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NY Post
New York Post
31 Aug 2023


NextImg:Jets’ offensive line finally healthy but in race against time to jell

You’ve heard of speed dating. This is speed offensive-line building.

For the first time this summer, the Jets’ starting five took part in team drills together Tuesday, the first of only a handful of practices they will have before the Week 1 meeting with the Bills.

From left to right, Duane Brown, Laken Tomlinson, Connor McGovern, Alijah Vera-Tucker and Mekhi Becton don’t have much time to get in sync.

What they do have right now is health, and experience playing with one another in the past, although not at the same time.

“This group has a lot of cohesion,” McGovern, the starting center, said. “We’ve all played next to each other. Duane and ‘Lake’ have played a whole season pretty much next to each other. I’ve played a season next to ‘Lake’ and two next to AVT, or one and a half, a full season with [Becton].”

Said Vera-Tucker: “These next practices are critical for us, we know that. Mentally and physically, we just have to lock in.”

Questions about the offensive line have beleaguered the Jets this summer.

Aaron Rodger, calling out a signal during the Jets-Giants preseason game, practiced with the starting offensive line for the first time this season on Wednesday.
AP

Backup tackles Max Mitchell and Billy Turner spent most of training camp receiving first-team reps, while Brown worked his way off the physically unable to perform list after offseason shoulder surgery and Becton made his way up the depth chart. Vera-Tucker and Tomlinson also missed time with minor injuries, and the unit struggled during one joint practice with the Panthers, which was captured by HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”

“The only way to not hear about it is to delete Twitter. It is motivation, because we know we’re a good group and we know we’re not going to be the Achilles’ heel of this team,” McGovern said. “Every day, in my opinion, we’re playing the best defense in the league, and then we go out and have one pretty s–tty practice against Carolina, and the whole world is falling apart. … If you watch the preseason games, the O-line I felt played pretty well.”

Obviously, health is a question mark.

Brown is 38 years old. Vera-Tucker is coming off a season in which he appeared in just seven games due to a triceps injury that required surgery, and Becton last played in a game on Sept. 12, 2021.

But there is optimism that if this quintet can stay on the field, they have the potential to be better than expected.

“We’re not going to say too many things,” Becton said. “We’re going to ball out like we’re supposed to.”

A day after cutting P Thomas Morstead and FB Nick Bawden, the Jets re-signed both players to the active roster.

TE Kenny Yeboah and OT Carter Warren were placed on injured reserve, making them ineligible for at least the first four games of the season.

The Jets signed the following players to their practice squad: QB Tim Boyle, TE Zack Kuntz, DL Tanzel Smart, S Trey Dean, CB Craig James, CB Nehemiah Shelton, DL Marquiss Spencer, LB Samuel Eguavoen, LB Caleb Johnson and OL Adam Pankey.

RB Zonovan “Bam” Knight, cut by the Jets on Monday, was signed to the Lions’ practice squad.