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In case you were wondering, no, I am not staying awake in the middle of the night to write these profiles. They are scheduled in advance. I didn’t want these to get lost in the training camp coverage during the day. I also know some people work irregular hours or are logging in from different parts of the world so I hope to provide fresh content when you log in. Now let’s look at Shamarko Thomas.
Name: Shamarko Thomas
Number: 25
Year with Jets: 1st
Projected Role: Competing for special teams roster spot
His 2016: Thomas played sparingly for the Steelers. He only had 20 snaps at safety. He did add 120 snaps as a special teamer and tied for second on the team with 6 tackles.
2017 will be a success if: Thomas can be an ace special teamer. I have a hunch this was why he was signed. At other positions, I could see the Jets signing a guy like this with a hope he could develop into a player. The team just drafted a pair of safeties in the first two rounds, however, likely cutting off any chance Thomas has of seeing the field much on defense. If he could play a role in improving a special teams unit that was less than stellar a year ago, he would earn his pay.
Odds of making the roster: 50/50