The Jets close out the preseason on Friday night against the Philadelphia Eagles. We won’t see many prominent Jets take the field, but the game has implications for the 53 man roster. It will be a final chance for players in position battles and roster battles to make a case to the coaching staff. Let’s take a look at some of the key battles to watch.
Third Quarterback Spot
Through the first two games, Adrian Martinez has looked better than Brady Cook. It isn’t just that he has shown more command of
the offense and more comfort in the pocket. He also has shown much more zip on his passes and ability to use his legs. It isn’t clear that Cook can surpass Martinez. The question for the two might be whether Martinez plays well enough to earn a spot on the 53 man roster rather than the practice squad. If he does, could Cook convince the Jets to give him a practice squad slot as the number four quarterback?
Final Running Back Spot
This is a bit of an educated guess, but I think there is likely one spot at running back up for grabs. The contenders are Donovan Edwards and Kene Nwangwu. This time last week, I thought Edwards had the inside track. Now I think things have swung in Nwangwu’s direction. Nwangwu seems like a favorite to land a return role at this point. He also ran tough against the Giants and had a blitz pickup.
Wide Receiver
With the news that the Jets could be seeking a trade, there are a number of bubble players at the position who need to step up. They include Malachi Corley who seems to be playing himself off the team and Xavier Gipson who hasn’t shown much. It also includes undrafted free agent Jamaal Pritchett and Brandon Smith, who appear to be close to coin flips to make the team at the moment.
Defensive Tackle
We might be speculating about wide receiver trades, but the Jets already made trades for two defensive tackles this week. Two players who would have made the team before those trades will now be cut. Harrison Phillips is joins the team as a likely starter next to Quinnen Williams. Jowon Briggs probably wouldn’t be a lock to make many rosters in the league under normal circumstances, but it wouldn’t make sense for the Jets to give up Draft positioning to acquire him only to cut him a few days later. That means Derrick Nnadi, Jay Tufele, and even Leonard Taylor could be in jeopardy.
Cornerback
I have my eye on a pair of recent late round picks, Qwan’tez Stiggers and Jarrick Bernard-Converse. The recent season-ending injury to Kris Boyd has opened up a potential path to the Jets keeping both Stiggers and Bernard-Converse, but that is no guarantee. At this point, Stiggers has looked like the better special teamer, while Bernard-Converse has been better in coverage. If either shines in the other’s area of expertise, it could be a deciding factor in roster considerations.
