TE dept. : Austin Seferian-Jenkins says he's Jets' answer at tight end: 'No doubt in my mind' ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

Austin Seferian-Jenkins says he's Jets' answer at tight end: 'No doubt in my mind'

 

Austin Seferian-Jenkins #88 of the New York Jets warms up during a game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on November 6, 2016 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann | Getty Images)

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By Connor Hughes | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 
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on December 31, 2016 at 7:00 AM, updated December 31, 2016 at 7:05 AM

 

 

 

FLORHAM PARK -- For the last two years, the Jets haven't had a tight end. Well, at least not one who made any form of an impact.

Where did it all go wrong for the Jets in 2016?

They had guys who could block, maybe sneak out into the flat once or twice a game. But no difference makers or playmakers. No guys the opposition ever paid attention to.

If it's up to Austin Seferian-Jenkins, that will change in 2017.

"Absolutely," Seferian-Jenkins told NJ Advance Media this week. "I will be that guy. No doubt in my mind."As this year comes to a close, no one is happier to see the calendar change than the Jets' 6-6, 262-pound tight end. The last 12 months have been one controversy and obstacle after another for the 24-year-old.

His season began with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was thrown out of practice during training camp, then cut from the team a month later following a second arrest for a DUI. The Jets claimed him off the waiver wire, but injuries have kept him from making a difference on the field.In total, he has played nine of 16 games. He has 13 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown.

 

Williams wants to be a leader in 2017

Leonard Williams plans on being more vocal next season.

 

"It has been a challenging year," Seferian-Jenkins said. "Everything we've gone through as a team, what I personally experienced in Tampa, the losing season. I'm just thankful I get to come out here and play football."

Off-field issues behind him, Seferian-Jenkins said his sole focus is how he can not only get on the field, but stay there. Which means, more than anything else, rounding out his game.In college at Washington, Seferian-Jenkins was seldom asked to stay in and run or pass block. He was arguably the team's most athletic player, so the coaches wanted him out running routes. He finished his collegiate career with 146 catches for 1,840 yards and 21 touchdowns in 37 games.

With the Jets, though, Jenkins knows he needs to do more than just catch passes.

 

Who's in and out vs. Bills?

The Jets aren't exactly healthy heading into this weekend's game.

 

"S---, yeah," Seferian-Jenkins said. "If I want to play, I have to block. It's really just about understanding that. I have a great positional coach in Jimmie Johnson. He definitely helps me in understanding the techniques. I never used to block. It takes time."In early December, coach Todd Bowles said Seferian-Jenkins had gotten "a lot better" at blocking. It's a big reason why he saw his playing time increase before suffering a hamstring injury, which will sideline him for this Sunday's season finale against the Bills.

Seferian-Jenkins admitted he's nowhere close to where he wants to be as a blocker, but he's making progress. That's "the biggest thing," he says.Seferian-Jenkins said he'll take a few weeks off after the season to rehab and get his body right, then hit the weight room. He wants to report back for Jets' organized team activities in May in "the best shape of [his] life." He'll talk to the training staff about how he can get quicker and faster, too.

The Jets told Seferian-Jenkins the tight end position is there for the taking. He wants to grab it."I'm going to stretch the field vertically, and I'm going to do everything in between," Seferian-Jenkins said. "I'm excited for the opportunity next year. I want to come back and be a force to be reckoned with."  

>       http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/12/austin_seferian-jenkins_confident_he_can_be_jets_p.html#incart_river_index

[munchmemory]

Another bum who's a second from being out of the NFL for some infraction or other.   

[BigRy56]

Maybe he should try catching the ball when it's thrown to him

[C Mart]

He needs to be able to STAY on the field i.e. stay healthy. Can't make the team from the tub

[Sarge4Tide]

In the right system, with the right coaching, he could very well be  

[BurnleyJet]

I think he will be fine, bigger issues here then ASJ.

[Snell41]

I don't think he's a bad player at all. Better than Amaro for certain. Problem is we don't use TE's


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[thadude]

2 hours ago, BigRy56 said:

Maybe he should try catching the ball when it's thrown to him

I thought he wasn't bad this year.  We definitely need a tight end better than Kellen Davis and Jace "I'm an unemployed asswipe" Amaro

[Sperm Edwards]

I don't know about you guys, but now I'm totally relieved.

[HessStation]

It could potentially be such a bright spot to such a dark season if he could develop into a solid NFL TE. He has all the potential. Good teams always have stories like this. So doubt it happens. 

[munchmemory]

1 minute ago, Sperm Edwards said:

I don't know about you guys, but now I'm totally relieved.

I'm feeling the same level of confidence and calm as when Gholston was anointed our savior at his position.

[Sperm Edwards]

2 minutes ago, munchmemory said:

I'm feeling the same level of confidence and calm as when Gholston was anointed our savior at his position.

And now I feel even better.

[August]

I think he can be an above average TE, they need to design more plays for him. 

[Tinstar]

At the least, it would appear that this young man has a plan than will get him healthy, work on improving himself at his position and keep himself out of trouble .   I commend the young man for the effort . 

[Jack Straw]

I've read this article a million times before, the only difference being the name and the position of the player involved.

Bryce Petty (six pack abs), Jace Amaro (slimmed down and healthy), Dee Milliner (started doing yoga), Geno Smith (working with Tom House), Quinton Coples (lost weight), Kyle Wilson (shadowed and trained with Revis), etc. etc. 

This is a pure fluff piece and should be sent to the dump where it belongs with the rest of failure Jets.

[Tinstar]

9 minutes ago, August said:

I think he can be an above average TE, they need to design more plays for him. 

