There is much to look forward to for the Jets' offense this season. With the Decker-Marshall combination returning for a second year, and the addition of former Bears running back Matt Forte, the Jets may be playoff bound. However, their playoff hopes may rely on more than if Fitzpatrick does or does not return to the team.
Another offensive position in dire need of attention is the tight end.
Not since Dustin Keller have the Jets had a solid, reliable option at tight end. After Keller left in 2013 to go to the rival Dolphins, the Jets looked to the draft to solve their problem. In the second round, they picked up Texas Tech junior Jace Amaro. In his junior season, Jace flourished under first-year head coach Kliff Kingsbury's uptempo offense. He racked up 1,352 yards, averaging 12.8 yards per catch, along with seven total touchdowns for the season. He ended up setting an NCAA record for most receiving yards and yards per game by a tight end in a single season. This stellar, record-breaking year earned Amaro Unanimous All-American and All-Big 12 Conference First Team honors and the 49th pick.
Looking to ease him into his rookie year, the Jets split playing time between Jace and Jeff Cumberland, with Jace getting 38 receptions, and Jeff getting 23. Jace ended up playing in 14 games, starting four, with 345 total yards and two touchdowns. Although those stats seemed justifiable, there were complaints throughout the season for a bevy of dropped catches. Regardless, in a weak tight end rookie class, Jace was selected to the NFL All-Rookie Team.
2015 looked to be a promising year for the young player. Coming off an above-par rookie season, there was no reason to believe that the tight end wouldn't seize the position and establish himself among the best tight ends in the league. All of that ended on September 1, 2015 when it was revealed that Jace tore his labrum during the first preseason game. The injury abruptly ended his 2015 season, and he got surgery in the following weeks.
The Jets severely missed Jace in 2015, with all of the Jets tight ends grabbing a ridiculously low eight catches the entire season. The Jets could surely use a dependable performance from the tight end in 2016. If Jace can at least somewhat emulate his production in his rookie season, and fix up on his tendency to drop balls, the Jets can finally fill the void that has been the tight end position.
Amaro truly believes he can contribute to the tight end drought the Jets have faced since 2013. He stated in an interview, “This system fits the tight ends very well. I feel like there are a lot of routes that correlate to the tight ends and getting us open. It’s just a matter of us winning one-on-one routes and getting open, the quarterbacks trusting us. I feel like we’re doing a lot better job than we were last season.”
With a plethora of options on offense, it might be the opportune time for tight ends to get open and win those one-on-one routes. Hopefully, when he's open on a slant down the seam, he won't drop the pigskin. But since the focus will mainly be on the wide receiver duo, Amaro has plenty of time to prove himself as an everyday player this year.
