During the Jets-Giants preseason finale at MetLife Stadium, GM Darren Mougey stepped into the WCBS-TV broadcast booth in the third quarter to chat with play-by-play man Ian Eagle and analyst (and former Jets TE) Anthony Becht. He pronounced himself pleased with the team's progress as cutdown day looms late Sunday.
"Training camp's been really good for us," Mougey said. "I'd say this past week was one of the best weeks we've had. A physical week, two padded practices back to back about 48-50 reps for the ones and felt really good about that day."
Though HC Aaron Glenn held out the vast majority of the team's first-line players, Mougey, in his second season with the Green & White, said one of the goals in the offseason was to sprinkle one of the league's youngest rosters from last year with some quality veteran talent -- players like LB Demario Davis, QB Geno Smith and S Minkah Fitzpatrick.
"It was a focus going into the offseason, we had one of the youngest rosters last year in the NFL," he said. "Bringing in some veterans, but the right guys in terms of leadership, and it's been great to watch those guys work. It's no surprise after watching those guys [Davis, Smith and Fitzpatrick and others] and obviously the training camp work, why they've stuck around this long, and just watching those guys lead throughout training camp, seeing them take some of these young guys, put them under their under their wings, and guide them has been really fun to see."
The Jets and the other 31 teams in the NFL have until 6 p.m. (New York time) on Sunday night to trim their rosters to 53 players, plus a 16-man practice squad (17 if the team includes an international player).
"Busy next few days, no doubt, and it starts really right after this game," Mougey said. "We'll get with the medical staff, get all the injury updates tomorrow [Sunday] morning. Obviously, watch the film while the staff meeting with the coaches, the personnel. We'll go through the entire roster, set the 53, the practice squad, and then those tough conversations coming tomorrow night and Sunday. And obviously evaluating the entire league as well to see those cutdowns and you know finalize the roster early next week."
He added: "Dreams can come true, no doubt, surely for players that have dreamed about playing in the NFL and a chance to be a part of this organization."
Mougey emphasized the importance for him and Glenn to have had an entire offseason together to plan and prepare for what's to come when the Jets travel to Tennessee to face the Titans on Sept. 13.
"It's been great, just time on task with everyone going through an entire process," he said. "Last year this time we hadn't gone through a cutdown process yet. Right now, we know what that's like. That's going to be smoother. The conversations, the day-to-day dialog. It's been fantastic going through it. A full season with these guys and just getting to know each other better."
