NFL Preview: Breaking down the 2015 New York Jets

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

WR Starters: Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Jeremy Kerley

TE Starter: Jace Amaro

WR Depth: T.J. Graham, DeVier Posey, Chris Owusu, Quincy Enunwa, Walter Powell, Saalim Hakim, Shaquelle Evans, Devin Smith [R]

TE Depth: Jeff Cumberland, Kellen Davis, Steve Maneri, Wes Saxton [R]

Last season the New York Jets added Eric Decker to their roster to help give the quarterback position a reliable target. This offseason they added Brandon Marshall via trade.

Decker saw his production slip in 2014, but still managed respectable numbers considering he downgraded severely at quarterback. Decker doesn’t fit as a No. 1 receiver, but did prove last season that he isn’t a guy who only performs well with elite quarterbacks. He should see an improvement in numbers this year with Marshall across from him, as the former Bear is a magnet for defenders.

Much like Decker last season, Marshall finds himself with a downgraded quarterback, though the step down to what the Jets have from Jay Cutler isn’t as severe as one Decker faced when leaving Peyton Manning. Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey will ease the transition, as he finds unusual ways to get his players the targets they need. Last season saw Marshall miss some games due to injury and finish with less than 1,000 yards for the first time since his rookie year, but he should be able to return to his average this year should he stay healthy.

Jeremy Kerley is in a tenuous position with second round pick Devin Smith in town. While the two do very different things—Kerley is more of a slot guy while Smith is a vertical—there are only so many targets to go around. Expect Kerley to fade a little as the season progresses and Smith improves his route running.

Overall, Smith should be a great fit in Gailey’s high-speed offense, and the team will use him to knock the lid off coverages and free up some underneath routes. If the offense goes four wide, Kerley will see more looks, but if Smith has a good camp he should see a lot more snaps and work as the No. 3.

The presence of Smith also hurts T.J. Graham, a guy whom the Jets brought in as an occasional deep threat.  As little as he did last season, it’s hard to imagine him making the team unless he starts to contribute more on special teams, like Chris Owusu. Mostly a slot guy when he plays on offense, Owusu is primarily a player you keep for his special teams prowess.

Quincy Enunwa is a fast receiver who does a great job as a run blocker as well. While there is little room for him to hang on just because of that, he’s a better bet than Walter Powell, who was highly productive at Murray State but is undersized. Like many of the bottom roster athletes, Powell can return kicks, but the Jets aren’t going to keep all of these guys. Saalim Hakim was the Jets’ primary kick returner last season, and his speed and agility make him the favorite for that position again this year. So everyone else has a fight on their hands.

Finally, Shaq Evans spent last year on injured reserve after he had surgery to repair a torn labrum. He struggled with drops in camp last year and had trouble standing out from the crowd, but the Jets like his size. Evans is another guy who isn’t a product of the new regime, so their patience might wear thin more quickly.

At tight end, Jace Amaro should take a big step forward. Ourlads has him behind Jeff Cumberland right now, but I don’t think that lasts, and have already moved him up. He had some issues with drops during his rookie season, but he fits much better in Gailey’s spread scheme than Marty Mornhinweg’s West Coast offense. The Jets will probably try and get Amaro off the line more quickly and cleanly, which will create more opportunities for him to matchup against linebackers who will struggle to contain his size.

Meanwhile, as a former wide receiver, Cumberland should have had more of an impact, right? But he’s not great catching the ball, and even worse he’s not a great blocker. So what Cumberland’s role is going forward is a bit murky. This is why I have him behind Amaro.

Rookie undrafted free agent Wes Saxton also lacks blocking ability, but athletically he’s a very attractive pass-catching option. That said, except for his junior year at South Alabama (when he caught 50 balls) Saxton didn’t see much action and his senior year saw a big dip in production. It’s a limited history so who knows what we’ll see from him.

Kellen Davis has the opposite going for him—he can block but isn’t a great pass catcher. That alone should lock him down a roster spot given how few of the tight ends can block. On the other hand, New York could decide to keep both fullbacks instead.

Steve Maneri just signed with the team after they cut Zach Sudfeld. Like Sudfeld, Maneri is a former Patriot (as well as a former Chief, Bear and Buccaneer), and he has really done very little at the pro level. He’s a blocker, but don’t expect him to survive summer cuts. Consider him a camp body.

Overall, the Jets have a lot of talent to catch the ball both at tight end and wide receiver. As always, the question is whether they also have a quarterback who can deliver the ball.

Next: Offensive line