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Earlier this week, we looked at how the defensive players acquired during the offseason will fit into Gregg Williams' scheme. Now, we move on to look at how offensive players acquired in free agency and the draft fit into Adam Gase's system.
Running Back
Gase arguably has never had a player like Le'Veon Bell before, although Jay Ajayi rushed for almost 1,300 yards in Gase's first year in Miami. However, while Ajayi had good pass catching numbers in college, he hasn't produced much as an NFL pass catcher because he simply doesn't have the positional versatility, route running skills, and hands that Bell brings to the table.
The Jets also brought in Ty Montgomery, who entered the league as a wide receiver. Could Gase opt to run some packages where both are in the game, creating the ultimate in positional flexibility?
While their potential contributions in the passing game are tantalizing, you can't overlook what Bell and Montgomery could bring to the running game. With Frank Pollack in place as the offensive line coach, the Jets should run plenty of zone blocking packages within which the pair will be able to make some decisive reads in addition to Bell's trademark hesitation style.
Offensive Line
Some reports speculated that the Jets' inability to adequately address their need at the center position was a bone of contention between Gase and outgoing general manager Mike Maccagnan. The belief in some quarters is that Gase wanted the Jets to go after Matt Paradis, who played for him briefly when he was Denver's offensive coordinator.
However, previous reports indicated that Gase feuded with his general manager in Miami because he didn't feel the interior line positions were important enough to warrant allocating significant resources to, so this speculation might be misguided. If anything, the trade for Kelechi Osemele might have been something Gase wouldn't have signed off on, because although the Jets didn't give up much in the way of draft compensation, Osemele is earning over $10 million per year over the next two seasons.
Gase has said in the past that it's a priority for his interior linemen to be big and strong so that they can prevent quick pressure up the middle and enable his quarterback to get the ball out. Osemele fits the bill in that regard, but the success of that move will come down to how well he blocks for Bell.
Free agent addition Tom Compton and rookie Chuma Edoga will serve as backups with Edoga a candidate to start in a year or two.
Wide Receiver
One feature of Gase's offenses in Miami was that they generated a lot of offense by throwing short passes to Jarvis Landry and then doing the same with Albert Wilson once Landry departed for Cleveland.
There was concern that the Jets would use Quincy Enunwa in that role in 2019, which might be a mistake because he was frustrated with being used that way last season. However, Jamison Crowder gives them another option to do this with as he has good numbers on such plays over the past few years, displaying good quickness and elusiveness after the catch.
The other main free agent receiver addition was Josh Bellamy who will probably contribute mostly on special teams but could also join Robby Anderson as downfield threats within Gase's offense.
Tight End
The Jets added Daniel Brown, a player who offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains coached in Chicago, in free agency, but the offseason addition most likely to contribute at this position is fourth-round draft pick Trevon Wesco.
The Jets clearly selected Wesco with a role in mind and he should be able to contribute with his blocking and leak out for the occasional catch. Wesco's role could be similar to that of Darren Fells, who never played for Gase, but was a player he reportedly coveted in free agency.
Quarterback
The success of Gase's offense obviously depends significantly on Sam Darnold, but the Jets brought in some competition for the backup quarterback job in the form of Trevor Siemian and Luke Falk. Falk was with Gase in Miami last year, so there's familiarity there.
Conclusions
Although he had three years in Miami, Gase was never quite able to put together the personnel to run an offense as efficient as the one Peyton Manning ran for him in Denver. He had to display some creativity to overcome some injuries and personnel deficiencies and - by his own admission - simplified things at times to improve his team's chances of being competitive.
Some of these players should fit well into what Gase is planning but look for them to continue to add pieces over the next few seasons. That's assuming Gase lasts that long, of course.