How did Zach Wilson look during the Jets’ OTAs Tuesday? Perhaps, at least to his head coach, he was lookin’ like a snack.
“You guys will see him…he’s thick,” Robert Saleh said, before making himself laugh. “He looks good, he looks confident, shoulders are back and he’s not caved in. He’s confident, he’s smiling, he’s vocal.”
Of course, the thickness Saleh was referring to was in Wilson’s physical development, but it’s nice to see that in 2022, the coach can have a little fun when he realizes his choice of words could go in multiple directions.
That aside, though, Saleh believes Wilson is already improving on the field, too.
“I always say, you can always tell the confidence level and understanding of what they’re being asked to do by the volume of their voice, and he’s being pretty loud,” Saleh said. “And, he’s in a good space. It’s just him and (Mike) LaFleur and (Rob) Calabrese in the room so it’s less noise, but a lot of good things are happening in there.”
He’s seeing good things so far from his entire squad, too.
“Football is unique in the sense that you actually have to play the sport to get good at it; you can’t go to a gym and shoot, or swing at the driving range, you actually have to play,” Saleh said. “So, everything about OTAs is about technique, fundamentals, and re-familiarizing yourself with the scheme and what you’re being asked to do. There’s been a lot of self-scout that’s taken place, so introducing new concepts to the guys and build off what we did a year ago."
The Jets went 4-13 last year and have an over/under of around 5.5 for wins this year. Saleh knows they’re still a young group, but is confident the team can keep improving.”
“We’re better, and I know we’re going to be better,” Saleh said. “We’re young but we’re a year older, and we brought in a lot of cool pieces who stand for the right stuff and live and breathe football.
They’ll need it, as the Jets’ first four games are against the AFC North, all teams that finished 8-9 or better, and the opener, at home, is against a revamped Ravens squad.
"Got a home opener. That's a hell of a deal," Saleh smiled. “Every game in the league is hard. Every week is an animal, but with that said, (mindset) doesn’t change. There’s an old cliché saying that you treat every moment like a championship moment.”
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