Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker had over 1,000 yards of receiving for the New York Jets offense, but notably absent was pass-catching production from the tight end position.
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As a matter of fact, the New York Jets main two tight ends, Jeff Cumberland and Kellen Davis, combined for just eight receptions on the season. Maybe quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick would have dialed up more looks to his TEs if Jace Amaro were healthy, yet the former second-round pick seems to be criticized more often than not this offseason.
Amaro had drop issues as a rookie, and the steep learning curve between the Texas Tech offense and an NFL offense was often cited as a reason for concern with the other areas of his game. Despite being a strong blocker, Amaro was also seen as raw in that department, enabling the knocks on him to increase.
Yes, Amaro has been active, but Kellen Davis is injured. Even so, Amaro has a great opportunity. Now or never. https://t.co/dUNGDzVJCL
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) June 11, 2016
It’s statements like this that concern me a little bit. You might think my disbelief is pointed at Cimini, but it isn’t. As a reporter, Cimini’s thoughts are often based on what he’s heard around the team, so the harsh “Now or never” statement is actually a reflection of Amaro’s status as a player on the roster bubble.
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That’s what puzzles me.
How can a tight end with one season on his resume be on the roster bubble when the team he is playing on almost has no pass-catching talent to speak of at the TE position? I get that Marshall, Decker, Quincey Enunwa, and Charone Peake are all at least 6’2″, but do the Jets have that much faith in former New England Patriots August star Zach Sudfeld?
More importantly, why is the Jets new regime so sour on Amaro? I mean, he appears to be versatile enough to find a spot in Chan Gailey’s system, and he didn’t play that poorly for a rookie tight end back when Geno Smith was the one running the show.
In 2014, Amaro led the Jets with a 71.7% catch rate, and while he benefited from having a yards per reception average under 10.0, he was also the main safety valve for quarterbacks who combined for a 57.6% completion percentage with a 3.0 INT%.
Rookie tight ends are rarely ever successful on the stat sheet, so Amaro’s season was pretty good by that low standard. “Encouraging” is the appropriate word here, because even though we all saw holes in his game, those were expected from a second-round TE. The fact that he managed to keep the chains moving and didn’t embarrass himself during games were important, especially since he was playing on an offense that was just 28th in points per game.
On a better team, I would think that Amaro can do more damage, particularly because he’d be playing behind Marshall, Decker, and Matt Forte (at the very least) on the target totem pole.
Yet, Amaro is on the bubble and in a make-or-break season.
It doesn’t make much sense to me, leaving me to wonder three things.
- Is this a motivational ploy?
- Did his torn labrum hurt him this much?
- Am I being too kind?
The Jets tight end coach praised Amaro for his blocking this offseason, which is one big key. Not only does that show growth, but improved blocking from Amaro can allow him to push the plodding blocking TEs that he’s competing with on the roster. Whether this quote is lip service or not remains to be seen, but it’s nicer to hear praise for Amaro than more bubble-related talk.
As a college prospect, Amaro was not a clear-cut star, which is why he didn’t go in the first round, but he showed real pass-catching talent and some potential as a blocker. That didn’t change after his first season in the league, so why the 180-turn after a season-robbing injury?
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Look, I’m not saying that we should expect a big year from Amaro, because he needs to continue to prove that he’s a starting-caliber player in this league. But being on the bubble? A make-or-break year for a guy on a rookie contract? I’m sorry, but there’s a difference between healthy skepticism and kicking someone down.