Jets' rookie Jace Amaro struggling to keep pace

New York Jets rookie tight end Jace Amaro set the pace in one of College Football’s fastest offenses. He caught 106 passes at Texas Tech. But in the NFL, he’s lagging behind.

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“A lot of people have high expectations for me,” Amaro said, via ESPN’s NFL Nation. “Right now, I’m trying to figure it all out.”

According to Rich Cimini, he’s been told by a teammate that he “can’t catch a cold!” Soon after, he ran the wrong route, which yielded some scolding from offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. Second-year quarterback Geno Smith seemed frustrated with the rookie. After the practice, however, John Izdik provided some perspective on the situation. He gave Amaro a much-deserved pep talk. He’s a rookie, making rookie mistakes. And he knows it.

“I have high expectations for myself, I know what I can do,” Amaro said. “I’m making a lot of things a lot more difficult than they should be, just because I’m not completely comfortable with the entire organization yet, from the playbook to not knowing how the coaches coach, little things like that.”

Rex Ryan acknowledged that this shouldn’t be a long-term problem. The Texas Tech offense may have been speedy, but it wasn’t particularly complicated. Once he adjusts to the Jets’ offensive jargon and comes to understand how his role gets from the playbook to the playing field, the 22-year-old will be ready for takeoff.

“We know he’s got the physical skills to do it,” coach Rex Ryan said. “He’s got to focus, and sometimes if your head is in other places and you’re thinking (too much), it’s hard to be at your best.”

“Eventually, it’s going to start clicking,” he added later. “When it does, I’ll really be able to showcase what I can do.”

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Jets’ rookie Jace Amaro struggling to keep pace

By Henry McKenna | Jul 30, 2014