HEADLINES

Max Mitchell

Mekhi Becton Wins Jets’ RT Job

August 27th, 2023 at 7:43am CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 27: Becton has indeed won the starting RT job. Saleh made the announcement to reporters, including Connor Hughes of SNY.tv, following the Jets’ preseason victory over the Giants last night.

“He’s doing all of the right stuff,” Saleh said of Becton (via Eric Edholm of NFL.com). “He has a lot of energy. He’s speaking the right language. He has a lot of positive self-talk. He’s in the training room every day working on that knee and making sure that it’s always fresh and ready to roll. He just has to stay on it and he can’t get complacent with where he’s at now. He has a lot to play for. He has gotten better every single day. He has gotten more confident in his knee.”

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers also spoke positively of Becton’s performance in the game itself (via Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network).

September 11, the date of the Jets’ Week 1 matchup with the Bills, will be almost two years to the day since Becton last appeared in a regular season game.

AUGUST 22: Mekhi Becton‘s gradual return to first-string duty will lead to a preseason start. The former first-round pick has spent most of the Jets’ training camp as a backup, but Robert Saleh said (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) he will start at right tackle in the team’s preseason finale.

While teams often sit starters in their final preseason tilts, Aaron Rodgers will make his Jets debut in this one. Becton being summoned for a start points to the Jets giving serious consideration to the fourth-year veteran making a long-delayed return to the starting lineup.

Duane Brown remains on track — tentatively, at least — to reprise his role as the Jets’ left tackle. Brown is visiting a specialist in Houston on Tuesday, and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini notes the expectation is the 16th-year blocker could be activated off the active/PUP list as soon as today (Twitter link). Brown, 37, is in the final stages of his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery. While Brown taking this long to return from an early-offseason procedure probably should set off alarm bells, the Jets have shown faith in the former Pro Bowler, who is tied to a two-year deal worth $20MM.

Brown only came to New York after Becton’s second major knee injury. Becton said his move to right tackle — to accommodate George Fant ahead of Gang Green’s 2022 training camp — played a significant role in the reinjury, placing blame on the Jets’ coaching staff for moving him from his natural left tackle position. But Becton has warmed up to the idea of returning to the right side. And the Jets have been proceeding cautiously with Becton during camp.

He only practiced at the position for the first time Thursday; that work preceded a 25-snap cameo against the Buccaneers last weekend. Becton’s agent told Cimini the Jets have limited Becton’s reps and workout time as he ramps back up from his second season-ending injury. This protocol included a delay in playing right tackle, which places more stress on Becton’s surgically repaired right knee. Doctors advised Becton to avoid right tackle early in camp, per Cimini, for this reason. But Becton’s agent said his client has been cleared to play this position again.

Becton has certainly not been a low-maintenance player since the Jets drafted him, and questions abound regarding his ability to hold up at either tackle post once the regular season begins. This has led to frequent concerns about the Jets’ batch of tackles, a group that also includes free agent pickup Billy Turner and 2022 fourth-round pick Max Mitchell. Neither player seizing the RT job opens the door for Becton to play opposite Brown in Week 1. At this point, Becton should probably be considered the favorite for the gig, SI.com’s Albert Breer adds. That said, Becton has not played right tackle in a regular-season game.

Elsewhere on the Jets’ offensive front, Connor McGovern still has the lead for the starting center role. The recently re-signed blocker, who manned this spot from 2020-22, will likely keep the job for Week 1, per Breer. The Jets drafted Joe Tippmann and gave interior O-lineman Wes Schweitzer more money than McGovern this offseason. But Schweitzer has played both center and guard during camp, potentially being groomed for a swing backup role. The Jets being open to moving Alijah Vera-Tucker back to right tackle — in the event the risky Brown-Becton plan does not hold up — could also open up a guard spot for Schweitzer.

Latest On Mekhi Becton, Jets’ Offensive Line

August 17th, 2023 at 11:06am CST by Sam Robinson

As the Jets’ months-long issue along the offensive line moves into the mainstream, via a brief Hard Knocks segment, the team still has not turned to Mekhi Becton as a first-stringer during training camp.

