There has been widespread speculation about whether the Jets would cut wide receiver Corey Davis this offseason.
Head coach Robert Saleh put an end to that talk on Friday.
“He’s going to be on this team,” Saleh said during the Jets’ rookie minicamp.
Davis is scheduled to make $10.5 million this season.
The Jets could clear that much salary cap space by cutting him.
When they signed Allen Lazard in March, it felt as if Davis would be a goner.
But Saleh said he still has a role on this team.
“When Corey got hurt last year, we got small pretty quick,” Saleh said. “It felt like this year bringing in Allen and having Corey, we have a lot bigger personnel. There’s a lot of grinding that goes on in the run game, the red zone, all those big boy catches that happen off the play-action pass. Those things are where Allen and Corey excel.”
It would not be a surprise if the Jets still ask Davis to take a pay cut.
Saleh would not say whether Mekhi Becton will be competing at left tackle or right tackle in training camp.
He did say there will be an open competition for center and both tackle spots.
“We’re going to play our best five [on the line],” Saleh said. “You can assume [Alijah Vera-Tucker] is the best right guard, I’ll say that, and Laken [Tomlinson at left guard]. Then, at center and both tackles it’s going to be a really cool competition on the entire offensive line.”
Saleh said Becton looks “fantastic” after losing more than 50 pounds.
Saleh on DE Will McDonald, the first-round pick: “He is long, big, a lot bigger than … you look at his height, weight and then you see him and he just feels bigger. There’s no doubt in an NFL program with an NFL training table, he’s going to get another 10, 15 pounds. He’s going to be pretty cool. I’m excited to work with him.”
The Jets signed TE Zach Kuntz, their seventh-round pick and RB Israel Abanikanda, whom they drafted in the fifth round, to their rookie contracts.
The Jets announced the following undrafted free agent signings: DE Deslin Alexandre, WR Jason Brownlee, LB Claudin Cherelus, S Trey Dean, RB Travis Dye, WR Xavier Gipson, LB Maalik Hall, TE E.J. Jenkins, LB Caleb Johnson, OL Brent Laing, CB Derrick Langford, WR T.J. Luther and S Marquis Waters.