5 questions for the Jets heading into training camp

Aaron Glenn’s second training camp as Jets coach opens this week with practice beginning Wednesday morning in Florham Park.

After winning just three games last season, the pressure is on Glenn to turn around the franchise he spent eight years with as a player. It’s on Glenn’s mind all the time.

“It's not a day, it's not an hour, it’s not a minute, I don't think about that,” Glenn said. “I look forward to trying to make that happen.”

Here are five questions for the Jets heading into training camp:

1. Can Geno Smith lift the Jets in his second stint with the team?

All the talk about Smith during OTAs was positive and centered around his leadership and growth since he last played for the Jets.

Smith, 35, already was coming into camp with a lot to prove. The scrutiny will be even greater now after he was involved in multiple run-ins with police this offseason. We’ll see how Smith responds.

He had some good years since leaving the Jets in 2017, including two Pro Bowl seasons with the Seahawks. Last year, Smith threw for 3,025 yards in 15 games for the Raiders — 640 more than Jets quarterbacks threw the entire season. But Smith also led the NFL with 17 interceptions.

It would be a good story if Smith returned to the franchise that drafted him in 2013 and helped end its 15-year playoff drought. If it doesn’t work out, Smith’s contract is only guaranteed for this season. With three first-round picks next year, the Jets’ next franchise quarterback could be playing on Saturdays this season.

2. Can Glenn survive this season and continue with his vision to build this team?

Yes. But the Jets need to show significant improvement on both sides of the football and play meaningful games late in the season.

If Smith performs well and the Jets remain competitive in the colder months, then that would go a long way for Glenn’s staying power. He probably wouldn’t be able to survive another quarterback miss after the Justin Fields debacle last year.

Another huge factor will be how the defense plays now that Glenn is the play-caller.

The Jets allowed the second-most points in franchise history last season (503) under former defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. Glenn said calling the defense is his “super power.” He better back it up.

Former coach Robert Saleh was an ex-coordinator who turned the Jets into one of the best defenses in football. It helped him stick around into Year 4 despite the team’s poor record. Doing the same would help Glenn’s chances of sticking.

Glenn addressed some of last season’s defensive deficiencies by adding veteran leaders Demario Davis and Minkah Fitzpatrick. If the defense isn’t stout and stingy, Glenn's seat will go from warm to hot pretty quickly.

3. Can Frank Reich jump-start the Jets’ often lackluster offense?

The Jets' new offensive coordinator is another one with something to prove after being out of the NFL for two-plus years.

Reich has been around good offenses and players as an NFL quarterback, coordinator and head coach. His knowledge and experience reading defenses and coverages as a QB are reflected in his system. Reich encourages his players to play freely and instinctually and make adjustments based on what they’re seeing — and they appreciate it.

Receiver Garrett Wilson described Reich’s system as “player-empowering . . . receiver-empowering, skill position-empowering.”

Reich has a good track record with quarterbacks. Running backs also have been heavily involved in the passing game under Reich, which could mean a big season for Breece Hall.

The receiving corps of Wilson, Adonai Mitchell, rookie Omar Cooper and Isaiah Williams and tight ends Mason Taylor, Jeremy Ruckert and rookie Kenyon Sadiq give Reich the ability to run various personnel groupings and packages that could keep defenses off-balance.

The Jets have playmakers. If Reich uses them properly, the Jets could have a diverse and high-scoring offense. They haven’t finished in the top 20 in offense or points for 10 consecutive years. The Jets finished in the bottom four for points scored in the NFL last season with just 300.

4. Could the offensive line be the strength of the team?

It’s been a really long time since that has been a consideration, but it's possible this season.

The Jets started the same five up front every game last season and brought back four-fifths of that line. Ex-Raider Dylan Parham replaced left guard John Simpson.

The young nucleus of interior lineman Joe Tippmann, who received a four-year, $62 million extension last month, third-year left tackle Olu Fashanu and second-year right tackle Armand Membou are the cornerstones. Josh Myers is returning at center. The Jets eventually will look for an upgrade there.

The Jets were a top 10 rushing offense last year, but their quarterbacks were sacked 60 times. Some of that was Fields and Brady Cook holding on to the football too long. Still, the line needs to give Smith better protection to limit some of his picks and poor decisions under pressure. Smith was sacked a league-leading 55 times last year with Las Vegas.

5. Who will be Smith’s backup?

It’s a mostly unproven and unimpressive quarterback room behind Smith. Bailey Zappe, who has nine NFL starts, is the most experienced, followed by Cook (four starts) and rookie Cade Klubnik. Glenn said all three would be competing to be QB2, but Klubnik is expected to get every opportunity to win the backup job.

The Jets coaching staff is high on Klubnik, a fourth-round pick out of Clemson. He threw 36 touchdown passes as a junior and showed toughness and resilience battling through injuries to finish his senior season strong.

Reich spent time with Klubnik on and off the field during the predraft process and said there was a connection. Reich was thoroughly impressed with Klubnik’s “natural leadership instincts” and “high emotional intelligence.”

The Jets may ultimately sign a veteran during camp or before the season, but they’re going to give Klubnik the chance to prove himself as QB2.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.