Jets takeaways from GM Joe Douglas, including thoughts on Chris Herndon trade, Bless Austin release

With the Jets' roster down to 53 players heading into the Week 1 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, general manager Joe Douglas met with members of the media to discuss a number of different roster topics.

Here are some key takeaways from what Douglas had to say ...

On Zach Wilson's progress in camp

"He’s been everything we’d hoped for, scouting him at BYU. His passion for the game, the way he soaks up information, his process, his preparation, just the way that he gets ready for practices, it’s been good seeing him download this information, not making the same mistake twice. Obviously, his physical skills jump out, the way he throws the ball. It’s just an effortless motion the way the ball jumps off his hands. He’s been everything that we hoped he would be coming out."

On releasing Bless Austin

"That was a very difficult decision. We made two claims on the defensive side of the ball, and ultimately we made the decision. We drafted young players at the position and instead of asking Bless to take a reduced role, we’re going to give these young guys an opportunity, and out of respect to him, give him an opportunity to find a larger role with another team. Very difficult decision because Bless is a stand-up guy and a hell of a competitor."

On Jamison Crowder not practicing Wednesday

"He has a minor tweak with his groin. Something that, and Coach [Saleh] can talk about it as well, but just a minor tweak with his groin. Not expecting it to be a long-term thing and we’ll see where he is on Monday next week."

On Chris Herndon trade

"I think Chris was having a good camp for us. He was getting a lot of run. We had a good rotation going of him, Tyler [Kroft], and [Ryan Griffen], so I think this was a situation where Minnesota was aggressive in their pursuit starting last Saturday. I think they had a rash of injuries at the position. They felt like they needed a player that could come in and help now, with them running a similar system to us. They targeted Chris and things really heated up Monday into Tuesday."

On loss of Carl Lawson

"Obviously a tough loss, but injuries are a part of this game, unfortunately. I think the thing that gets you excited is that we know that we brought in the right type of person and right type of player in Carl, and also we have a great D-Line group. We have some real passionate war daddies out there that just bring it every day. No one is feeling sorry for themselves. … Everyone’s got Carl’s back and Carl has everyone’s back and these guys have bonded together. Look, adversity happens. Adversity happens early in training camp and it’s going to happen again, so I think this group is wired to handle it."

On expectations for the season

"The goal is to get better every week. The goal is to play sound, fundamental football and establish the line of scrimmage and really develop as the year goes. I think when you see the character of this team shine through in the early part of training camp, I think you’re going to see it shine through as we progress through the season."