Here’s a general rule for first-year Jets coach Robert Saleh: It’s never a bad idea to be in the same category as Bill Belichick, Andy Reid, and Mike Tomlin.
Saleh is “leaning toward” playing quarterback Zach Wilson, the starting offensive line and most of the starting defense until possibly Friday’s first two quarters against the Eagles. If Saleh adheres to the plan, after playing headlines in the first two preseason games, the Jets will have perhaps the least cobwebs of any NFL team leaving the preseason because many others completely rule out all three games.
“Half of the league does not play anyone and the other half plays [starters]Saleh said. “And then there are young coaches who don’t play anyone, but veteran coaches like Belichick, Tomlin and Andy Reid play their boys. It’s like, ‘Well, what’s up?’ fantastic over the next five years to see how these work. ”
Belichick, Reid and Tomlin are three of the four most winning active coaches and have eight Super Bowl victories.
The growing feeling around the NFL is that joint practices, such as the Jets ending Wednesday against the Eagles, after doing the same with the Packers last week, offer more valuable evaluation periods than preseason games. Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas discussed Tuesday how to deal with the situation, as more and more teams can’t play headlines in a single preseason game.
“I’m sure that finally, with all the performance equipment being implemented, there will be a very interesting formula on how to tackle these three games in the preseason with the advent of science,” Saleh said. “We trust in the way we do things. We have a ridiculously young team, growing and learning and all these experiences are so important to them. They have improved a lot from the first day of camp until now, and to go out now I think we would do them an injustice. “
A pair of rookies, G Alijah Vera-Tucker and WR Elijah Moore, both of whom have been slowed down by injuries at camp, are not expected to play on Friday. The Jets lost OT Conor McDermott and LB Jarrad Davis to injuries in the preseason games.
“I still think injuries are part of luck,” Saleh said.
With the injuries mounting in the Jets (including LT Mekhi Becton in the concussion protocol), it was time to breathe when OG Greg Van Roten did not practice. Exhale.
“A veterans-free day,” Saleh said. “The first of the camp.”
Eagles CB Steven Nelson, a seven-year veteran, offered a endorsement to Wilson after two joint practices.
“He threw some nice balls, and it looked like he was progressing pretty well,” Nelson said. “I think it will have a bright future.”
As it was in the spring, WR Braxton Berrios has once again become his favorite target, either taking a touchdown pass in the red zone period or taking close-up shots during Exercises 1 vs. 1. The WR Keelan Cole was caught in the act when he crashed into the ground unexpectedly.
The Eagles first- and second-team offense scored touchdowns during a two-minute competitive exercise at the end of practice, on the connections of Jalen Hurts-to-DeVonta Smith and Joe Flacco-to-Jack Stoll. The Jets first- and second-team players didn’t score, with a Wilson turn that ended in a fourth sack.
Vera-Tucker was full of pads and participated in team exercises during her second practice after a pectoral injury. But the rookie first-round pick was rotating between the first- and second-team offenses as it increased.
Wilson was 8-for-15 in team periods, including 2-for-2 in the two-minute drill. He threw touchdown passes to Berrios and WR Jeff Smith during the red zone period. He sought a quarterback exchange. A pass behind TE Tyler Kroft on triple coverage and a pass just out of Kroft’s reach in the end zone meant two breaches.
CB Brandin Echols (hip) returned after injuring his hip on Tuesday. RB La’Mical Perine is injured.