Medical Staff Under The Microscope

Edition #394

Good morning! ☕

Why can’t we just have nice things? OTA’s started yesterday and while Aaron Rodgers was flashing that Broadway Joe smile, we were discussing the Jets medical staff. Well, I’m going to continue to do that today with my thoughts on the Ty Johnson and Mekhi Becton situation.

Don’t forget to hit that subscribe button if you want to get TJW into your inbox every weekday. 2023 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting years in the Jet’s history, and the TJW community will be there through rain and shine. I’ve been working to get some player interviews sorted, but the Jet’s press office protects and shields the players like the Tower of London shields the Crown Jewells.

📈 ESPN released their football power index yesterday and they had the Jets at #6 in the league with only the 49ers, Bengals, Eagles, Bills, and Chiefs above them. The Miami Dolphins came in at #9 on the list and the New England Patriots were at #16, which is more than generous in my opinion.

✈️ Free agent offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste is set to visit the New York Jets on Monday according to NFL reporter Tom Pelissero. A 3rd round pick of the Patriots back in 2019, Yodny has only appeared in 278 offensive snaps, allowing 4 sacks and 16 pressures. He had a tough start to his career after missing the 2019 season after quad surgery and the 2020 season with a knee injury. He also found his way to injured reserve in 2022 with a thumb injury, so there are significant injury concerns with Cajuste. It was largely down to injury that he fell to the third round with some talk placing him as a fringe first-round talent coming out of West Virginia. This is a low-risk, high-reward type signing for Joe Douglas if he can pull it off. Cajuste will also be visiting the Giants while in New York.

👍 The Jets kicked off their next set of OTA's yesterday and Aaron Rodgers was in attendance. The new Jets QB hasn't missed a single session yet. The perfect signal that he's all in for the 2023 season considering he has skipped Packer workouts over the last few years.

👍 NFL owners approved a bylaw proposal that allowed teams to dress a third QB without using an active roster spot. This makes so much sense considering what happened in the San Francisco playoff game.

💪 PFF ranked the divisions in order of strength yesterday and they had the AFC East as the 4th toughest division in football behind the NFC East (3rd), AFC West (2nd), and AFC Noth (1st) - “Josh Allen led the NFL in big-time throws (52) but also in turnover-worthy plays (33) in the regular season and playoffs a year ago, and the Buffalo Bills will be hoping he can reduce the latter figure as they look to contend in the AFC again. Aaron Rodgers makes the switch from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets, instantly pushing them to be tied for the sixth-best odds to win it all this season. His 75.9 PFF passing grade last season was his lowest since 2017, but with Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, and Mecole Hardman Jr. as his top three receivers, the team should be confident of an immediate bounce back.”

🗓️ NFL owners approved Thursday Night Football flexing with the aim of getting the best primetime games, the fans be damned. There are some rules around the flex like it's only available between weeks 13-17, no teams can play two away TNF fixtures in a season and teams must be given 28 days’ notice. The motion passed 24-8 with Giants owner John Mara being the most vocal critic.

NFL.com outlined the 10 most complete rosters in the league with the Jets coming in at number 8. If the Jets want to climb higher on that list, they’ll need to strengthen up the middle: “Defensively, the Jets appear pretty well stocked on the edge and at cornerback, but they're perhaps a bit less so at defensive tackle, linebacker, and safety…None of their thinner position groups are huge concerns, although we'd be a bit shocked if the Jets didn't add another defensive tackle -- they signed veterans Al Woods and Quinton Jefferson in free agency but found zero in the draft. They could also add more veteran blood at linebacker, such as reprising Kwon Alexander to run it back next season.”

Over the last few days, the Jet’s medical team headed by Head Orthopedist Dr. Ken Montgomery has been dragged over hot coals with not one, but two players going public with their complaints.