After showing promise as a rookie, Becton saw extensive injury troubles and weight issues sidetrack his career. The 2020 first-round pick has not played since Week 1 of the 2021 season, but he lost around 50 pounds this offseason. Becton criticized the Jets’ coaching staff for moving him to right tackle last year, a switch he believes led to his knee reinjury. But the talented blocker is now believed to be onboard with playing on the right side. The Jets are trying Becton at right tackle Thursday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets, marking the first time that has taken place during this year’s camp.

The Jets still have not used Becton as a first-stringer this year. Despite Duane Brown remaining on Gang Green’s active/PUP list, Becton has worked behind Billy Turner and Max Mitchell at tackle. Even as the team’s depleted front has struggled in joint practices with the Panthers and Buccaneers, Saleh is waiting on giving Becton extended run.

“The biggest thing for Mekhi is to show that he can play a game without having to be spelled out,” Robert Saleh said, via the New York Post’s Brian Costello. “It’s unfair to the team to prepare a guy to start if you are not sure he can make it through a game. He is moving in the right direction.”

While Becton brings a much higher ceiling compared to Turner and Mitchell, his injury baggage is among the most extensive in recent NFL history. Missing nearly two full seasons, Becton also missed practice time earlier in camp and asked out of the Jets’ Hall of Fame Game. He did return to play 27 snaps against the Panthers last weekend, marking a good sign. The Jets may soon have no choice but to bump Becton into their starting lineup, given the state of their line. But Saleh continues to proceed cautiously.

As injuries mounted last season, the Jets shifted emerging guard Alijah Vera-Tucker to right tackle. The 2021 first-rounder suffered a season-ending triceps injury while at that position, but the team returned him to guard this offseason. The team is again considering Vera-Tucker at tackle, Saleh said (via Costello), though the third-year HC reminded that the team loves the USC alum at guard. Vera-Tucker has also missed recent time due to injury, along with the Jets’ other guard starter — Laken Tomlinson. Neither practiced against the Bucs on Wednesday.

Should the Jets try a “best five” scenario in Week 1, Cimini offers that Wes Schweitzer — who is competing with Connor McGovern at center — could be shifted to guard as Vera-Tucker slides back to right tackle. Although Schweitzer is competing at center, the ex-Atlanta and Washington starter has extensive guard experience. He started at right guard against Carolina last weekend. The Jets also have second-round rookie Joe Tippmann in the mix, rounding out a deep O-line interior on a team that has faced tackle questions for months.

While Saleh has said Vera-Tucker has All-Pro potential at guard, urgency to place a competent line in front of Aaron Rodgers may supersede the team’s long-term plan for the third-year blocker. As for Brown, Saleh said the team’s preferred left tackle option is moving closer to a return from offseason shoulder surgery.

Latest On Jets T Max Mitchell

July 3rd, 2023 at 9:02am CST by Adam La Rose

Part of the availability woes the Jets suffered up front in 2022 was the absence of Max Mitchell due to a blood-clotting issue. The ailment shut him down for the remainder of his rookie campaign, but it should not be an issue moving forward.

Mitchell was a starter at right tackle during Weeks 1-4 while New York dealt with Mekhi Becton, Duane Brown and George Fant each missing considerable time. The 23-year-old also started in Week 12, but his season came to an end in December. He was placed on the team’s NFI list after the discovery of blood clots in one of his lungs as well as his right calf.

Fortunately, Mitchell’s condition can be managed with medication, as noted by ESPN’s Rich Cimini. As a result, the fourth-rounder will be able to move forward with his career, something which could once again yield notable playing time this season. New York’s tackle situation remains in flux, and Mitchell will be competing for the starting RT spot during training camp.

The Jets lost Cedric Ogbuehi during free agency, and fellow veteran George Fant remains unsigned. New York added Billy Turner as one of several moves reuniting former Packers with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. The Jets were long thought to be in the market for an offensive tackle in the first round of the draft, but their top choice was edge rusher Will McDonald. The team did, however, add depth in the form of fourth-rounder Carter Warren.

