New Jets OC Tanner Engstrand is already winning over players: Minicamp observations

New York Times

a day ago

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Tanner Engstrand walked into the press conference room on Wednesday with a smile on his face and a pep in his step.
They all do in the beginning. Most don't last, not around here. Offensive coordinators, play-callers, they've shuffled through these halls and many, most, have failed to meet the expectations set out when they were hired. This is an organization that hasn't finished a season even in the Top-20 in scoring offense since 2015, when they were 11th. In the nine seasons since, they've ranked in the NFL's bottom-five six times.
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In recent years, the Jets' star players have had a decidedly harder time biting their tongue. Mike LaFleur was fired after the 2022 season when some players made it clear in exit meetings they didn't think he was the right man for the job. It got worse — way worse — with Nathaniel Hackett, hand-picked to help guide an Aaron Rodgers-led scheme. It was a disaster, until he was demoted last season and replaced by Todd Downing. It got slightly better, but not much.
Now the Jets are resting their hopes on the shoulders of Engstrand, who — like LaFleur before him — has never called plays in the NFL before. He does have experience as a playcaller at the University of San Diego (2011-17) and in the XFL (2020). He learned under Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson with the Detroit Lions over the last few years, and both Campbell and Johnson insist Engstrand was a crucial piece of one of the most creative and explosive offenses in the NFL.
So far, Engstrand is winning over the best players in his Jets offense, namely running back Breece Hall, wide receiver Garrett Wilson and quarterback Justin Fields.
Engstrand, together with head coach Aaron Glenn, has cultivated an offensive scheme built around Fields' skillset as a dual threat.
'I see a smart guy,' Fields said. 'He's very smart, very intellectual about the game. He knows what he's talking about, for sure, with all the positions. Quarterback, receiver, running backs. He knows ball and he wants (us) to be the most explosive offense in the NFL and we're going to work to be that.'
The plan is to run the ball — a lot, and certainly a lot more than they did last year. (It would be hard to run it less; they were 32nd in rush attempts.)
'I feel like a lot of offenses in the NFL are pretty similar,' Hall said. 'It's just, I know Tanner loves to run the ball. For me, just getting ready for that. He also knows how I can be effective in the pass game. He and (Glenn) always tell me: Breece, you're going to do everything. So for me it's just getting ready to do everything. I have to be ready to be a three-down back.'
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That last part is crucial: Late in 2023, Hackett admitted he had no idea that Hall had the ability to be a contributor in the passing game until midway through the season. The Jets, it seems, won't have that issue with Engstrand. 'He has natural hands like a receiver,' Fields said of Hall.
And then there's Wilson, never afraid to hide his frustrations with Hackett and LaFleur over the last few years. Too often last year, Wilson was ignored in crucial situations, specifically in the red zone. If OTAs and minicamp are any indication, that won't happen anymore. Fields has been targeting Wilson early and often throughout the spring — and Wilson has caught just about all of those throws, often in acrobatic fashion.
'I know AG talked about, 'Hey, what are we going to do with Garrett? We're going to give him the ball as much as we can,'' Engstrand said during OTAs. 'And you know what, I'm in on it.'
The Jets have lacked an explosive, high-scoring offense and they're banking on Engstrand (and Fields) being the ones to change that. Tuesday and Wednesday were two of the more productive days for the Jets' passing offense, moving quickly during team drills and making those explosive plays down the field. Here are some observations from Wednesday's practice:
Fields had probably his best day of the spring on Wednesday — at least in terms of highlight reel-worthy throws. On Tuesday, Glenn called out a play on which Fields moved outside the pocket and then threw it away when nobody was open rather than forcing it, something he's had some trouble with throughout his career. Wednesday was more about the throws he did make. Fields connected with Wilson on a deep ball — probably a 40-yard completion — getting it to his star receiver despite tight coverage from cornerback Brandon Stephens. Fields dropped it right into a place where only Wilson could get.
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A couple plays later, Fields one-upped himself: As multiple pass rushers neared, clouding his vision, Fields calmly connected with wide receiver Josh Reynolds, covered by safety Andre Cisco, on a corner route with perfect accuracy for a short touchdown. To that point, Fields had completed 5 of 7 passes — one incompletion thrown just a little too far for tight end Mason Taylor, the other broken up by cornerback Michael Carter II, intended for Reynolds.
His last drive was less impressive. He completed a pass to Taylor who then had it poked away for a fumble out of bounds, then he overthrew Reynolds and missed Wilson on a goal line pass to end the drive.
But overall it was a good day for the Jets quarterback, who has been much more decisive after he had been holding onto the ball a touch too long during OTAs open to the media. In total, Fields completed three passes to Wilson, one to Braelon Allen, one to Reynolds and one to Taylor.
Safety Tony Adams — competing with rookie Malachi Moore to start — did stop Fields at the goal line on a run and made sure to let him know about it, loudly, in the immediate aftermath.
'I know he can run, but I can run too,' Adams said afterward. 'It's fun. I can't wait for training camp because it's going to get real.'
Wednesday was the first time Hall spoke publicly since trade rumors surfaced around the NFL Draft suggesting that the Jets were looking to move him. Those turned out to be unfounded. Hall said he saw the rumors for the first time on social media and thought, 'we'll see what happens.'
'If people feel like you aren't doing your job, you're going to be replaced,' He said on Wednesday.
The logic: He was coming off a down year in 2024 and 2025 is a contract year. But the Jets were never actually shopping him — Glenn made sure to call Hall when the rumors started to make sure he understood that too.
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'[Glenn] told me: 'You think I want to trade you?' I was like 'I don't know.' He's like 'Breece, I don't want to trade you, you're going to be here, you're our running back. That felt really good.'
Hall is highly motivated coming off a down year — he averaged 4.2 yards per carry, a career-worst, and never had 20 carries in a game — and admitted that he was dealing with a 'pretty serious' knee injury down the stretch of the season. He's completely healed now, he said.
• Defensive end Micheal Clemons opened 11-on-11 drills with a tackle for loss on a Fields designed run. Clemons is the early favorite to fill in for Jermaine Johnson until Johnson returns from his Achilles injury. Glenn said on Tuesday that Johnson could start training camp on the PUP list but should be ready to return for Week 1.
• Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and linebacker Jamien Sherwood would have had sacks against Fields if the Jets were counting them. With the reserve units, linebacker Francisco Mauigoa (on Tyrod Taylor), defensive tackle Fatorma Mulba (on rookie Brady Cook) and edge Braiden McGregor (on Adrian Martinez) also had sacks.
• Defensive back Isaiah Oliver was the one to force a fumble on Taylor. Oliver has stood out as a playmaker this spring.
• Wide receiver Allen Lazard made a nice play on a jump ball on a pass from Taylor during team drills. Engstrand lauded Lazard for his effort to learn a new system and to fit into a scheme he's never played before.
• Taylor scrambled for a touchdown during team drills and celebrated with Fields after the play. They've cultivated a handshake that ends with them pretending to shoot a basketball.
• Undrafted rookie receiver Jamaal Pritchett made a nice play on a deep ball from Martinez during team drills. Pritchett (listed at 5-foot-8) is also competing for the punt returner job with Xavier Gipson and others.