Jets general manager Joe Douglas has added depth across the board through different avenues, as he refers to them, free agency and the draft. Looking at the roster on paper, there's an argument that their deepest positions are inside linebacker and tight end.
Inside Linebacker
The Jets have six players with starting experience — All-Pro C.J. Mosley, Avery Williamson, Neville Hewitt, James Burgess, Blake Cashman and newcomer Patrick Onwuasor.
"I think the most unique thing about the room this year is that every guy has played," Mosley said. "With the injuries that we had, a lot of guys had to step into roles that they weren't comfortable playing and they did a great job doing it. A lot of guys were moving positions on the fly. … I think we got a lot better in that aspect with the ? experience of our linebacker corps."
Mosley recently told the media he's back to 100% after a core-muscle injury that caused him to miss 14 games in his first season in green and white. Williamson led the Jets with 159 tackles in 2018 and tore his ACL in the preseason. As a result, Hewitt (12 games) and Burgess (10 games) started for most of the season and Burgess' 90 tackles ranked second on the team while Hewitt finished third with 78.
"This is probably one of the most competitive groups I've been a part of," Hewitt said. "I've been a part of some really good groups and we have a room full of veterans. Everybody in there can play and started at one point in a game. It's a lot of competition in there and it's going to make everybody in the room better at the end of the day."
Douglas added Onwuasor, Mosley's former Baltimore teammate, in free agency. The fifth-year pro has played in 57 games (32 starts) and has totaled 234 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 5 forced fumbles.
"Adding Peanut, outside of defense, it adds another person on special teams because that's a big part of our team as well," Mosley said. "He has great experience on special teams and he takes special teams very seriously. He's always been a player that makes plays around the ball, he punches the ball out, he's a good run stopper."
Tight Ends
Similar to Hewitt and Burgess, injuries opened the door for Ryan Griffin last season. Chris Herndon missed all but a handful of snaps due to suspension and injury. Griffin, who signed an extension in November, recorded 34 catches for 320 yards and a career-high 5 touchdowns. Brown was re-signed in the offseason and the group also includes second-year TE Trevon Wesco and Ross Travis.
"Our group is a very unique group, a very unique and very skilled room," Herndon said. "We all bring a different type of game to this team. I really like our group a lot."
Herndon added he's fully healthy but will have a few more checkups with the Jets team doctors before he's officially cleared. The third-year pro is a triple threat at tight end — he's effective through the air (39 rec, 502 yards, 4 TDs in 2018) and both as a run and pass blocker, and head coach Adam Gase is ready to have him back in 2020.
"I think he is a guy we are excited to get back and can't really wait to get going and see how he will fit in with everything," Gase said. "We expected him to be a big part of the offense last year and we didn't even get that opportunity. I think we are adding a guy that is a very good player that is finally going to be able to get back in the mix of this thing."