Mitchell will aim to earn the first-team right tackle spot, one which may be earmarked for Mekhi Becton heading into training camp with veteran Duane Brown‘s experience coming on the blindside. At a minimum, a depth or swing tackle role for Mitchell would provide value for the Jets as they look to remain healthy along the offensive front during a 2023 season in which expectations will be high. Availability in Mitchell’s case will have short- and long-term health implications provided he can move past the clotting issue.

Jets Rumors: OL, Rodgers, Hennessy, Brownlee, Duvernay-Tardif

May 7th, 2023 at 8:25pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jets landed a gamechanger at quarterback this spring, and now it’s up to them to figure out how to protect him. Head coach Robert Saleh made sure to communicate that the plan is to play the five best linemen, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post, clarifying that the center and tackle spots, specifically, will be open for competition.

The guard spots are presumably safe. Despite a down year for Laken Tomlinson, the Jets signed him to a three-year deal last year to start at guard. After an admirable rookie year as a starter, Alijah Vera-Tucker put together a strong start to his sophomore season last year, even being forced into playing tackle due to injuries before a torn triceps injury of his own sidelined him for the rest of the year. Confirming earlier reports, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post recently reported that Vera-Tucker is still on track to return from his injury by training camp.

At tackle, Mekhi Becton is also slated to return in time for training camp after missing all but one game of last season due to an avulsion fracture of his right knee. Duane Brown mostly held down the left tackle position while right tackle was mostly handled by Vera-Tucker, Max Mitchell, and George Fant. Fant departed as a free agent, but the team brought in veteran tackle Billy Turner from Denver who can compete for the position, as well.

At center, Connor McGovern has handled starting duties in New York for the last three years, grading out as a top 10 center in the league in each of the past two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The Jets only re-signed McGovern to a one-year contract, though, so it may not be so surprising that his job is open for competition. That point was further dictated by New York drafting one of the top center prospects in the draft, Wisconsin’s Joe Tippmann, in the second round as the first center off the board. Despite McGovern’s recent years of success, Tippmann may represent the future at the position for the Jets.

Here are a few more rumors surrounding Gang Green this offseason:

  • Speaking of the Aaron Rodgers acquisition, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer indicated that Rodgers playing two more years was reportedly a big part of the team’s discussions with him before the trade. That supposed dedication was only reinforced when Rodgers claimed that he would participate in offseason workouts. Many veterans don’t feel the need to attend such workouts, but considering Rodgers is new to the facility, NBC Sports’ Mike Florio’s report that he plans on being present for “more than half” of the remaining offseason workouts is encouraging for Jets fans.
  • New York recently re-signed long snapper Thomas Hennessy to a four-year extension. The new deal, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, has a value of $5.97MM. The deal has a guaranteed amount of $1.96MM consisting of an $875K signing bonus and Hennessy’s first year base salary of $1.08MM. $670K of his 2024 salary is guaranteed for injury at signing, and the rest of the $1.21MM will become fully guaranteed on the fifth league day of the 2024 season. He’s set for base salaries of $1.26MM in 2025, $1.3MM in 2026, and $1.35MM in 2027, but the contract has a potential out built in after this season that would allow the Jets to cut Hennessy after this year with only $700K of dead cap.
  • The Jets recently included Southern Mississippi wide receiver Jason Brownlee in their group of undrafted free agents. New York was clearly eager to ink Brownlee, giving the rookie a $246K guarantee, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. That amount is the equivalent of the guarantee given to a low fifth-round pick.
  • With all their offensive line suffering so many injuries last year, the Jets were happy to have the help of veteran Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. Now, with his contract expired, Duvernay-Tardif may have set his sights past football. The medical school graduate has been spinning several plates since the season ended, working shifts in the emergency department of the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, starting a Masters of Public Health program at Harvard, and promoting a French skin care brand. Still, while Duvernay-Tardif maintains that medicine is still his future, he hasn’t committed to retiring claiming that he’s still in shape “if the phone rings in October.”

