grows more comfortable each week." 

He isn't the only instant starter. Consider this collection: 

*Wayne Chrebet of Hofstra, dogged and sure-handed, starts on one side for the wide receivers while the dangerous Charles Wilson, who has caught two of Boomer Esiason's three touchdown passes, is on the other. Wilson is nursing a sore ankle. 

*Behind them are Ryan Yarborough, who lost his starting job even though he was the only receiver who was with the team last year, and Curtis Ceaser, the seventh-round draft pick recently picked up from the practice squad. That's it. Four wide receivers, with Ceaser dressing but unlikely to see action Sunday beyond special teams. . . . . . 

 In two games Chrebet has 5 catches for 57 yards and a touchdown while Wilson already has snared 7 passes for 70 yards and his two scores. Brady has had 16 passes tossed his way, the most on the team, with 7 receptions. 

Chrebet's psyche apparently is strong enough to offset the memory of his drop in overtime that could have helped the Jets into position for a winning field goal. 

"You don't get to this point, if you're from a small school, without that toughness," Coach Rich Kotite said today. 

"I think we're building," said Mann. "I don't think we've got a great receiving corps, but C. W. has been a great addition." 

Wilson also happens to be the most experienced receiver, although not here. At Tampa Bay, he averaged 21 yards a catch last year, second-highest average in pro football. EXTRA POINTS 

ALAN ALLEN, a receiver with the London Monarchs during the World League spring season, has been signed to the practice squad. ALAN YOUNG, a defensive end, has been cut from that squad. . . . The Jaguars' backup quarterback MARK BRUNELL, who will start against the Jets, also happens to be their leading runner with 66 yards on 5 carries. . . . SIUPELI MALAMALA, the right tackle (and as such BOOMER ESIASON's blindside protector), has an injured knee that makes him questionable for Sunday. JAMES BROWN would replace him. TONY CASILLAS, who is scheduled to return from back surgery in three games, worked out lightly for a second straight day

 

GOOD GOD was that team HORRENDOUS. who only carries 4 WRs on the 53 man roster?!?!!?

 

So? Kotite still gets credit

[Larz]

out of football

can't block, can't catch

[PatsFanTX]

out of football

can't block, can't catch

Come on, those skills are really not that important for a TE.

[SouthernJet]

10 hours ago, PatsFanTX said:

Come on, those skills are really not that important for a TE.

ya, but I am one of few who dont see Amaro as a TE. I see as a in motion HBack that by time ball snapped is outside the line of scrimmage area