Michael Carter, run game flash on Thursday
Despite being a fourth-round rookie, North Carolina product Michael Carter appears to be the early front-runner to snag the top spot on the New York Jets‘ running back depth chart.
His Thursday practice was a positive step towards accomplishing that goal.
Carter showed some passing-game value with a 60-yard touchdown reception on a short pass from Mike White.
Michael Carter catches a pass and takes it to the crib for 60 yard TD. Ran an in route and streaked down the middle untouched.
Mike white on the throw.
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) August 5, 2021
Michael Carter took a short pass from Mike White over the middle and zipped downfield for a long TD. That’s the element the rookie RB beings to this offense. #Jets
— Dennis Waszak Jr. (@DWAZ73) August 5, 2021
Pass-catching is an underrated part of Carter’s game. In 2020, Carter picked up 278 receiving yards over 138 routes run, giving him an average of 1.95 yards per route run that ranked at the 95th percentile among qualified FBS running backs.
Carter got some momentum going as a rusher, too.
Michael Carter with an excellent run. Showed patience before hitting the hole and getting a long gain. Jets
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) August 5, 2021
Carter doesn’t get much room but is able to get a first. #Jets
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) August 5, 2021
Carter was not the only running back who made noise on Thursday. Little-known Austin Walter put himself on the map with a home run.
Austin Walter breaks a 70 yard run going left. Made a couple DBs Miss. he was untouched. Probably the best run of camp for any running back.
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) August 5, 2021
Walter only has one regular-season rush attempt over five career games, but he got a significant amount of action with Mike LaFleur‘s 49ers in the 2019 preseason. The Rice product carried the ball 36 times for 125 yards (3.5 average) and one touchdown.
Ty Johnson and La’Mical Perine got involved in the fun.
Another team session
Wilson handoff to Johnson would has a very good run. Could have gone for 15 yards.
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) August 5, 2021
La Mical Perine has another good run today that one could have gone for 20. #Jets
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) August 5, 2021
Johnson described the dynamic between the players in the running back room, explaining their desire to make one another better and how their varying skill sets help them do that.
Ty Johnson on the Jets' running back competition:
"You have all these guys that can do different things, it's great to have that" pic.twitter.com/7FT97Blxz2
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) August 5, 2021
“It’s just been really great to have all those guys around, it’s been fun because I like learning, I like learning what other guys are thinking, what other guys are seeing. So, it’s been really great, and having all these guys who can do different things, it’s just like, ‘how can I add that to my game?’, ‘how can I help him with his game?’, so it’s been really fun,” Johnson said.
The linebackers steal the spotlight
Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich had to be jumping for joy on Thursday. The two former linebacker coaches witnessed a day full of standout plays from C.J. Mosley, Jarrad Davis, and even Blake Cashman.
Letting Jets fans know that he is alive and well, Cashman reinserted his name into the Twitter world with a pick-six off of a dropped pass by Walter (thrown by James Morgan).
Blake Cashman picks off a deflected pass from Morgan and returns it for a “TD” … Might’ve been Cashman’s first big play so far of camp. #Jets
— Dennis Waszak Jr. (@DWAZ73) August 5, 2021
Blake Cashman with an INT off James Morgan after Austin Walter couldn’t bring the ball in.
— Ethan Greenberg (@EGreenbergJets) August 5, 2021
Jarrad Davis has had a fairly quiet camp so far. That is often a good thing for the linebacker position; it at least means he is not getting burnt in coverage or missing tackles.
Davis finally made a highlight-reel play on Thursday as he recorded an interception off of Zach Wilson.
Ugly interception for Zach Wilson. Throw over the middle, never saw LB Jarrad Davis. #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) August 5, 2021
C.J. Mosley has lost weight and is flying around in coverage as the middle linebacker in Saleh and Ulbrich’s 4-3 defense. He might be able to put together a Fred Warner type of season in the passing game with the combination of his newfound agility and his excellent fundamentals.
Wilson throws it underneath to Tevin Coleman but it falls incomplete. CJ Mosley was in coverage. #Jets
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) August 5, 2021
Wilson throws a pass to Carter on a wheel route but Mosley forces the PBU
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) August 5, 2021
Zach Wilson update
Wilson’s Thursday practice seemed to be a mixed bag. He threw an interception to Jarrad Davis as noted above, but still made his fair share of impressive plays.
Corey Davis started to get a connection going with Wilson.
Ebbs and flows…Zach Wilson completes a nice pass to Corey Davis on the sideline and then throws an INT to Jarrad Davis over the middle on the next play.
— Ethan Greenberg (@EGreenbergJets) August 5, 2021
Corey Davis makes a diving and rolling catch by the sideline on an out 12 yard route. Bryce hall in coverage.
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) August 5, 2021
Wilson comes back and hit Davis on an out route again. This time with Bless Austin in coverage.
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) August 5, 2021
It is easy to picture Wilson and Davis enjoying a lot of success in the intermediate range. Both players thrive in that area of the field.
Wilson had an adjusted completion percentage (which accounts for drops, throwaways, etc.) of 72.0% on intermediate passes (10-19 yards downfield) in 2020, ranking 10th-best among FBS quarterbacks. Davis ranked third among wide receivers with 35.2 receiving yards per game on intermediate-range receptions in the 2020 regular season.
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Meanwhile, spectacular plays by Elijah Moore have become a routine occurrence.
Elijah Moore with a diving catch. He makes a play every day. #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) August 5, 2021
Injury updates
John Franklin-Myers, Daniel Brown, and Alex Lewis left Thursday’s practice. Robert Saleh provided updates afterward.
Saleh said John Franklin-Myers has a shoulder ailment, Daniel Brown a left hamstring and Alex Lewis a head injury. #Jets
— Dennis Waszak Jr. (@DWAZ73) August 5, 2021
It’s the shoulder for Franklin-Myers, the left hamstring for Brown, and a head injury for Lewis.
The Jets have Friday off. They will head to MetLife Stadium on Saturday night for the Green and White Scrimmage, which is open to fans.
Hope JFM shoulder not serious.