AFC East: Questions with a Jets blogger

Earlier this week PhinPhanatic spoke with the editor of BuffalowDown.com about the Bills 2017 season and today we talk with our AFC East rival New York Jets.

The Jets are predicted to finish last in the NFL this season and it’s no surprise given mass of cuts this past off-season. The Jets released Darrelle Revis, Nick Mangold,  both of their kickers, Breno Giacomini, David Harris, and a slew of others.

Former Miami Dolphins interim head coach Todd Bowles stayed on another season but he will not have a lot to work with as the 2017 draws near. It will be interesting to see if he can do anything with this group.

Luis Tirado, Jr. of TheJetPress talked with us about the upcoming season and state of the New York Jets.

The AFC East has been all New England Patriots for more than a decade. How close is your team to competing against them for the division?

"Forgive me for laughing out loud when being asked this in regards to the New York Jets. The Jets will easily be in the bottom of the AFC East since they’re currently rebuilding for the future and in no way, shape, or form will they be able to compete against the Super Bowl reigning New England Patriots. They’ll easily beat the Jets twice this upcoming season."

Quarterback seems to be the hot topic of every NFL team but it seems to be even worse for the Bills and Jets this year. What are the expectations for the quarterback position?

"Well, the Jets don’t have anyone under center worth bragging about since it’s pretty much two young players in Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg. Petty showed promise last season but got hurt, which many are still on the fence if he’s going to be a viable starting quarterback. Hackenberg still needs another year or two of development before he’s ready and then, of course, there is Josh McCown. This is the same terrible quarterback that was with the Cleveland Browns and is the best of the positional group. Needless to say, expectations are extremely low for the quarterback situation of the Jets."

Teams try and use the off-season to improve. Has your team improved?

"Not at all, the Jets have released many veteran players and are going in their current rebuilding process with a plethora of young players. This won’t equal fast results but the Jets haven’t improved at all in any area of the team with the exception of their secondary but again, two new rookies in Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye won’t exactly transform this unit into one to be feared of. There will be growing pain as both rookies adjust to life in the NFL."

What has been the best and worst moves of your off-season?

"Best move was getting rid of aging and unproductive players to add more salary cap room in the future. Worst move? Cutting linebacker David Harris in June which was such a huge slap in the face to him after over a decade with the Jets and of course, to their fan base."

What do you expect to see or learn in training camp?

"Hopefully, see the rookies live up to their expectations and no major injuries to anyone that’s at quarterback. That would just add more salt to injury. All eyes will be on the 2017 NFL Draft class to see how these players pan out."

The Jets are not expected to finish well in 2017 by most so-called “Experts” is Todd Bowles on the hot seat? Should he be given the off-season the Jets have had this year?

"Bowles isn’t on the hot seat since expectations are low this season. As long as players are held accountable and no more off-the-field distractions happen, he’ll be fine, even if they win only a game or two in 2017. Bowles has made some dumb mistakes but just like players, he needs at least two to three years on the job to hone his craft. All eyes will be on how he does in the heat of the moment during football games since that has been an area of opportunity for him over the past two years."

Who is your teams biggest rival in the AFC East and why is not one of the other teams?

"It’s easily the Patriots due to how dominant they have been and well, crushing the Jets royally on a yearly basis."

What are your predictions for the AFC East standings this year?

"Patriots will easily win 12, maybe even 13 games. Dolphins will win 9 or 10 tops, Bills will also be in the same range at 9-10 and the Jets will probably end with another 5 or fewer wins when all is said and done. At least the AFC East will be competitive again."

If there will be one thing that will surprise people about your team this year, what will it be?

"If by some miracle, either Petty or Hackenberg play incredible football under center."