NFL teams looking to upgrade their rosters are going to scour the waiver wire following final cuts -- joint practices could help in that process.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Just hours before his agent took his desire to be traded public on social media, New York Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims caught a short pass from third-string QB Mike White in the corner of the end zone. Mims, a 2020 second-round pick, is buried on the Jets’ depth chart, but Thursday, in front of New York Giants coaches at a joint practice, he made a play that capped team drills.
Sometimes one play can make the difference in the evaluation process. And while Mims is clearly ready to move on from the Jets, he could end up still playing in the Meadowlands — via trade or the waiver wire — if the Giants liked what they saw during this week’s joint practice outside.
In past years, the way to earn a job in the NFL was pretty cut and dry. Players would compete throughout training camp and the preseason and hope to make their incumbent team’s 53-man roster. However, with the league expanding its regular season to 17 games, the preseason was shortened from four to three games last summer. Now, teams looking to make up for a lost dress rehearsal are embracing the power of multiple joint practices every summer.
The Jets battled against the Atlanta Falcons during the second week of the preseason before their exhibition matchup at MetLife Stadium. They followed up that joint practice with one mixed workout with the Giants, who they will battle in their shared residency on Sunday in the preseason finale.
Those extra days with the opposition can help players on the fringe of the roster as final cuts loom. Players waived ahead of the 53-man roster deadline on Tuesday could get picked up by a team they practiced with because of a key rep or impressive series of plays in team drills.
“I thought a lot of guys that are in our building right now probably made Atlanta’s roster the way they performed,” Jets head coach Robert Saleh said Thursday. “You have such a great opportunity to showcase yourself to another team, you take advantage of it. It doesn’t mean you do anything you wouldn’t normally do, but it’s just a tremendous opportunity where they’re seeing you in a light other than the normal tape from a game-day standpoint.”
Teams across the league have battled throughout the summer in joint practices. And while the brawls in those practices — like Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s helmet-swinging melee against the Cincinnati Bengals — have made the headlines, it’s the work on the field that could make the difference for some of the straggling talent on rosters.
The Giants have a clear void at tight end entering final cuts. The team signed veterans Ricky Seals-Jones and Jordan Akins this offseason. Seal-Jones was placed on injured reserve in the middle of the summer with a toe injury, and Akins was cut this week.
Now, the Giants’ tight end depth chart features fourth-round pick Daniel Bellinger, undrafted rookie Austin Allen, inexperienced holdover Chris Myarick, and newly-signed veteran Tanner Hudson, who made his Giants debut in joint practices with the Jets.
Even Giants head coach Brian Daboll realizes the evaluation process for the position is ongoing.
“There’s not a lot of [depth],” Daboll said. “There’s a bunch of young players that are competing. They’re improving every day. … So, it’s a good opportunity for those players to go out there and prove and earn the right to play.”
It just so happens that the Jets are loaded with tight end talent after a busy offseason. The Jets signed veterans Tyler Conklin and C.J. Uzomah in free agency and selected Jeremy Ruckert in the third round of the draft.
Trevon Wesco, Kenny Yeboah, and Lawrence Cager are all competing behind that new trio, and while one might be able to stick around, the other two will surely hit the waiver wire. The Giants, if they like what they saw in practice and are impressed by Sunday’s preseason finale, could put in a claim for one of those soon-to-be former Jets.
“That’s another advantage,” Daboll said. “You get a whole other roster to look at. I don’t want to speak for anybody else, I’m sure that’s what happens at most practices. You’re able to go against people. See people that maybe not fit their scheme that they move on from that might fit your scheme or you want to take a look at. So, I think that has its advantages, too.”
As teams look to put together their best 53-man rosters, the evaluators will scour preseason film and practice tape to leave no stone unturned. While they’ve spent the summer grading their own players, upgrades will be available on the wire on Wednesday. If a team can find a diamond in the rough, especially one that they were able to study in practice, they could jump at the chance to add them to their roster.
That’s beneficial, not only for the team but the player who has worked so hard to hang onto his NFL dream.
“You’re always scouring and looking at the other opponents,” Saleh said. “There is an advantage there, but at the same time, it’s a cool opportunity for your players to continue to try to find their way in the league.”
Mike Kaye is the Lead NFL Reporter for Pro Football Network. Follow him on Twitter: @mike_e_kaye.
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