Four of the Jets' five starting offensive linemen from last year return, but the big change is at left tackle. Ryan Clady, acquired in a trade from the Denver Broncos in April, has taken over for the retired D'Brickashaw Ferguson. And after taking a cautious approach with Clady this spring, the Jets have unleashed the four-time Pro Bowler during the team's first 10 summer practices.
"It's been going well," Clady said regarding training camp. "But there are a couple things I need to work on like my hands and just getting back into the rhythm of football. I've gotten into pretty good shape over the past couple weeks. I've had a lot of reps, but overall I think it's going pretty well."
The Boise State product called Denver home the past eight years, but he already feels comfortable in Chan Gailey's system.
"The communication is going very well," Clady said. "I think that's one of the things that experience in this league helps. The verbiage is a little different sometimes, but overall I think we communicate well. Nick [Mangold] is great at communicating and putting everybody in the right spots."
The Starting Lineup from the First Unofficial Depth Chart
The 6'6", 315-pound Clady may be physically imposing, but it took some time to break through his soft-spoken demeanor. During minicamp, right tackle Breno Giacomini referred to Clady as a "silent killer" and said the offensive line was trying to get him out of his shell. A month later, Clady is another member of the clan.
"I noticed this group has been really tight since OTAs and I think we've only gotten tighter since then," said Clady, who was the No. 12 overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft. "That's key for offensive linemen because we communicate out there. You have to be able to gel and work together off the field, so it's going very well."
Clady, who missed the entirety of 2015 with an ACL tear, is looking forward to playing under the lights Thursday in the team's preseason opener against Jacksonville.
"It's going to be fun," he said. "A little different environment even though I've played here before, but I'm excited."
