Jets general manager Joe Douglas’ main goal this offseason was to alter the look of one of the NFL’s most inept offenses in 2019.
Now it’s head coach Adam Gase’s turn.
Much has been made of the offensive line overhaul—per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Douglas used 75% of his available free agency funds on it while also expending his number one draft pick (11th overall) on tackle Mekhi Becton. Douglas’ theory, an established one, is that improved blocking will help offset deficiencies his club may still have at the skill positions.
Running back Le’Veon Bell is coming off the worst season of his career. His backup, Frank Gore, is 37. On the outside, quarterback Sam Darnold will likely be throwing to two new receivers—free agent acquisition Breshad Perriman and rookie Denzel Mims.
No wonder Darnold is reportedly flying from his California home to Florida for skill position workouts that are slated to begin on Thursday. Previously, all offseason work with teammates was virtual, as on-site minicamps have been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Barring further spread of the disease, training camps are expected to get underway in about a month.
One of the more important players with whom Darnold needs to get acquainted—or rather reacquainted—at the Bommarito Performance System facility in Aventura is Chris Herndon. The tight end is coming off a hellish season in which he played a grand total of 18 snaps.
Herndon, Gang Green’s fourth-round pick in 2018, seemingly had instant chemistry with third-overall selection Darnold in their rookie seasons. By the campaign’s second half, Herndon was a top-10 tight end as graded by ProFootballFocus.com, recording the ninth-most receptions in the league at his position.
However, a substance abuse violation cost Herndon the first four games of last season. Before he could even suit up for his first contest, Herndon injured his hamstring at practice. He finally took the field for the Week 10 tilt versus the Giants, but that was short-lived too. A rib injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
In Herndon’s place, Ryan Griffin started to develop a connection with Darnold before he too succumbed to a season-ending injury (ankle). No tight end with at least 30 targets last season registered a higher QB rating when targeted than Griffin’s 140.4, per PFF. That included a six-week stretch where Griffin played out of his mind. The only tight ends with more receptions than Griffin’s 24 in Weeks 8-13 were multiple-time Pro Bowlers Zach Ertz (Eagles), Travis Kelce (Chiefs) and Greg Olsen (Panthers).
What to make of this? Even with the pandemic condensing the offseason routine, it sure seems like a good time for Gase to augment the playbook by incorporating more two-tight end formations this season.
Gase’s recent history indicates that he prefers “11” personnel packages (one running back, one tight end, three receivers). In Gase’s last two seasons manning the Miami sideline, only a couple of teams used that grouping more than the Dolphins, according to sharpfootballstats.com. Last season, only three teams used a “12” personnel group (one running back, two tight ends, two receivers) fewer times than the Jets’ 12% of offensive snaps.
Maybe it was because the Jets’ results out of 12 personnel were disastrous without Herndon. On the other hand, Gase used those snaps as running downs on 80 of those 115 plays, yielding a paltry 2.4 average gain per carry.
With the right personnel, though, throwing out of two-tight end offenses can be highly effective. Consider 2018: led by a novice in Darnold (except for three games with dead-armed journeyman Josh McCown under center), the Jets averaged 6.5 yards per passing attempt that season. Out of a 12 personnel group, which they used on 22% of snaps (7th most in the league), they averaged 8.0 YPA.
The difference was more pronounced on first-and-10s: The 200 passing plays while using 11 personnel yielded 6.3 YPA while 108 plays from 12 generated 9.1 YPA.
Remember, the second tight end then was typically Eric Tomlinson, who I would nominate as the most useless Jets regular of the last decade.
Gase certainly has better tight end depth now than Todd Bowles did two seasons ago. The mark of a good coach is adjusting your game plan to suit your team’s talents.
Having Herndon and Griffin on the field together this season will pose problems for opposing defenses in the short and intermediate zones, especially versus loaded boxes. If either Perriman or Mims can prove adept at getting over defenses’ tops—and with their speed, they have a chance—Darnold will have his Robby Anderson replacement to further open the underneath routes for outlets like Bell or slot receiver Jamison Crowder.
Let’s hope Gase scripts and sends some plays using two tight ends for Darnold to practice in Florida.
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