EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets were 0-2, on their way to 0-7 and eventually 3-14, when Aaron Glenn delivered a line that still resonates. "Big ships turn slow," the coach said last September.Translation: Don't expect an overnight miracle after more than a decade of losing and dysfunction.Glenn inherited a team that seemed lost at sea -- a league-low .311 winning percentage from 2016 to 2024 -- but now he's had more than a year to implement his program, and there's no reason why it shouldn't look better in 2026."We're still turning that ship -- we're still turning it -- but I like exactly where we are," Glenn said last week.Training camp ends Tuesday, the preseason culminates Friday against the New York Giants (7:30 p.m. ET) and soon Season 2 of the Glenn era will be underway.Here's a look at 10 things we learned in training camp:1. Glenn has changedHe seems more at ease than last year, not as edgy. Maybe it's because he's back in his comfort zone, calling the defense -- his "super power," as he noted in the offseason. Maybe it's because his revamped coaching staff is more experienced than last year, particularly with offensive coordinator Frank Reich on board -- a departure from first-timer Tanner Engstrand.Maybe it's simply his natural evolution as a head coach. It's probably all of the above.Glenn said his rookie year taught him the importance of being able to "pivot" -- changing on the fly if something (or someone) isn't working.2. Speaking of a pivot ...Subscribing to load management, Glenn dialed back training camp in the interest of preserving players for the regular season. An extreme example: Linebacker Kiko Mauigoa received a veterans' rest day because his practice rep count was soaring, according to Glenn. Mind you, Mauigoa is only 23 years old. Typically, the rest days are reserved for the guys in the 30-and-older club.Glenn, who last year made such a big deal out of having live tackling in practice, eliminated the drills from this year's script while claiming, "I want to be the best tackling team in the NFL." He believes "thud" tackling (hitting and wrapping up but not going to the ground) promotes better technique.In his soul, Glenn is an old-school coach, but he is embracing new-school concepts such as sports science and artificial intelligence.3. Geno Smith hasn't changedAt 35, Smith still throws a gorgeous ball -- his upper-body mechanics are pristine, Reich said -- but he's still prone to interceptions, based on what he showed in camp. He threw a league-high 17 interceptions last season for the Las Vegas Raiders, and it'll be up to Reich and quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave to coach that out of him. He was sharp in his preseason debut Friday night against the Steelers, illustrating how good he can be when he's on.In practice, Smith displayed a penchant for pushing the ball downfield, a tendency that played well with his receivers. They loved his aggressiveness, his willingness to take chances.4. The organization believes in Cade Klubnik -- more than we thoughtYou knew there was an affinity for the former Clemson star when they traded up 18 spots to draft him in the fourth round, but they doubled down by not bringing in a seasoned quarterback for the No. 2 job. They made it Klubnik's job to lose ... and he hasn't. Not in emphatic fashion, though.Klubnik was up and down in camp, and his performance against the Steelers wasn't as crisp as the previous week, but the organization apparently has seen enough maturity and intelligence to make him the backup."He's kind of got a little bit of a swagger to him," guard Joe Tippmann said.The decision to go with a middle-round rookie for such an important job carries a lot of risk, especially for a head coach who needs to win games in a potential make-or-break season.5. David Bailey will be the Jets' most compelling defensive rookie since Sauce Gardner (2022)You can't take your eyes off him when he lines up on the edge, usually over the right tackle, because his speed creates possibilities."I see him in the backfield all the time, my gosh," defensive tackle Harrison Phillips said.The No. 2 draft pick still is polishing his craft, but the raw tools -- notably, an elite get-off -- were evident on most days in camp. So was his confidence. During a joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he did some trash talking, telling veteran tackle Luke Goedeke that he was eager to beat him in a one-on-one drill. And he did, sparking a melee. Against the Steelers, he used a power rush to beat veteran tackle Broderick Jones for a sack.6. Beyond Bailey, the most impactful rookie was -- surprise!It wasn't a great camp for the draft class, as tight end Kenyon Sadiq, cornerback D'Angelo Ponds and safety VJ Payne missed significant time because of injuries. Wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. was OK, nothing spectacular.The unsung standout was fourth-round defensive lineman Darrell Jackson Jr., a 6-foot-5, 315-pounder with knock-back ability and surprisingly quick feet. With T'Vondre Sweat nursing a hamstring for the first three weeks, Jackson capitalized on his extra reps. Because he can play multiple spots, including 5-technique end, he could crack the early-season rotation.7. Minkah Fitzpatrick will be everywhereOn the first play of the first preseason game, the former All-Pro safety set up on the line of scrimmage and blitzed from the front side. Get used to it. The plan is to deploy Fitzpatrick in a Kyle Hamilton-like role, which means multiple positions.Publicly and privately, Fitzpatrick has expressed a desire to be a chess piece in Glenn's defense. He doesn't want to be a traditional safety. His wish will be granted.8. The competition fell shortOne of the objectives in camp was to increase the competition on both sides of the ball, but it didn't materialize, in part, because of injuries. Cornerback got hit the hardest, as Ponds and Nahshon Wright missed time. The only true positional battle is safety (Andre Cisco versus Dane Belton), along with kicker (Jason Sanders versus Cade York).9. Glenn's defense will be aggressiveHe outlined a four-point plan for his defense: Disrupt the quarterback. Disrupt the receivers. Attack the ball. Limit explosive plays.In other words, look for pressure schemes and a lot of man-to-man coverage. When he called plays for the Detroit Lions, his "man" percentage in 2024 was the highest in the league, per NFL Next Gen Stats. His blitz rate was No. 2.10. And, finally: Most Improved PlayerIt is wide receiver Isaiah Williams. Can the team MVP be the most improved? In this case, yes, because he was voted the MVP last season by his teammates because of his success as a kick returner. This summer, he made his impact as a receiver, improving in all areas and impressing with his leadership.Receivers coach Shawn Jefferson said Williams is so reliable that, "If I was in a burning building -- Jefferson pretended to dial a phone -- 'Hey, you need to come get me.' And he's on the way."Just to put it bluntly, he's a heartbeat on offense."
