New York Jets: Could Quincy Enunwa play tight end?

The New York Jets recently received bad news that threatens to hinder their passing attack in 2015. Promising young tight end Jace Amaro will miss the entire season with a shoulder injury (torn labrum).

Fortunately, the Jets are left with a few options to replace the loss of Amaro. These include relying on the middling Jeff Cumberland or trying to acquire another tight end via trade or free agency.

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Unfortunately, trading in the NFL is usually difficult and finding an impact free agent this late in the year wouldn’t be any easier.

And while Cumberland has shown that he can be a tolerable tight end, he has a ceiling so low, it’s in the basement. He has yet to post 400+ receiving yards in a season.

Because the Jets are left with mediocre conventional options, they should embrace an unconventional solution at the tight end position. Enter wide receiver Quincy Enunwa. Enunwa, a 2014 6th round pick out of Nebraska, has had an impressive preseason. With Jeremy Kerley struggling to make his way back from injury, Enunwa has passed him as the No. 3 receiver on the team’s depth chart.

Despite his recent struggles, there are reasons to suspect that Kerley still has plenty to contribute to the Jets this season. Rather than decrease his playing time, the Jets should look to maximize the talent on their roster by keeping Kerley as the No. 3 slot receiver and converting Enunwa to tight end.

If this notion sounds ridiculous, consider a recent quote by head coach Todd Bowles, courtesy of the Jets team website:

"He’s [Enunwa] kind of a tweener…he can go ahead and block some of the smaller guys [and]…he can outrun some of the bigger guys. He’s a kind of interesting guy that can do both, so we’re trying to maximize all of the use we can get out of his talents."

Although Enunwa (6’2″ 225 lbs.) is a bit small for a traditional tight end, he has showcased the skills (blocking, pass catching) that are essential to the position. The Jets should look to give Enunwa some snaps at tight end alongside Cumberland to see if converting Enunwa to tight end could be a realistic option.

The Jets have little talent at the tight end position. However, if Bowles and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey are willing to be creative and unconventional, they should have more than enough talent for the Jets to thrive on offense.

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