5 breakout stars to watch for New York Jets in 2020

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 22: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Sam Darnold #14 of the New York Jets in against the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium on December 22, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Jets defeated the Steelers 16-10. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 22: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Sam Darnold #14 of the New York Jets in against the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium on December 22, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Jets defeated the Steelers 16-10. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – AUGUST 29: Linebacker Blake Cashman #53 of the New York Jets in action against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium on August 29, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – AUGUST 29: Linebacker Blake Cashman #53 of the New York Jets in action against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium on August 29, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images) /

After a rough start, Adam Gase’s team started to get its act together in 2019. So which players could emerge for the New York Jets this upcoming season?

It was a team that utilized three different quarterbacks in its first two games. It’s also a club that rebounded from a 1-7 start to win six of its final eight contests. While Adam Gase’s first season as the head coach of the New York Jets didn’t produce a winning record, it was filled with more positives than negatives by season’s end.

This off season, general manager Joe Douglas has been feverishly trying to cure what ails the team the most – namely a shaky offensive line.

This is a club that has quite the few standout players. But it’s also a franchise that’s gone more than half a century without winning an NFL title. And the Jets have not even been to the postseason since 2010. So which five players with the team at the moment could we see elevate their performances in 2020?

5. LB Blake Cashman

Slowly but surely this past season, Gregg Williams’ defensive unit started to get its act together. Early on, the Jets defense did not get a lot of support from the other side of the football. But the club wound up allowing the second-fewest rushing yards in the league in 2019 and for what it’s worth, limited four of its final seven opponents to 17 or fewer points.

Rookie linebacker Blake Cashman played in the team’s first seven games and made five starts before going down with a season-ending injury. Meanwhile, offseason free-agent pickup C.J. Mosley from the Baltimore Ravens appeared in only two games. Hence, the fifth-round pick from the University of Minnesota would finish with 40 tackles, 0.5 sack and a fumble recovery and he bears watching in 2020.

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