Don't you think that will happen with a full off season in the strength and conditioning program and in the OTAs  ?

[Rangers9]

3 hours ago, Sarge4Tide said:

In the right system, with the right coaching, he could very well be  

Agreed Sarge. He's worth bringing back. 

[maury77]

He's cheap and we have nothing else on the roster so he will be back. A full offseason with the team may improve his productivity. I would not pass on a TE in the draft because of ASJ. 

[SickJetFan]

Macc was lucky to replace jace amaro with asj....asj next contract should be reasonable too...just someone please call him an uber.

[Tinstar]

3 minutes ago, maury77 said:

He's cheap and we have nothing else on the roster so he will be back. A full offseason with the team may improve his productivity. I would not pass on a TE in the draft because of ASJ. 

I would, because outside of Howard and maybe Butt, all the others are really just receivers . Jets have 3 candidate and maybe 4 in the TE room, and they can always add a late round prospect to the room . It's not as big an issue as we're making it .

[August]

34 minutes ago, Tinstar said:

Don't you think that will happen with a full off season in the strength and conditioning program and in the OTAs  ?

Maybe but who knows. 

[Tinstar]

2 hours ago, Jack Straw said:

I've read this article a million times before, the only difference being the name and the position of the player involved.

Bryce Petty (six pack abs), Jace Amaro (slimmed down and healthy), Dee Milliner (started doing yoga), Geno Smith (working with Tom House), Quinton Coples (lost weight), Kyle Wilson (shadowed and trained with Revis), etc. etc. 

This is a pure fluff piece and should be sent to the dump where it belongs with the rest of failure Jets.

Maybe you would prefer an article where a player told you he was going to go home, drink beer, eat chicken wings and donuts and sleep . What the frill is wrong with you people ?

[bitonti]

best case, ASJ could be used like a Delanie Walker extra WR. He can't block worth a damn. 

[C Mart]

4 minutes ago, bitonti said:

best case, ASJ could be used like a Delanie Walker extra WR. He can't block worth a damn. 

Yet the article said he improved and he know he needs to get better to play and plans to take the necessary steps. 

[Tinstar]

The 1st step is want too, and he appears to want too .

[bitonti]

5 minutes ago, C Mart said:

Yet the article said he improved and he know he needs to get better to play and plans to take the necessary steps. 

I don't have the gifs handy but next time ASJ is on the field for a running play, check his effort. He seriously just stands there and lets people run right by. It's worse than having no blocker at all. 

[The Walrus]

He's a big target with potential. Keep him on, let him progress.Not everyone is going to be pro bowl, if he can make some catches that contribute at the TE position it's better than what we've had.

[RoadFan]

Oh clearly he is the TE the Jets have been seeking?!?!  ASJ drops big turds, he is a turd, and the Jets franchise is a turd.

Personally, I would dump ASJ like a turd in the off-season.  Immature players with bad attitudes won't make this team better.

Take out the trash...

[ASH1962]

4 hours ago, BurnleyJet said:

I think he will be fine, bigger issues here then ASJ.

Totally agree, he is one player who if he get his $hit together could be a mainstay for us at TE, just one position we do not have to address at the moment since we will have openings at virtually every other position.

[rangerous]

asj can be all he wants to be.  the real issue is if the jets really need another potential issue in the locker room.  maybe asj doesn't pick fights with team mates but he got kicked out of practice for some reason and then got a dui.  the jets players don't need to be a bunch of choirboys but at the same time the jets shouldn't be a place to rehab players.  get on the winning track first then they can bring in some marginally disruptive guys like asj.

[Jack Straw]

1 hour ago, Tinstar said:

Maybe you would prefer an article where a player told you he was going to go home, drink beer, eat chicken wings and donuts and sleep . What the frill is wrong with you people ?

The point being is I put exactly zero stock in any of these fluff pieces.

I was told in a fluff piece that Dexter MacDougle was the hardest working guy on the Maryland team and then find out that he showed up to minicamp fat and out of shape. I'm told that Darrelle Revis' spends the off-seasons studying his opposing receivers' game tape and then find out that he didn't know Marquise Goodwin was an olympic sprinter. I'm told that Chad Pennington improved his arm strength through vigorous training sessions and then watch him skip footballs at Santana Moss' feet. 

If you enjoy BS news stories, then more power to you. But when I see it I'm going to call it out. This is fake news as far as I'm concerned.

[Tinstar]

2 minutes ago, Jack Straw said:

The point being is I put exactly zero stock in any of these fluff pieces.

I was told in a fluff piece that Dexter MacDougle was the hardest working guy on the Maryland team and then find out that he showed up to minicamp fat and out of shape. I'm told that Darrelle Revis' spends the off-seasons studying his opposing receivers' game tape and then find out that he didn't know Marquise Goodwin was an olympic sprinter. I'm told that Chad Pennington improved his arm strength through vigorous training sessions and then watch him skip footballs at Santana Moss' feet. 

If you enjoy BS news stories, then more power to you. But when I see it I'm going to call it out. This is fake news as far as I'm concerned.

What would it take for you to say something nice  ? Who exactly will it hurt  ?  What is wrong with just looking at the glass half full instead of half empty ?   Give yourself a hug and tell yourself how much you love you some you ?

[Lupz27]

2 hours ago, Tinstar said:

Maybe you would prefer an article where a player told you he was going to go home, drink beer, eat chicken wings and donuts and sleep . What the frill is wrong with you people ?

I'd relate better.

[OH THE PAIN]

Again , who is this kelly chick ?

[jeremy2020]

Excellent, based on his past decisions..I totally trust in his ability to judge the situation.