This off-season comes with a lot of uncertainties at almost every position... Full rebuild mode doesn't mean this team won't compete this year... Just means there is more talent vying for starting roles, situational roles and special team jobs are on the line... This team has a plethora of talent throughout just finding what pieces gel together to get the best production overall every game is what they are searching for... Last year one of the main problems was a disastrous secondary led by too many moving parts... Safety and Corner positions were a mess and the team addressed both needs this draft and free agency... Improving one position helps others execute and produce like the secondary able to allow the front seven to penetrate will cause disruption and eventually or inevitably force turnovers something this defense last year could NOT do... On offense, the run game was good not great but still good... Leaving questions can we find the aerial attack again?
Safety
Calvin Pryor looks to be the goat this year, a man without a role in a newly redesigned secondary with both Adams and Maye expected to be the starters, respectively... Even Rontez Miles has a role on this team and it is in his special teams role... Players whom are a long shot would be both Ronald Martin and Doug Middleton... So what to do with Calvin Pryor? Highly doubt as suggested by many that the Jets will run three safety sets, not out of the realm of possibility but in today's game it is more than likely we should be lining up this way... Both Adams and Pryor thrive in the box, using another first round albeit a top ten pick basically makes Pryor whom the team declined to pick up his fifth year team option could be a simple release in preseason...
Quarterback
Bryce Petty has the tools and some playing time but is still in rehab from his shoulder injury... What to make of where Christian Hackenberg is now, is a mystery? Signing Josh McCown looks like a joke move but there was really no other option... A team that has no leadership in the locker room needed a voice regardless if he was brought here to compete he shouldn't be anointed the starter like who was the last couple seasons... If Petty is healthy he should be the fall back option if Hackenberg isn't ready to take the starting role... With that said there is a slim chance McCown doesn't make the roster if both Petty and Hackenberg show anything resembling a capable option this off season/training camp...
Outside Linebacker
Jordan Jenkins showed he is a capable starter with upside... That said there is still that need of an edge rusher lining up on the other side of Jenkins... Lorenzo Mauldin flashes the ability but durability is his achilles... This year's fifth year selection Dylan Donahue looks to unseat Lorenzo Mauldin and has a real good shot in doing so... This regime isn't tied to any player on the roster as it has been noted they are in a full rebuild mode making every position open competition until someone takes those jobs... Mauldin entering this off season ten pounds lighter hopefully to regain his athleticism he entered the league with... Donahue is expected to really contend to start opening day, so this position battle will get really interesting...
Tight End
Austin Seferian Jenkins is penciled in as the starter, with both rookie tight end Jordan Leggett and second year man Braedon Bowman pushing the eraser for the job... Even newcomer Brian Parker is also on the radar to contend for the starting role... Jenkins is only suspended for the first two games of the season more than enough time for Leggett and company to make him an obsolete option at this position... Strong off season by any one of the three then producing in the first two season games could push S. Jenkins out the door... Austin S. Jenkins looks to have carved out a role on this team and just needs to continue his production from last season and he will at worst be the number two tight end on this roster....
Corner
Restricted free agent Marcus Williams signed his tender but doesn't guarantee him a roster spot, his tender is NOT guaranteed... Depending on how this position plays out expect a real push from the two drafted rookies to make the roster... Depending if Claiborne stays healthy he has locked up one of the two guaranteed other spots along with Buster Skrine... Second year man Juston Burris looks to be in position to take a roster spot leaving the question how many corners will this team carry... This was one of the worst positions on last year's team, so expecting to have a deep rotation to develop while competing is a must....
Right Tackle
Small sample size from last year's rookie Brandon Shell looks to be the anointed starter opening the question what about Brent Qvale? Qvale looked to be the guy until Shell stole the show the final three games of the season... Albeit, Shell had help being one of the options playing right tackle in that stretch but when he was in, he held down the fort... Unless Shell comes out flat expect him to be the starter entering the season... Qvale showcased last season that he has more potential as an interior lineman but both guard positions looked to be locked up with Carpenter and Winters... But anything is possible expect Qvale to make a push to be a situational role player at right tackle throughout season...
Runningback
Deserving a shot to be the guy doesn't always mean that player will get that chance... In this instance Bilal Powell has everything a team would want from a LEAD back but hasn't gotten the shot to be that guy... Matt Forte coming off another injury in his plagued career still seems in the coaching eyes to be the guy leading this position... Depending on health could Powell snake this role away from the old wiley veteran... Powell's ability to block, catch and be an explosive runner would be a perfect compliment to either young quarterback vying for the starting job... Rookie McGuire also has a slim chance but expect him at best to be the third back on this year's roster...
Receiver
So many angles and options in this position group... Only three receivers from last year look to be inline to make this year's roster... One, Robby Anderson might get suspended for his off season altercation and arrest in Florida a few weeks ago but that isn't guaranteed to be punishable this year since the matter is still ongoing... Both Quincy Enunwa (contract year) and veteran Eric Decker look to be locks... Leaves the questions who else? and how many? This year's selection Chad Hansen looks to be competing against Charone Peake, for Peake this is an uphill battle... ArDarius Stewart this year's third round selection looks to be the immediate replacement for Devin Smith who is on injured reserve... What to do with Jalin Marshall, the Jets may have shown by claiming K.D. Cannon and signing Quinton Patton... At the end of the day we know the type of role Enunwa will play opening the door or need for two outside receivers... Decker and Hansen could be this option... Then Enunwa and Stewart are the three and four receivers then leaving one spot for the others to compete for? And who is likely to win this spot from Peake, Marshall, Cannon and Patton, now this will get interesting... If Petty is in the driver seat to be the starter expect his guy K.D. Cannon to have a real shot to steal that final spot...
