Back to Work

Edition #691

Good morning! ☕

The players return to 1JD today after getting four days off following the close of camp. Preparation for the game against the 49ers would have been going on for a long time, but it really kicks into high gear this week.

According to Robert Saleh the players are itching to get started and I think everyone here at TJW is as well. I understand why the off-season is so long in the NFL and the league has done a great job in ensuring it’s always on the agenda considering it only showcases games in 5-6 months of the year.

🟢 Robert Saleh is pumped for MNF - "If you're not excited to play this game, then you're missing something," Jets head coach Robert Saleh said on Thursday. "The excitement to get out there and compete regardless is going to be burning in all of us. We've been going against each other since OTAs and I can speak for everyone, we're all itching to get out there and play some ball. Every year is unique into itself, but I think our guys are just as ready now as they were a year ago."

⚪ The Jets have a lot of primetime games this season and Saleh believes that’s what you play the game for - "You play and compete to have the spotlight," Saleh said. "I think that's what everybody wants. Obviously as a coach you want as many 1 p.m. games as you can have so you can have consistency. We all strive for these moments, but with those, there's always going to be [schedule] changes. Monday being a short week, get ready to go to Tennessee, short week for Thursday (the home opener against the Patriots in Week 3), long week to Denver, short week to London, back to mini long week.”

🟢 ESPN ran some simulations and they had Sauce Gardner winning DPOTY and the Jets heading to the AFC Championship game where they end up losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. They finished 12-5 which is right around where I have them. - “As the No. 2 seed, the Jets dispatched the Dolphins 23-14 in the wild-card round, then stifled the Burrow-led Bengals with a dominating 27-9 victory in the divisional playoffs. That put Jets in the AFC Championship Game!”

⚪ I don’t often promote Pro Football Rumours, but they did a very nice and handy off-season recap of the Jets, just as a reminder of everything that’s happened in the last 8 month, you can read that HERE.

We are less than a week away from that Monday night matchup with the 49ers and star left tackle Trent Williams is still nowhere to be found.

Trent Williams is the kind of player who can turn up and turn it on without much preparation. He’s an elite technician and you better believe he’s been keeping himself in shape. But even if he signs and plays, there’s a chance he won’t be at 100%.

Disillusioned with his contract, Trent has been absent through the 49ers entire training camp. I’m one of those fans who wants the best players on the field, if the Jets are going to beat San Francisco then I’d rather they do that at full strength to put down a statement.

You can understand why Trent is upset with his deal. Despite being one of the best and most consistent tackles in football for years, he’s set to be the 13th highest paid left tackle in football this year. He signed the contract, but the economic climate of the position has shifted in recent years and his $10.7 million cap hit in 2024 is significantly lower than his value, and a world away from the $25.8 million Laremy Tunsil is getting paid in Houston and even the $21.9 million that Cam Robinson is getting paid in Jacksonville.

So while I hate holdouts, I do at least understand Trent’s position. Unlike our own holdout Haason Reddick, Williams has proven his worth to his current team. He’s allowed just 2 sacks in the last 3 years in San Francisco and he hasn’t allowed more than 20 pressures in a single season since 2018. When you add that he’s the premier run-blocking left tackle in football, his value is astronomical and the 49ers can’t afford for this to drag on for much longer.

If Williams does miss the week one matchup, it’s a significant boost to the Jets. Not only will it likely mean that we’ll be facing Jaylon Moore in the pass protection game, but it will also impact CMC and his ability to find lanes off the left side. The Jets have fast and physical linebackers, and the split second that is gained by not having someone like Trent Williams blowing holes in your DL is the difference between a 2-yard gain and a 20 yard gain.

I saw this stat from last season which compared how the 49ers fared rushing to the left side with Trent Williams (week 1-5) and without Trent Williams (week 7-8):