A week through training camp (six practices) provides a perfect spot to project the New York Jets’ 53-man roster for the 2020 season.
Masks, social distancing, allowing out-of-this-world technology to take your temperature at the drop of a hat—it’s all part of this new-world experience most humans are experiencing. Roger Goodell and the NFLPA came together to ensure the new-world also leaked into the way the National Football League will conduct itself this season.
Everything feels different. Even the rules are different, which is why the idea of a 55-man roster this coming season felt so casual. After all, the magic number has been 53 for a very long time.
Mark one in the regular column.
The New York Jets (and every NFL team, for that matter) will still be using that normal 53-man mark when cutting down their roster prior to Week 1. The new rule that allows teams to elevate two practice squad players to the game-day roster each week is what helped force those 55-man roster predictions.
Instead of 10 practice squad players, there will be 12, and teams can promote two practice squad players the day before the game. They return to the practice squad the day after the game, but once a team promotes a single guy three times, he hit waivers. And finally, the gameday roster is now 48 players (must dress eight offensive linemen).
While the roster can expand to 55 through promoting two practice squad players, 53 is still the number—especially for when Joe Douglas is forced to make his final cut after camp.
Through a full week of camp (six practices), we project the Jets’ first 53-man roster of the 2020 campaign.
Quarterbacks
Joe Flacco should begin the season where he currently is right now: injured. There’s no world Adam Gase and the Jets want to see David Fales hit the field. Surviving a game or two without the grizzled Super Bowl champ should be the play here (carrying two quarterbacks), but rookie James Morgan’s presence may force them to carry three.
Interestingly, if the jobs were awarded by practice merit alone, through six practices, Mike White should snag the No. 2 spot and Fales the third. Unfortunately for the South Florida and Western Kentucky product, such is not life.
- Reserves: Joe Flacco
Running Backs
- Le’Veon Bell
- Frank Gore
- La’Mical Perine
Josh Adams will be the hard-luck cut here. And make no mistake about it: Douglas loves him some Adams.
It’s entirely possible Adams makes the cut if Gase wants four backs, but the tiro above feels like more than enough. Adams would not contribute too much to special teams, which is what may tip his fate in the end.
The wide receivers are where things really get interesting.
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