Jace Amaro
- TE
- ,
- 34
- 265 lbs
- 6' 5"
- N/A
- Full Season Projection
- Dfs Projection
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There's something Jets QB Geno Smith began doing in December that really helped him as a passer: He started running the ball. In those final four games, Smith racked up 186 of the 366 rushing yards he would compile during a season in which he started all 16 games, and he ran it 10 times in both of the season's final two games, both of which were Jets victories.
"Last year at this time, it was 24/7 coaching footwork, where his eyes are, what his progression is, who his initial read is, all of the different looks he could see," offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said. "This year, we call a play, and—boom, he’s sprinting in and he’s got it. Quite different than last year."
Figuring out how and when to tuck it in and run—especially for a quarterback who was every bit a traditional pocket passer in college at West Virginia—was something of a eureka moment for Smith, at least according to Jets quarterbacks coach David Lee.
"In early December it started happening and [we] started seeing it in practice, him really finishing plays and starting to know where people are and really getting it when we told him we wanted to him run with the football," Lee said. "The taking off and running part just really took hold of him and started to mesh in his brain about December and he started hurting people running the football in the last month of the season. So, I think that made him more of a threat."
Smith finished as the #20 QB in his rookie season, but his per game production (12.5 PPG) left something to be desired. He showed a better-than-expected ability to run around the goal line, resulting in six rushing TDs. Mornhinweg mentioned Smith's play in the final four games of the season. He did average 20.0 fantasy points during that span, compared with just 10.0 FP in the first 12 games. He ran for three TDs down the stretch while throwing for just 198 yards and 1.0 TD. From a fantasy perspective, it would probably be better if the experienced Michael Vick were under center, but it certainly sounds like it's Smith's job to lose. The arrival of Eric Decker, Chris Johnson and Jace Amaro should help.
Last week, as the Jets concluded offseason workouts with a three-day minicamp, TE Jace Amaro said he had indeed begun to fully understand the Jets’ system, with training camp in Cortland, N.Y., set to begin on July 23.
“Since whenever that first time I came out and didn’t have a very good day, I feel like I’ve taken some really big strides since then,” he said. “That was the first week of OTAs, and that was one of the more heavy playbook days. It was just one of those things where I knew I’m not going to be perfect out here and I’m going to make mistakes. That’s what this period of practice is for, is to get ready for training camp and make sure you’re fundamentally sound on all the playbook stuff. Right now, I feel really good about it.
“I just know the whole playbook now, and I know exactly what I need to do on every single play. It’s just a lot more relaxing out there. I can read the defense and I can see who I expect is going to guard me on a certain play. I feel a lot better about it. That’s probably the biggest thing. I know what I can do (physically) and what my game is. That’s all going to come along. The mental part about it and the playbook part about it is the biggest thing.”
Amaro said he learned the playbook through “hours and hours of looking at the plays and memorizing them. It’s just one of those things where it just takes a lot of reps and just a lot of studying.”
During offseason workouts, the Jets housed their rookies at a hotel near the team’s facility. Amaro spent about two hours every night studying his plays alone his room, “and going to bed with all of that stuff in my head,” he said. “It’s working out for me pretty well.”
Amaro has to beat out the capable Jeff Cumberland to get starter's snaps, and it's generally unlikely for a rookie TE to have much of a fantasy impact. Plus, the Jets' passing offense isn't exactly potent. There are a lot of factors working against Amaro right now, but he's a player to monitor.
Jets TE Jace Amaro described the Texas Tech offense as "simple," -- a no-huddle, spread attack that doesn't have a high volume of plays. Using a math analogy, it was on the level of addition, subtraction, division and multiplication. The Jets are using calculus.
Which explains why Amaro struggled in last week's minicamp. He got some work with the first team, mostly in the three-receiver package, but he looked lost at times. Simply put, he needs to clean up all aspects of his game.
OC Marty Mornhinweg said Amaro, a pass-catching machine in college, needs to make a "host" of adjustments to get comfortable in a pro-style system. The Jets' version of the West Coast offense is predicated on timing and precision, and Amaro's routes were sloppy. If a pass receiver is off by a step or two, it throws the entire play out of sync. Specifically, he has to polish the top of his routes. Because he didn't play much traditional tight end at Tech, he also needs a refresher course on the in-line position, mostly with footwork and releases.
Amaro has a tremendous opportunity in the long term, but in the short term, we're not terribly bullish on his fantasy prospects for 2014. Jeff Cumberland is a solid, experienced starter and tight ends rarely make a fantasy impact in their rookie seasons. The Jets are lacking receiving options, so it's possible that the team will run more two-TE sets to get him on the field. That could send Jeremy Kerley, who arguably has the best hands on the team, to the bench if he's not starting opposite of Eric Decker.
Jets QB coach David Lee on Geno Smith: “We’re not playing yet, we’re not in the stadium yet, people aren’t in the stands, but Geno, he’s a strongly improved player at this point.”
“It goes all the way back with him to last winter,” Lee explained. “He was down in Florida sending me text pictures of himself running up and down hills with a parachute behind him. He’s just faster. He’s faster than he was. His body’s stronger….He’s been in that weight room, so physically he’s gotten faster, he’s gotten stronger, he’s lost body fat. When you do all that your mind (is) right and his mind’s been right.
"He’s taught a lot of football, he’s worked hard on pass protection. We looked at all the things that were negative last year from sacks, to interceptions, to fumbles and how can we improve them. I’ve been really pleased with his progress.”
Smith finished as the #20 QB in his rookie season, but his per game production (12.5 PPG) left something to be desired. He got off to a good start, posting #14 QB numbers through the first five games, but he was just the #24 QB the rest of the way. He showed a better-than-expected ability to run around the goal line, resulting in six rushing TDs. The arrival of WR Eric Decker and TE Jace Amaro should help, though he now has Michael Vick breathing down his neck.
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