Jets Targeting Training Camp For Mekhi Becton Return

April 20th, 2023 at 5:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Continuing to hold out hope for Mekhi Becton to return to action, the Jets are not expected to have the young tackle participating in offseason workouts. After the avulsion fracture Becton suffered during the Jets’ 2022 training camp, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes the fourth-year blocker should not be expected to participate in either OTAs or minicamp.

Becton went down during an August 8 practice, but after a second knee surgery since his previous injury — in September 2021 — the Jets are not rushing the former first-round pick back. And the Louisville product is on track to be ready for training camp.

In addition to moving toward a recovery, Cimini adds Becton has lost more than 40 pounds during this rehab effort. Becton’s weight has been a concern since the start of his career. He has been linked to weighing more than 400 pounds at points during his Jets tenure, but Cimini indicates that scrutinized number now sits around 350. The Jets moved Becton to right tackle before that injury, but their tackle situation will probably change early in the draft.

Last season brought an avalanche of Jets tackle injuries. After Becton went down, the player paid handsomely to fill in — Duane Brown — suffered a shoulder injury that required a season-opening IR stay. Brown later underwent surgery but is planning to a play a 16th season. The Jets later lost George Fant for much of the season; Fant remains a free agent. The team lost Max Mitchell to a hereditary blood-clot issue in early December. The 2022 fourth-round pick started five games last year, joining Conor McDermott and Mike Remmers as emergency options. Remmers and McDermott are no longer on the team, but Cimini adds Mitchell has recovered.

Connor McGovern joins Fant in being unsigned. Vera-Tucker will return to guard, after spending time at right tackle due to the team’s injury troubles there, with Laken Tomlinson entrenched at the other guard spot. Due to the questions the Jets face at tackle, ESPN.com’s Todd McShay notes it is “close to a lock” the Jets bolster this position with their No. 13 overall pick. While the Packers are still believed to want a first-rounder from the Jets for Aaron Rodgers, the team’s No. 13 pick this year is not expected to change hands.

As Becton has played one game over the past two seasons, virtually no chance exists the Jets will pick up his fifth-year option. The Jets have a long-term need at left tackle, with Brown set to turn 38 this year, and cannot exactly count on Becton staying healthy. Mel Kiper Jr. sends Georgia tackle Broderick Jones to the Jets at No. 13, a move that would mark the team’s third first-round O-line pick in four Joe Douglas drafts.

Becton showed considerable promise as a rookie, but injury and fitness issues have hounded him since. He represents an interesting wild card for the Jets, who are searching for O-line stability with a Rodgers trade imminent.

Jets T Max Mitchell Out For Season

December 8th, 2022 at 1:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 8: Mitchell landed on the Jets’ NFI list because of blood clots, according to Connor Hughes of SNY (on Twitter). This is not believed to be a career-threatening matter, but Mitchell is done for this season.

DECEMBER 7: A Jets starter in five games this season, Max Mitchell will miss the rest of this campaign. Robert Saleh said Wednesday (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini, on Twitter) the rookie tackle is going on the team’s reserve/non-football injury list and will be shut down for the season’s remainder.

Chosen in the fourth round, Mitchell became needed due to the Jets’ run of tackle injuries this year. Mekhi Becton, Duane Brown and George Fant‘s health issues moved Mitchell into earlier-than-anticipated playing time, but that run of work will abruptly cease. It is unclear what will cause Mitchell’s shutdown, but the Jets will lose some depth at a fluctuating position.

The Jets used Mitchell as their right tackle starter in their Week 12 loss to the Vikings, but the team benched him for Fant. Taking an extended period to return from an early-season knee injury, Fant is now on track to start opposite Brown. The ex-Seahawks have not started together as Jets, but that will occur in Week 14 against the Bills.

New York began the season without Becton and Brown. Becton suffered an avulsion fracture during training camp and is out for the season, while Brown — added in the wake of the Becton injury — went down just before the year as well. Brown has since returned and has been the Jets’ left tackle starter, but Fant needed more than two months to re-emerge from the knee injury that plagued him early this season. That brought Mitchell into action.

