The Facts: After missing all of last season following labrum surgery, Amaro knows this is an important year for him. "This is a big year for me, especially the way we played as a collective group," Amaro said after Wednesday's practice. "The tight ends only caught 10 balls [actually eight], so it's a big year for all of us. All I know is that we plan on getting more involved this season. I plan on getting involved a lot this season."
Diehards Line:
As ESPN.com's Rich Cimini suggests, that's quite a statement, considering the Jets' recent history at tight end. Since 2011, their tight ends have produced a league-low 282 receptions, according to ESPN Stats & Information. By contrast, the NFL-leading New England Patriots have generated 545 catches from the position. The Jets' drought has spanned four offensive coordinators with four entirely different systems. You can't blame the lack of numbers on coaching. It's the talent; they haven't had a true pass-catching tight end since Dustin Keller. Amaro hopes to change that. But he has to make the team first. The position is wide open. Jeff Cumberland is gone, so the top returning tight ends are Amaro, Kellen Davis and Zach Sudfeld, who also is returning from an injury. “He’s competing for a spot like everybody else," HC Todd Bowles said of Amaro. "He missed a year. I haven’t seen him play yet. My first year, he was out. So getting him back healthy, it’ll be interesting to see what he does."