Who is coming back from injury in 2020?

The Jets had unprecedented issues with injuries last year as they used a franchise record 73 players. The Jets were equal second in the league for "man-games lost". The value of the players missing games was high too, as the composite total was the fifth highest in the league.

Of the 20 players that ended up on injured reserve, 11 are still with the Jets (not including the four players who've already been moved to the reserve/PUP list). Let's remind ourselves of who is coming back next year.

Trenton Cannon - missed 12 games, foot injury

Cannon has been banged up a few times in his first two years. His return will bolster the special teams unit, but doesn't do much for the offense.

Blake Cashman - missed nine games, torn labrum/fractured shoulder

Cashman was a major durability concern when drafted, having undergone surgical procedures on both shoulders. Last year's injury adds to the concern he might not have much longevity at the NFL level. Cashman showed some flashes in the five games he started but now faces competition for a rotational role.

Chuma Edoga - missed eight games (three as a healthy scratch), knee injury

While some analysts are talking about Edoga as having the potential to challenge George Fant for a starting role in 2020, most Jets fans who saw him struggle last year have low expectations for the USC product.

John Franklin-Myers - missed all 16 games (returned to practice in November but wasn't activated), undisclosed injury

Franklin-Myers has a lot of potential, but Jets fans have yet to see him in action as he was a late waiver claim last September. Having contributed for a team that reached the Super Bowl in 2018, the Jets will hope he'll add to the competition on the edge.

Ryan Griffin - missed five games, ankle injury

Griffin went down almost immediately after signing an extension with the Jets having developed into a solid contributor following a slow start.

Chris Herndon - missed 15 games (four due to suspension, four due to hamstring injury), broken rib

The Jets missed Herndon last year but his return should bolster the weapons available in the passing game. Griffin should compliment him well after the pair didn't get much of a chance to play together in 2019.

Alex Lewis - missed one game, ankle injury

Lewis' injury wasn't serious but they needed his roster spot for the last game. He's not guaranteed a starting role but has a good shot at retaining his job after the Jets re-signed him during free agency.

CJ Mosley - missed 14 games, groin injury

Mosley's return should provide a huge boost to a Jets defense that relied on players like Neville Hewitt and James Burgess at the inside linebacker positions last year.

Jeff Smith - missed 15 games (13 while on the practice squad), ankle injury

Smith is a long-shot to earn a roster spot this season, after the undrafted rookie only got a chance after multiple other injuries last year, then suffered a season-ending injury on his NFL debut.

Avery Williamson - missed all 16 games, torn ACL

Will we ever get to see the Williamson and Mosley partnership in action? Some have suggested he could be a cap casualty or a trade candidate, but for now, Williamson remains on the team. With Mosley taking over at the Mike spot, there was speculation over whether Williamson would have a full-time role last year, but we never got a chance to see it play out.

Brian Winters - missed seven games, re-disclocated shoulder

Winters ended up on injured reserve last year and not for the first time. However, he was reportedly playing hurt all season. It wasn't the first time for that either.

Conclusions

Clearly the Jets are getting back some valuable reinforcements this season. However, these aren't the only players that are returning from injury. Some players, including quarterback Sam Darnold, didn't go onto injured reserve but were far from 100 percent at the end of the season.

In addition a few of the rookies they brought in - notably Bryce Hall, Lawrence Cager and Ashtyn Davis - are working their way back from injuries. Mekhi Becton and Jabari Zuniga both also had late season injuries, although each did return before the season was over.

The Jets have said they plan to do a deep dive into why they had so many injuries to deal with. In 2020, a regression to the mean alone will make a huge difference to their roster depth.