Safety
Calvin Pryor looks to be the goat this year, a man without a role in a newly redesigned secondary with both Adams and Maye expected to be the starters, respectively... Even Rontez Miles has a role on this team and it is in his special teams role... Players whom are a long shot would be both Ronald Martin and Doug Middleton... So what to do with Calvin Pryor? Highly doubt as suggested by many that the Jets will run three safety sets, not out of the realm of possibility but in today's game it is more than likely we should be lining up this way... Both Adams and Pryor thrive in the box, using another first round albeit a top ten pick basically makes Pryor whom the team declined to pick up his fifth year team option could be a simple release in preseason...
Quarterback
Bryce Petty has the tools and some playing time but is still in rehab from his shoulder injury... What to make of where Christian Hackenberg is now, is a mystery? Signing Josh McCown looks like a joke move but there was really no other option... A team that has no leadership in the locker room needed a voice regardless if he was brought here to compete he shouldn't be anointed the starter like who was the last couple seasons... If Petty is healthy he should be the fall back option if Hackenberg isn't ready to take the starting role... With that said there is a slim chance McCown doesn't make the roster if both Petty and Hackenberg show anything resembling a capable option this off season/training camp...
Outside Linebacker
Jordan Jenkins showed he is a capable starter with upside... That said there is still that need of an edge rusher lining up on the other side of Jenkins... Lorenzo Mauldin flashes the ability but durability is his achilles... This year's fifth year selection Dylan Donahue looks to unseat Lorenzo Mauldin and has a real good shot in doing so... This regime isn't tied to any player on the roster as it has been noted they are in a full rebuild mode making every position open competition until someone takes those jobs... Mauldin entering this off season ten pounds lighter hopefully to regain his athleticism he entered the league with... Donahue is expected to really contend to start opening day, so this position battle will get really interesting...
Tight End
Austin Seferian Jenkins is penciled in as the starter, with both rookie tight end Jordan Leggett and second year man Braedon Bowman pushing the eraser for the job... Even newcomer Brian Parker is also on the radar to contend for the starting role... Jenkins is only suspended for the first two games of the season more than enough time for Leggett and company to make him an obsolete option at this position... Strong off season by any one of the three then producing in the first two season games could push S. Jenkins out the door... Austin S. Jenkins looks to have carved out a role on this team and just needs to continue his production from last season and he will at worst be the number two tight end on this roster....
Corner
Restricted free agent Marcus Williams signed his tender but doesn't guarantee him a roster spot, his tender is NOT guaranteed... Depending on how this position plays out expect a real push from the two drafted rookies to make the roster... Depending if Claiborne stays healthy he has locked up one of the two guaranteed other spots along with Buster Skrine... Second year man Juston Burris looks to be in position to take a roster spot leaving the question how many corners will this team carry... This was one of the worst positions on last year's team, so expecting to have a deep rotation to develop while competing is a must....
Right Tackle
Small sample size from last year's rookie Brandon Shell looks to be the anointed starter opening the question what about Brent Qvale? Qvale looked to be the guy until Shell stole the show the final three games of the season... Albeit, Shell had help being one of the options playing right tackle in that stretch but when he was in, he held down the fort... Unless Shell comes out flat expect him to be the starter entering the season... Qvale showcased last season that he has more potential as an interior lineman but both guard positions looked to be locked up with Carpenter and Winters... But anything is possible expect Qvale to make a push to be a situational role player at right tackle throughout season...
Runningback
Deserving a shot to be the guy doesn't always mean that player will get that chance... In this instance Bilal Powell has everything a team would want from a LEAD back but hasn't gotten the shot to be that guy... Matt Forte coming off another injury in his plagued career still seems in the coaching eyes to be the guy leading this position... Depending on health could Powell snake this role away from the old wiley veteran... Powell's ability to block, catch and be an explosive runner would be a perfect compliment to either young quarterback vying for the starting job... Rookie McGuire also has a slim chance but expect him at best to be the third back on this year's roster...
Receiver
So many angles and options in this position group... Only three receivers from last year look to be inline to make this year's roster... One, Robby Anderson might get suspended for his off season altercation and arrest in Florida a few weeks ago but that isn't guaranteed to be punishable this year since the matter is still ongoing... Both Quincy Enunwa (contract year) and veteran Eric Decker look to be locks... Leaves the questions who else? and how many? This year's selection Chad Hansen looks to be competing against Charone Peake, for Peake this is an uphill battle... ArDarius Stewart this year's third round selection looks to be the immediate replacement for Devin Smith who is on injured reserve... What to do with Jalin Marshall, the Jets may have shown by claiming K.D. Cannon and signing Quinton Patton... At the end of the day we know the type of role Enunwa will play opening the door or need for two outside receivers... Decker and Hansen could be this option... Then Enunwa and Stewart are the three and four receivers then leaving one spot for the others to compete for? And who is likely to win this spot from Peake, Marshall, Cannon and Patton, now this will get interesting... If Petty is in the driver seat to be the starter expect his guy K.D. Cannon to have a real shot to steal that final spot...