NY Jets: 3 offensive players on the bubble entering training camp

These NY Jets offensive players find themselves on the roster bubble entering training camp.

The NY Jets will have a number of roster battles unfold over the next month or so as is the case every year. However, those roster battles will take place in a very different way than usual this season.

Instead of the usual lineup of OTAs followed by training camp followed by four preseason games, players looking to earn a roster spot will have significantly fewer opportunities to prove their worth in 2020.

There were no OTAs. There will be no preseason. Instead, players will have the duration of training camp — a training camp marred by quarantines and safety protocols — to convince their respective teams that they deserve a spot on the 53-man roster.

Safe to say, it isn’t an ideal position for roster-bubble players to be in.

Nonetheless, these players must do their best to adapt to their current situation and make the most of every opportunity they are given.

From the wide receiver position to the offensive line, the Jets have a number of position battles up and down the roster. And those battles will unfold over the next month or so as training camp commences.

Let’s take a look at three offensive players who find themselves on the roster bubble heading into training camp.

Next: 3. Josh Doctson

3. Josh Doctson, WR, NY Jets

Perhaps no position on offense has more competition for the final one or two roster spots than the wide receiver position.

The Jets did their best to revamp the position in the offseason swapping out Robby Anderson for Breshad Perriman and adding Baylor standout Denzel Mims in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

They will also return reliable slot receiver Jamison Crowder and a pair of depth pieces who saw some playing time in 2019 in Vyncint Smith and Braxton Berrios.

Smith and Berrios aren’t guaranteed anything, but there’s a good chance they end up with roster spots when all is set and done. That leaves likely one more spot for an additional depth receiver to earn their keep.

Perhaps that player is former first-round pick Josh Doctson who was signed by the Jets in the offseason after an uneventful tenure in Minnesota.

Doctson will compete with undrafted rookies such as Lawrence Cager and George Campbell in training camp as he looks to prove he could contribute both on offense and on special teams.

The latter will be especially important as his role on the Jets’ offense will likely be limited. The talent Doctson once showed at TCU is still there, but injuries and inconsistencies have plagued his career to this point.

Doctson has the talent to make the final roster, but he’ll have to prove his worth with an impressive training camp.

Next: 2. Josh Adams

2. Josh Adams, RB, NY Jets

The Jets’ top trio of running backs appears to be set. Le’Veon Bell returns after a disappointing 2019 season that saw him finish with career-low numbers across the board.

Meanwhile, the Jets replaced the likes of Bilal Powell and Ty Montgomery with veteran Frank Gore and rookie La’Mical Perine to hopefully provide adequate depth behind Bell.

However, there’s one thing those three running backs seem to be lacking — speed. Josh Adams has speed. And that could be his ticket to earning a roster spot.

There’s no guarantee the Jets carry four running backs, but if they do, the competition for that fourth spot will be between Adams and special-teams ace Trenton Cannon.

Cannon offers more on special teams as a standout gunner, but is more or less useless on offense. Meanwhile, Adams can give the team more backfield depth on offense and provide an element of speed not shared by any other running back on the roster.

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If Adams can prove his effectiveness as a runner on offense, there’s a chance he could sneak on to the final roster. Cannon’s special-teams work could give him a slight edge, so Adams will also need to prove that he could find a role on special teams as well.

It isn’t a highly-discussed position battle, but the fight for the No. 4 running back job — assuming there is one — should be an interesting one to watch.

Adams and Cannon aren’t only fighting with each other, but they’re out to prove the need for a fourth running back in the first place.

And that alone makes this battle all the more interesting.

Next: 1. Ross Travis

1. Ross Travis, TE, NY Jets

Ross Travis is one of the most interesting players on the Jets’ roster, yet few know his story or even his name. However, don’t be surprised if he steals a roster spot come September.

Signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent back in 2015, Travis’ story is very different than most undrafted rookies entering the league.

Instead of making a name for himself on the gridiron, Travis actually shined on the hardwood playing 133 games over four years with the Penn State basketball team. In fact, prior to signing with the Chiefs, Travis hadn’t played football since his freshman year of high school.

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Eight years away from the game, yet his athleticism was enough to earn him a stint on the Chiefs active roster just a year later where he started three games and hauled in three receptions for 15 yards.

He would bounce around with the Chiefs and later the Indianapolis Colts which is where he spent his 2019 season playing three games in Indy before being waived in late-December.

The Jets wasted no time claiming him just one day later and he now returns in 2020 looking to secure a roster spot.

The return of Chris Herndon will hopefully provide a major boost to the Jets’ offense and he’ll be paired with veteran Ryan Griffin who shined in his place last season. But behind them, nothing is certain.

2019 fourth-round pick Trevon Wesco came along strong at the end of last season as a versatile tight end/fullback/H-back and will look to use his versatility to earn a roster spot.

Meanwhile, veteran Daniel Brown offers little on offense, but is a standout special-teamer. Travis, however, might be the most talented pass-catcher of them all and is far and away the most athletic tight end on the team.

Given Brown’s current injury status, there’s a chance he could beat him out if he could make an impact on special teams and if the Jets choose to carry four tight ends given that Wesco is oftentimes used as a fullback anyway.

Most probably don’t know the name, Ross Travis. But few players share as interesting of a backstory as he does. And he’s far from a guaranteed final-roster cut.