Jets Practice Alone in Carolina ahead of Preseason Game

Updates and quotes from Thursday's training camp session

The New York Jets weren't deterred by the threat of rain on Thursday in Spartanburg, SC.

After the cancellation of their joint practice with the Carolina Panthers, Gang Green held a solo session that was open to the media but not fans. 

"It’s very similar. We were just going to do seven-on-seven and a two-minute drill with Carolina, so rather than doing it with them, we’ll service one another in terms of ones versus ones, twos versus twos," said Jets' head coach Robert Saleh after the change in plans on Thursday morning.

The brightest development of the day was receiver Garrett Wilson's return to practice drills after sitting out since July 27 when he suffered an ankle inversion. Meanwhile, cornerback Sauce Gardner (quad) and edge rusher Carl Lawson (back) were non-participants. 

Quarterback Zach Wilson closed the session by firing a scoring strike to undrafted rookie receiver Xavier Gipson and subsequently re-connecting with the UDFA for the two-point conversion.

The "Play of the Day" once again came courtesy of Aaron Rodgers. Rolling to his left, the four-time NFL MVP threw a seed to Malik Taylor. He threaded the needle and beat tight coverage by cornerback D.J. Reed on the play.

Saleh, cornerback D.J. Reed, defensive tackle Al Woods, offensive tackle Billy Turner and offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker all shared their assessments with reporters.

Robert Saleh, Head coach

"The first thing I’m always trying to do is evaluate is our style of play, and the standard at which we try to do with our physicality, our effort, the precision in which we operate. I thought the special teams did a really nice job. I thought defense did a really nice job. Offense, obviously, we were still trying to click with a lot of new faces. So, they are just a little bit behind, but full confidence that we’ll get it going."

Saleh's reaction to Wednesday's joint practice performance suggests the offense is not where it needs to be at this point. According to multiple accounts, Rodgers has been impressive, but adequate pass protection has been lacking.

Billy Turner, Offensive Tackle

"We're making strides. There's definitely progress being made. There's a lot of new stuff going in that a lot of guys on the offensive line have never done before, so you're going to have some growing pains."

Turner, who signed as a free agent this spring, has been rotating between right and left tackle with second-year pro Max Mitchell. The veteran has experience in Nathaniel Hackett's offense, but admits there are adjustments to be made when playing under a new position coach.

Alijah Vera-Tucker, Offensive Line

"I think we've definitely made some pretty big strides since Day 1. As a whole, Coach [Keith] Carter is doing a pretty good job setting the tone."

Vera-Tucker, a 2021 first-round draft pick, has been locked in at right guard this preseason, but can also play tackle. The USC product vowed to play "wherever the team needs me to play."

D.J. Reed, Cornerback

"It was good. It was smooth. The first period I feel like they got after us. After that, we brought it up as a defense."

Reed recapped the joint session with the Panthers and credited two takeaways for turning the tide for the Jets. Backup cornerback Brandin Echols returned an interception for a touchdown and safety Tony Adams forced a fumble.

Al Woods, Defensive Tackle

"For the most part, I thought it was a good start, but we got work to do. At this point in time, nobody's ready to play, on any team."

Set for his 13th NFL season, Woods is no stranger to training camp. The massive defensive tackle made a point of saying "all these practices [are] important."

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