Jets Get Harsh Reminder Of Their Biggest Problem In Joint Practice With Buccaneers

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets spent a lot of money and draft capital in the offseason to rebuild their broken team, and there is no question they have a lot more talent than they had last year.

But when they got a first look at their retooled roster in a competitive setting on Tuesday morning, it served mostly as a reminder of the one thing they still don’t have.

And that, as always, is a viable quarterback. As much as they’d like to believe the second time will be the charm for Geno Smith, the Jets’ joint practice against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wasn’t a good omen at all.

The 35-year-old Smith struggled against a Bucs' defense that Jets coach Aaron Glenn admitted was "a scheme that’s difficult to deal with." He was 10-of-16 in team drills, was sacked way too often, and was picked off twice (though Bucs linebacker Josiah Trotter couldn’t hold on to the second one). He was also picked off once in 7-on-7 drills, where veteran quarterbacks are usually flawless.

It’s early in the summer, of course, and Smith has had a generally good camp up to this point. But he remains the glaring Achilles heel on the improved roster that Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey assembled. There is a lot to love about this group. They have electric skill players, like wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall, a strong offensive line, a big and veteran-heavy defense, and a rookie edge rusher (David Bailey) who has looked sensational all summer long.

The Jets turned back to Geno Smith again at quarterback this offseason. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)

In fact, the Jets stack up pretty well with the Bucs up and down the roster — except at the most important spot. The Bucs have Baker Mayfield at quarterback, and while he’s hardly a flawless starter. He’s a capable one who averaged 4,079 passing yards in his three seasons in Tampa. Smith threw for a lot of yards in Seattle two seasons ago (4,320), but his most glaring stat is the 32 interceptions he’s thrown in the last two years.

And for the Jets, that really is a tradition like any other. They have been locked in a perpetual quarterback search for as long as most of their fans have been alive. It has been eight years since Smith’s last start with the Jets in 2016. The Jets have had 14 different starting quarterbacks in that time.

But even a mid-level quarterback like Mayfield with this group of Jets and they might have a realistic chance of ending their astonishing and NFL-worst 15-year playoff drought. But Smith, once a promising second-round pick who was thought to be the Jets' quarterback of the future, is just more of the same at this point. He’s a reminder that this lost franchise won’t be fully restored until they finally get the quarterback position right.

• Edge rusher David Bailey, the second overall pick in the draft, is the real deal. The Jets rookie had his way at this practice with Bucs right tackle Luke Goedeke, blowing by him with his speed and bull-rushing him with his strength in both individual drills and the full team sessions. "He looks like a No. 2 pick," said veteran Jets linebacker Demario Davis. "He looks like everything that’s been advertised, and more." Bailey and Will McDonald, who had 18.5 sacks over the last two seasons, could be a very dangerous duo. And they’ll have plenty of help after the Jets added veterans David Onyemata, Kingley Enagbare and Joseph Ossai in the offseason, too.
• Bucs wide receiver Emeka Egbuka had a terrible finish after a promising start to his rookie season, but he seems to be back in form now. He got behind the Jets’ defense several times, showing off his speed and game-breaking ability. And in warmups, he made a ridiculous, one-handed catch, just as a reminder of the skill he possesses. He’s got No. 1 WR potential, especially if he can get help from someone else to take some of the coverage away.
• The practice was marred by about five separate fights, most of which seemed to be sparked by some interaction between the Bucs offensive line and Jets defensive front. Goedeke and Bailey were often in the middle of it, though the big one was between Goedeke and Jets edge Kingsley Enagbare. Goedeke responded to what he thought was a "cheap shot" by Enagbare. In their scuffle, Goedeke ripped off Enagbare’s helmet and tossed it about 20 yards downfield. "Obviously not the greatest decision by me," Goedeke said. "But I’m always going to defend my players and myself. I’m not going to get punked and not do anything about it."

Players To Watch

DE Rueben Bain Jr.

 

DE David Bailey

 

Bain, the 15th overall pick in the draft, was much quieter. He was hardly noticeable, to be honest. But he still had a couple of impressive moments, mostly while making plays against the run. He clearly showed his speed to track down Jets running backs before they could turn the corner. He’s got the ability to be a top pass rusher too, even if it wasn’t on display against the Jets.

Bailey was the star of the practice, consistently wrecking the Bucs’ offensive line and blowing up plays in the backfield. His speed, power and explosiveness are going to make him one of the best pass rushers in the NFL over the next few years. 

David Bailey had 14.5 sacks at Texas Tech this past season. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The two of them could easily be Pro Bowlers a year or two down the road, if not sooner. And both will be on aggressive defenses, playing for defensive-minded coaches eager to turn them loose.

"I have a rule: If you’re over 240, I ain’t messing with you. … When I see a fight happen, that’s my water break."

— Jets running back Breece Hall on why he didn’t get involved in any of the MANY fights between the Jets and Buccaneers players during their joint practice on Tuesday.

Bucs: Contenders 
Jets: Not so much

Calling the Bucs contenders is a no-brainer, considering they tied for first in their division with an 8-9 record last season. There's no reason they shouldn’t be at least a little better. 

If they get better health from running back Bucky Irving and wide receiver Chris Godwin, and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is OK after slamming into the rookie wall last year, they should piece together enough offense even with wide receiver Mike Evans gone. And once defensive tackle Vita Vea’s contract dispute is over, Todd Bowles’ defense still has a bunch of good pieces, especially if linebackers Ruben Bain and Josiah Trotter — their first two picks in the draft — are as good as the Bucs expect. 

Baker Mayfield is leading the charge for the Bucs again in 2026, but his supporting cast will look different. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)

The Bucs could easily be a nine-win team, and in the NFC South that might be more than enough.

The Jets, though, won’t have nearly enough. 

They have a lot of excellent pieces, like Wilson, Hall, the offensive line, Bailey, and a veteran-heavy defense. But they are not deep, and the quarterback position is still a huge problem. Smith will be a lot better than last year’s original starting quarterback, Justin Fields, but that’s not saying much. Smith’s history is that for every one good thing he does, he counteracts it with a bad thing. So expect moments of promise and maybe even brilliance, followed by a game-killing bad decision or interception. 

In all, the Jets should be more competitive and better than they were last season. But again, the bar is very, very low. Maybe they can squeeze out six wins, if everything breaks right. But by Thanksgiving, their eyes will be laser-focused on the quarterbacks coming out in the 2027 NFL Draft.

My Next Stop: Ashburn, Virginia

 

After beginning my road trip in New Jersey, Wednesday begins my travels around the Northeast. The Washington Commanders will be hosting the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday for a joint practice, just ahead of their preseason game on Friday night. The practice will be a good chance for Washington to see what its new receiver, Stefon Diggs, still has left at age 32, since he likely won’t do much in the preseason game, if he plays at all. And it’ll be a good chance for new Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley to see what his team has left … period. They have a new quarterback in Malik Willis and they still have running back De’Von Achane. But really, that’s about it after a massive offseason of changes. 

Temperatures should be relatively cool (upper 70s to low 80s), so maybe these two teams will do a better job of getting through practice without trying to throttle each other than the Jets and Bucs did in the New Jersey heat on Tuesday.