A Louisiana alum, Mitchell started in Weeks 1-4 and returned from his own injury in Week 12. The Jets, who had been starting Cedric Ogbuehi at right tackle, used one of their injury activations on Mitchell last month. Continuing Gang Green’s run of health issues at this position, Ogbuehi missed Week 13. Not long after the Jets allowed the Patriots to sign Conor McDermott off their practice squad, Mitchell will move out of the picture.

The Jets are bumping recently re-signed guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif to their active roster, Cimini tweets. The longtime Chiefs starter-turned-Jets trade acquisition is back from his second medical sabbatical; the Canadian doctor/lineman has 64 career starts on his resume. The Jets have been playing without 2021 first-round pick Alijah Vera-Tucker as well. Vera-Tucker had played both guard and tackle this season, moving to the latter spot due to the injuries the team sustained at that position. Duvernay-Tardif appears likely to provide depth behind starters Laken Tomlinson and Nate Herbig.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/26/22

November 26th, 2022 at 4:49pm CST by Ely Allen

The league’s minor moves and standard gameday elevations for Week 12:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/14/22

November 14th, 2022 at 8:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Mitchell has been out of the mix for the Jets since suffering a dislocated knee early last month. Although Mitchell was carted off the field because of that injury, he appears on track to come back. The Jets also have George Fant on IR, but he has not yet been designated for return. The Jets have used Duane Brown and journeyman Cedric Ogbuehi at tackle over the past two games. Gang Green has six injury activations remaining.

The Giants four activations left. A 2021 sixth-round pick, Williams ran into a bone-spur issue during training camp. The Giants claimed Layne off waivers from the Steelers after cutdown day. The former third-round pick has worked on special teams throughout the season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/8/22

October 8th, 2022 at 5:42pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are the roster moves for today, leading into gameday tomorrow. Reminder that gameday elevations will revert to the practice squad after this weekend’s games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Jets OL Duane Brown, DE Vinny Curry Return To Practice

October 7th, 2022 at 4:09pm CST by Ben Levine

OCTOBER 7: Brown looks ready to be the Jets’ first IR activation this season. The 15th-year tackle said he is “good to go” for a Week 5 debut against the Dolphins, via the Associated Press’ Dennis Waszak Jr. (on Twitter). Robert Saleh said Brown would be a game-time decision. The Jets would need to move Brown off IR by Saturday afternoon’s deadline to give them the chance to start or sit the veteran. All signs point to that happening.

OCTOBER 5: The Jets will soon be getting some help on both sides of the ball. The team announced that they’ve designated offensive tackle Duane Brown and defensive end Vinny Curry to return from injured reserve.

Curry signed with the Jets prior to the 2021 season, but he missed his first season in New York after getting diagnosed with a rare blood disorder. He re-upped with the organization this offseason but a hamstring injury delayed his return to the field. During his last two healthy seasons with Philly in 2019 and 2020, he collected eight sacks in 27 games.

Brown landed on injured reserve right before Week 1 after suffering a shoulder injury in practice. The veteran was originally brought in to replace Mekhi Becton, who was previously lost for the season with a knee injury. The team later lost George Fant, whose versatility was key at the start of the season, to a knee injury that will keep him off the field until late November. Once Brown is ready to return to the lineup, he’ll provide some stability to what has been an uncertain offensive line.

The team did get some good news on the injury front regarding Max Mitchell, who was carted off the field during Sunday’s win over the Steelers. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), the rookie lineman avoided a season-ending knee injury. Mitchell suffered a “dislocation,” however, and he’s set to miss a handful of weeks.

Thanks to the rotating chairs on the OL, Mitchell’s injury means guard Alijah Vera-Tucker will likely continue to start at offensive tackle for the time being. Assuming Brown isn’t ready to go this weekend, the team will have to reach further into their bag at OT, with Conor McDermott, Cedric Ogbuehi, and Mike Remmers all options to start (per ESPN’s Rich Cimini on Twitter).

Load More Posts