New York Jets’ 2020 season still hinges on Mekhi Becton, offensive line

No Jamal Adams. No C.J. Mosley. The New York Jets' 2020 season still hinges on Mekhi Becton and the offensive line. Joe Douglas' New York Jets suffered through the entire 2019 season without the services of C.J. Mosley and Avery Williamson---a linebacking duo expected to perform among the league's best 3-4 inside tandems. Everybody involved could not wait until the duo's return to action in 2020. Monday morning in Florham Park, NJ, neither Mosley nor Williamson could be found. The former is one of the NFL players to opt-out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns, and the latter is still not quite ready to resume activities (although he's close). It was, instead, Neville Hewitt and Blake Cashman manning down the second-level defensive fort. That's football, Suzyn. Availablity is always the best attribute. Banking on a Mosley return was never the right move (for injury reasons). Pretending all would be well with Jamal Adams was another soul-crushing johnny-come-lately attitude example. Cue the not-so-johnny-come-lately Jets fan defeatist attitude. These fans are used to such heartbreak. No Mosley, no Adams, a perceived ill-prepared head coach, and an organization that can never seem to get out of its own way is the challenge. Simultaneously cue the johnny-arrived-early general manager who understands where this game lives and breathes. That's the area the 2020 Jets will officially make their mark or swing and miss harder and quicker than Kevin Maas in 1992. That's the area that should awaken the already-defeated professional football fandom that enjoys pockets in New Jersey, Long Island and, of course, Queens (among other spots). The Jets' 2020 campaign will live or die up front where the big heavies bang, and it all starts with young Mekhi Becton. Through three official training camp practices, the young yet large one has impressed the majority of onlookers (media and coaching staff alike). And he's done so no matter the names playing second-level backer for Gregg Williams at the moment. On one such Mount Mekhi eruption, No. 77 found his way to the second level and planted Hewitt. It was what the kids would call a "pancake block." "He caught me," Hewitt told reporters after Monday's practice. "I tried to get into the gap and he came off the ball pretty good. I was pretty impressed. He's a pretty big fella. ...If you see him coming, you better go at him because if you don't, he's going to get you. You better go at him." No defender can allow Becton to become engaged. With hands-on and firmly inside on the breastplate, it's already over; it's the spot defensive players go to ultimately know their haunted film fate the following Monday. Hewitt's partner also found himself in a tough spot on a run play to the offense's left. Becton's straight path to the second level showcased the length and power of the big man as the second-year linebacker nearly found himself on the ground while completely moved towards the sideline. "He made himself known out there and what he's capable of doing," Cashman said. "It's all good competition. He's a great player. He's going to be somebody that's going to play a long time in this league and has more potential to grow. The first thing that stands out is just his size. Today in practice, I had to come down and take him on one-on-one. Let's just say that didn't go well for me. It's fun to watch him, fun to compete against him and I think he's going to help our offense out big-time this year." If only the hamstring muscle was indestructible. A much different feel would exist. Denzel Mims and Pierre Desir both missed practice again, due to hammies. (They are just two of the several players to miss Friday's first practice with a hamstring injury.) Other notable absentees Monday were Brian Poole (dehydration), Jabari Zuniga (lower back), Cameron Clark (quad) and James Burgess, who exited practice early with a lower back. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) Add that to the list of guys who remain on the dreaded Reserve/COVID-19 list (Bryce Hall) and Active and Reserve/PUP list (Joe Flacco, Ryan Griffin, the previously-mentioned Williamson and Daniel Brown), and the same injury-bug feel that helped spoil 2019 has spilled over to 2020. Vyncint Smith going down with a core-muscle injury that needs surgery (5-8 months) has completely depleted Sam Darnold's weaponry. Jeff Smith's presence in Gase's trio of starters has prompted a serious question: why did Douglas not opt to draft another receiver? While the question is certainly worthwhile, the answer is so concrete it's probably not worth asking a second time. If Becton is the real deal, the Jets' starting point has officially been spotted. The 2006 Jets were not anything to write home about initially. Pundits regularly called the roster among the worst in the NFL that August. Kevan Barlow, Chris Baker, an unproven Jerricho Cotchery and an unknown Leon Washington served as the perceived weak weapons around established Laveraneous Coles. Chad Pennington, the man with a water-pistol for an arm at that point, was still the quarterback after injury-riddled seasons continued to stack up. Yet, the rookie Mike Tannenbaum-Eric Mangini duo did not flinch. They decided to go boring, select D'Brickashaw Ferguson fourth overall, with Matt Leinart sitting at the table, and Nick Mangold later that very same round. The Jets flipped four offensive line starters that summer and a shocking 10-win season followed. Douglas delivered on his promise that "it starts with the quarterback and both lines," and he pulled off the very same feat this past offseason. Only Alex Lewis returns, with Becton---a man who mirrors the great Ferguson---as the centerpiece. If the kid can impact games from the jump, everything changes. “No, not even close. It’s funny, he looks like he’s been doing this for a minute,” Gase said about his rookie left tackle Sunday. “It looks very natural for him. I’m like you guys, anytime a rookie gets plugged into that starting offensive line, we all know it’s a lot, and especially going against the defense, our defense every day you’re getting a lot of different looks. He looks comfortable to me. And he’s not making mistakes. I’ve been extremely impressed by how he’s operating as far as his knowledge of football, how he’s retaining things, acquiring the information, recalling it, and then at the same time executing, playing fast. He’s doing a really good job.” It starts with Becton then moves over to the leader of the unit, center Connor McGovern. That duo has the ability to drastically change the fortunes for all involved offensively. Sprinkle in Greg Van Roten and George Fant, and, suddenly, the development ceilings for Darnold and every player working behind that line increase tenfold. Think of it as a cake. The boring, substance-filled area that is the cake mix represents the offensive line. Without it, there is nothing. The icing and decorative stuff represent the weapons. It's the prettiest of the ingredients (and, in many cases, the tastiest), but it first needs a solid foundation to exist. Finally, the quarterback is the baker, the man who decides how much of everything is needed, used, etc. All three cogs are critical, but only one is essential in kicking things off in a correct manner while attempting to move into the second phase of team building. https://twitter.com/RobbySabo/status/1295456713487921155 That's football, Suzyn. It's as tried and tested a methodology as there is in this game. And for an organization that has not drafted a first-round offensive lineman since 2006, it's extremely easy to forget just how critical that old-school idea remains in today's high-flying game. Besides, who doesn't like cake? I have a feeling both Mekhi Becton and Joe Douglas agree. The receiver injuries, the player opt-outs, the superstar trades—it’s all part of something that can still be overcome. The 2020 New York Jets can give fans one hell of a ride providing the offensive line turns into a legitimate unit.