Joe Douglas is not making any guarantees.
The Jets’ general manager spoke to the media Thursday for the first time since May.
He expressed excitement about the roster, but would not say the expectation is for the Jets to make the playoffs.
“I’ll let everybody debate what that looks like,” Douglas said when asked what a successful season would be. “We’re not running or hiding from any expectations that are out there. I think, when the dust settles, you want to be in the conversation as one of those teams that can compete for a Super Bowl. You get a ticket into the dance and anything happens.”
Douglas said the Jets are only focused on their Week 1 game with the Bills and are happy to come out of training camp healthy.
“We’re ready,” Douglas said. “We’re really not looking any further than the Buffalo Bills. Again guys, this is the three-time defending AFC East champions coming into MetLife. We know what kind of task that is to compete against them.”
Douglas acknowledged a few times how high the expectations are and said there is always pressure to win no matter what the forecast is.
“We’re excited to be in the conversations as one of the better teams in the league,” Douglas said. “Excitement doesn’t win games. We’ve got a lot to prove.”
The struggles of the offensive line were a focus through training camp, but Douglas said he believes that group is coming together.
“I’m excited about this offensive line,” Douglas said. “We’re getting healthy at the right time. Adding Duane [Brown] back to practice has been awesome. He’s such a great leader in the group. Mekhi [Becton]’s had a great training camp. It’s been really awesome to see Mekhi go through this August and watching him bounce around and the energy he had prior to the Tampa Bay game. I knew he was going to have a great game. It was great to see him go out and do what he does. He looked like rookie Mekhi again.”
DL Carl Lawson returned to practice after he had missed three weeks of training camp with back tightness. Lawson said he is healthy and will be ready to go for Week 1.
“It wasn’t anything that was serious,” Lawson said. “I’m glad it happened during camp so I could just start the regular season healthy. I got a lot of camp in. I got some good stuff on tape. A little, tiny setback, but I’m glad it happened earlier as opposed to we got this long run coming up so I can continue to stay healthy for that.”
The Jets signed six players to their practice squad, filling out the 16-player unit.
They signed DL Jalyn Holmes, RB Xazavian Valladay, OL Jason Poe, OL Ryan Swoboda, LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball and S Tyreque Jones.