O Jets ended his sixth day of training camp. Here are the conclusions…
– There was optimism inside the Jets building that Haason Reddick, which New York acquired via trade from the Eagles, would end its holdout and report back on Monday. That wasn’t the case. Reddick is still not around and his absence is proving costly. The Jets have already fined Reddick $100,000 for missing minicamp. He was fined an additional $300,000 for the days missed in training camp ($50,000 per). Now, because he missed six, he is subject to an additional penalty (per the CBA) that is 15% of his prorated signing bonus ($300,000). Roberto Saleh said he “assumes” the Jets will fine him that amount, which is not mandatory. That’s a total of $700,000. Remember: Reddick also waived a $250,000 workout bonus in his contract to participate in the offseason program.
– Monday was the Jets’ first day in pads. It was also the worst practice for the offense – just a very sloppy day. Dropped passes that led to interceptions (Image: Getty Images)Allen Lazard, Chuck Clark), missed blocking assignments, and bad snaps (three of Joe Tippmann) I had Aaron Rodgers screaming on several occasions. Rodgers finished 8 of 13 with the interception. He also took two bags (Javon Kinlaw, Samuel Eguavoén). The Jets end every practice with a drive-the-field drill. The attack reached the red zone, but stopped after a sack (the entire pocket collapsed) and a disposal.
– Tippmann’s bad photos are becoming a trend. He had a few in every practice. Monday marked the first time Rodgers failed to survive them. He had to catch one with one hand before throwing it away. Another was so wrong that an attacker (he didn’t know who) stepped on him as he tried to catch him, causing him to fall on a handoff to Breece Salon. Tippmann later went sideways and trained with a positional coach. More alarming: the problems remained there. This is worth monitoring.
– The Jets drafted Did McDonald in the first round last year. Two high-ranking sources told me that night that they loved his advantage, but in order for him to capitalize on it, he needed to gain “15 to 20 pounds.” They knew it wouldn’t be possible before his rookie season, but they felt it would be possible during the offseason/entering his sophomore year. The Jets danced around McDonald’s weight issues during organized team activities and minicamp. On Monday, Saleh admitted that McDonald weighs “about the same” as his rookie year. He said he’s stronger (more muscles), but I can’t help but think about those early conversations. McDonald hasn’t been around camp much and others are starting to work in front of him. Saleh said he needs to learn to move “through people,” not just around them. It’s clearly a work in progress.
– Running back Braelon Allen had a good day with two good races in the team period with the second team attack. He broke into one in the secondary, hit a defender with a truck and then strong-armed another. Hall is the Jets’ bitch – there’s no denying that. Allen is a very interesting prospect, though, who could fight for some playing time. Either way: It doesn’t look like the Jets will lose much when Hall leaves.
– Lazard, who had a terrible first season with the Jets and left him inactive at the end of the season, spoke out for the first time this summer. He said his goal is to “reestablish (my) value to this team” and that he “learned a lot about (himself)” in 2023. Lazard had a good start to camp, capping two separate practices with red-zone touchdowns. His drop on Monday led to an interception (Clark). Of note: Lazard said he has removed (for now) the football he used to warm up with.
