The NY Jets are less than a week away from their Week 1 matchup with the Carolina Panthers. But head coach Robert Saleh still won't say who the team plans to start at right tackle and cornerback.
Saleh spoke to reporters on Monday and was asked about that exact topic. He simply stated that we'll have to wait until Sunday to find out who will start at both positions.
Saleh also insisted that, just because a pair of players "start" the game at cornerback, that doesn't mean they will finish it. The first-year head coach indicated that it will come down to the "look in their eye" to determine whether or not he pulls them.
The Jets are keeping their lips sealed about their starting lineup ahead of Week 1. A little gamesmanship from Gang Green.
The NY Jets won't reveal their starting right tackle or cornerbacks
When the Jets signed veteran Morgan Moses this past July, most assumed that Moses would immediately step in as the Week 1 starter at right tackle.
However, throughout training camp, the Jets have made it clear that there is a true competition for the starting job between Moses and the incumbent George Fant.
More so, Moses has had his struggles adapting to the Jets' new offensive scheme while Fant seems like more of a natural fit. It still seems likely that Moses starts, but the Jets have stuck to their word and given them equal reps in practice.
We'll find out Sunday who the team sees as their starter.
The same is true for the cornerback position. Bryce Hall appears to have a hold on one of the starting jobs, but the release of Blessuan Austin last week complicated matters.
The Jets now have to choose which rookie cornerback they're going to throw out there. The two obvious candidates are sixth-round pick Brandin Echols and undrafted rookie Isaiah Dunn, at least given how reps have been divided in practice.
Echols is probably the better option given Dunn's struggles in the preseason, but there's a reason the Jets gave the latter a roster spot. Don't be surprised to see the team roll out multiple players at the position either.
Sunday's game should provide a good indication as to who the Jets see as their starters moving forward.