FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets practiced on Wednesday, the second time the media was present during OTAs. Here are some observations:
Rodgers and Lazard: Not quite rekindling their old magic
There has been an idea floated out there that Allen Lazard — coming off the worst season of his career as one of the least productive wide receivers in the NFL — would be helped by the return of his friend and longtime quarterback in Green Bay.
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There hasn’t been evidence yet of a resurgence for Lazard with Aaron Rodgers back. The $44 million receiver had a rough day on Wednesday. During seven-on-seven drills, Lazard dropped a pass from Rodgers at the sideline. In 11-on-11 drills in the red zone, Lazard was one-on-one with fifth-round rookie cornerback Qwan’tez Stiggers — who didn’t play in college and spent last year in the CFL — and Stiggers got the better of him. Lazard failed to properly position himself on a back shoulder throw from Rodgers. All told, Rodgers was 1 of 5 when targeting Lazard in seven-on-seven or 11-on-11 drills — and 8 for 10 when targeting anyone else.
Lazard will likely stick with the Jets this season by virtue of his contract — the Jets would lose salary cap space by cutting him — but he’ll be a backup. There isn’t an obvious path to the active roster since he doesn’t play on special teams, which both Irv Charles and Jason Brownlee, his chief competition for reps, do. Lazard will get first-team reps in practice as long as Mike Williams is recovering from ACL surgery, which should extend through the start of training camp.
reps, reps and more reps pic.twitter.com/7QTc1ScjQP
— New York Jets (@nyjets) May 29, 2024
Rodgers report (non-Lazard reps edition)
It wasn’t quite as pretty as last week but Rodgers still had some impressive throws on Wednesday. His first two reps in 11-on-11 were short passes to tight end Tyler Conklin and rookie running back Isaiah Davis. Then he hit Garrett Wilson up the seam — a nice throw and an even better catch made by a diving Wilson.
In seven-on-seven, Rodgers hit a tightly covered tight end Kenny Yeboah in a perfect spot that allowed him to break free of the defender for a significant gain.
He wasn’t as efficient in red-zone 11-on-11 drills. Discounting the two Lazard incompletions, he was still only 1 of 3 with a short completion to rookie running back Braelon Allen. Cornerback D.J. Reed had a nice pass breakup on a deep pass to start that run of reps, and linebacker Quincy Williams broke up another pass, intended for Yeboah, in the back of the end zone.
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Injuries and absences
Wide receiver Malachi Corley left practice with a trainer and returned without his helmet, done for the day. It’s unclear what happened to the second-round rookie but Xavier Gipson got most of the reps with Rodgers in his stead.
Defensive end Haason Reddick and defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw weren’t at practice. Both weren’t in attendance last week either, though these practices are voluntary.
Running back Breece Hall was working in the rehab area with injured players, as was Charles. It’s unclear why Hall isn’t practicing.
A new running back arrives
The Jets added a veteran to their young running back group on Wednesday, signing 28-year-old Tarik Cohen to a one-year deal. Cohen hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2020 due to various injuries, including a torn ACL, MCL and tibial plateau fracture. He then suffered a torn Achilles in 2022. Cohen spent the 2023 season on the Panthers practice squad; they released him on May 10.
Jets coach Robert Saleh called Cohen an “explosive playmaker” and felt like Cohen could compete for a role as a returner, especially with the new kickoff rules that will likely lead to a significant increase in return opportunities compared to past years. Cohen was an All-Pro as a returner in 2018 with the Chicago Bears.
He was thrown right into the running back mix at Wednesday’s practice too. In 11-on-11, he took a toss from Tyrod Taylor around the edge for a big gain, showing some of his old burst. He even got a couple of reps with Rodgers and the first-team offense.
Young running backs: Allen emerges
As for the rest of the running back room: Allen, the fourth-round rookie, looks like the early favorite to be Hall’s top backup. He’s known for his ability in pass protection but also flashed as a receiver on Wednesday, getting open against linebackers in coverage. He showed some shiftiness after the catch too.
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Center Joe Tippmann — who played with Allen at Wisconsin — said he was “pumped” when the Jets drafted Allen last month.
“Brae is awesome, he’s a guy you love to have in the backfield when you’re blocking for him,” Tippmann said. “He’s going to lower his shoulder and do whatever he can for that extra yard.”
Israel Abanikanda already had stiff competition for a roster spot after the Jets drafted Allen and Davis. The addition of Cohen doesn’t exactly help his cause, and Xazavian Valladay, who spent last season on the practice squad, has also been getting reps with Rodgers in OTAs and has made some plays. Abanikanda hasn’t stood out so far.
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Former first-round pick Will McDonald looks bigger and has shown some flashes in practice, winning most of his reps against backup right tackle Carter Warren. He was less successful against Tyron Smith. There was a rep in 11-on-11 late in practice where McDonald attempted his signature spin move (twice in one play, mind you) against Smith — it went nowhere. Smith continues to dominate his reps and it should be a good test throughout the summer for McDonald, who will play a bigger role in his second year. McDonald also had what would’ve been a tackle for loss against the first-team offense on a running play. (There is no tackling in these practices.)
Jermaine Johnson had a little more success against Smith, using a clever juke move to get by the veteran on a running play. Johnson also had some success rushing against the Jets’ interior offensive linemen. Johnson was a Pro Bowler last year and looks ready to take another leap forward in 2024. He said after practice that he wants to be an “apex predator” and that his goal is to “really just put tackles in a bind, just dominate everything. That’s where my head is.”
Guard Jake Hanson got some reps with Rodgers since Alijah Vera-Tucker is still rehabbing his Achilles injury from last year.
Elsewhere, veteran defensive end Jalyn Holmes won some face-offs with rookie left tackle Olu Fashanu in 11-on-11 drills. He also got beat by Johnson on a running rep. Fashanu is still finding his footing, which is to be expected for a rookie offensive lineman.
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UDFA standout
Last week, it was Eric Watts. This week: former Michigan defensive end Braiden McGregor. He pressured Taylor on multiple occasions and would’ve gotten a sack against quarterback Andrew Peasley on another rep.
McGregor was second to Watts in terms of guaranteed money ($200,000) for the Jets UDFA class and will push for a roster spot in a talented defensive end room.
Tyrod Taylor’s day
Taylor had a better day Wednesday than last week. He’s known for his deep passing ability and he flashed that on Wednesday, hitting wide receiver Lance McCutcheon for a 50-yard bomb during seven-on-seven drills. He also connected with tight end Zack Kuntz for a practice-ending touchdown during 11-on-11 drills in the red zone. Kuntz showed his athleticism, grabbing it and quickly reaching over the pylon.
In total, Taylor was 8-for-10 in 11-on-11 and 4-for-5 in seven-on-seven.
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• The players who got reps as kick returners on Wednesday: Gipson, Davis, Cohen, wide receiver Hamze El-Zayat and cornerback Brandon Codrington.
• Peasley, an undrafted rookie, had a nice play in 11-on-11, starting on one side, moving to the other side then connecting with El-Zayat down the field.
• Undrafted rookie wide receiver Marcus Riley had a drop on a pass from Peasley during 11-on-11.
(Top Photo: Elsa / Getty Images)
Zack Rosenblatt is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the New York Jets. Before joining The Athletic, he worked as a staff writer for The Star-Ledger, where he covered the Eagles and Giants. He also covered the Arizona Wildcats for the Arizona Daily Star. He's a graduate of the University of Arizona and is originally from Cherry Hill, N.J. Follow Zack on Twitter @ZackBlatt
