Long list of players impress Adam Gase at Jets OTAs

The New York Jets had plenty of players catch the eye of new head coach Adam Gase during their most recent organized team activities.

Gase is trying to turn the Jets back into a contender, after failing to succeed in the same effort with the Miami Dolphins. As the team searches for a new general manager to replace the recently fired Mike Maccagnan, Gase likes what he’s seeing from his roster at the moment.

When asked which players stood out to him at OTAs, Gase’s response indicated it may have been easier to list the players who didn’t impress him (via Jets senior reporter Eric Allen):

It’s hard to narrow it down. I know I’ve been impressed with a lot of guys on defense, especially that defensive line, they make it tough…C.J. (Mosley), Jamal (Adams). It’s been good to get Marcus (Maye) back in some 7-on-7 stuff.

When it came to the offense, Gase unsurprisingly mentioned the development of second-year quarterback Sam Darnold, as well as his top pass-catching weapons:

Watching him progress through this thing, it’s really exciting. I think Quincy (Enunwa) and Robby (Anderson) are really starting to come around with what we’re doing. We’re trying to keep doing variety and keep pressing them, seeing how much we can do there. Chris (Herndon) has done a good job of coming along in the offense as well. I think the line has done a good job of gelling together and really playing well off each other.

Perhaps most importantly, Gase has been impressed by the team’s intensity, focus and playing speed throughout these first few team practices:

I’ve really been impressed with play speed, energy, attitude, the want-to. Thursday was really fun to be a part of, just how fast those guys were moving. Going into a four-day weekend, sometimes that practice can be a little sketchy and get a little lackadaisical. You just didn’t see that. Guys were really wired in, looking to get better and yesterday was a good pick up coming off a four-day weekend. I thought the guys did a good job.

Gase himself has much to prove after a failed stint in Miami, and the Jets have struggled to regain any sense of NFL relevance since making back-to-back AFC title game appearances during the Mark Sanchez/Rex Ryan era.

Following an active offseason that brought dynamic playmakers like Le’Veon Bell, C.J. Mosley, Jamison Crowder and Quinnen Williams to the roster, Gase has plenty of reasons why he should turn things around sooner than later. But that also brings added pressure for a quick rebuild, something we’ve seen multiple times in recent years, despite its difficulty.