The New York Jets have spent the entire offseason pointing out that their starting center position would undergo a camp battle between third-year starter Joe Tippmann and free agent pickup Josh Myers.

From the very beginning, head coach Aaron Glenn’s decision seemed odd. Tippmann was one of the better centers in the game last season. Why would New York create a competition for a player who was already pretty good?

Throughout training camp, Tippmann has clearly been the better player. Myers, a former starter with the Green Bay Packers, struggled mightily during the team’s preseason contest on Saturday and looked even worse in the joint practices against the New York Giants.

Does this mean the Jets’ center battle is complete?

Not quite.

Jets center position battle review

When Myers was first signed to his $3 million, one-year deal, most Jets fans believed he would be used as quality depth for the offensive line, both behind Tippmann and potentially at guard.

New York seemingly had other plans for the former Packer.

At this point, though, this position battle seems hollow. Tippmann has his faults, as does every young center in their careers. The Wisconsin product continues to snap the ball high, leaving quarterbacks in a panic trying to corral the snap.

Tippmann has had these issues before. But they are nowhere near as bad as they once were.

So what gives? Why do the Jets insist on continuing a position battle where a player has clearly won over another?

There may be a couple of reasons.

First, the Jets may like the way Myers controls the offensive line more than Tippmann. The former Ohio State product has played longer in the NFL, and may be able to call out defensive alignments and adjustments more effectively than Tippmann.

If Myers is able to get the entire line working together more efficiently, it may outweigh the fact that he can’t make the same blocks as his competition.

There is also the idea that the only way Myers agreed to join New York in the first place would be if he got a fair shot to compete for the starting job. Three weeks of training camp and a single preseason game may not be enough time for any organization to make a decision on a starter.

We cannot confirm if either of these options are the thought for New York at this point.

It is clear, though, that either option misses the key focal point for any young offensive line at the NFL level.

Gang Green should be looking for the best five starting players on their line as early as possible. The longer they can play with one another, the more likely it is that they can hit the ground running as a collective unit.

Take the Buffalo Bills as a great example of how important continuity has been. They don’t have the best players at each position along the line, but the group has played more games with each other than any other gaggle around the league.

That allows them to play better as a collective than many expect.

The longer this position battle goes on, the odder the Jets’ decision gets. Through the start of training camp, Tippmann has proven he is the better player. The preseason all but confirmed that.

So, why hasn’t he been given the reins yet?

We may be closing in on the answer, but the question remains confusing.