#Jets receiver Josh Doctson opts out over coronavirus concerns

“#Jets receiver Josh Doctson opts out over coronavirus concerns”

August 7, 2020 | 2:17am

Jets wide receiver Josh Doctson opted out of the 2020 season before Thursday’s deadline.

Doctson is the third Jets player, following linebacker C.J. Mosley and offensive lineman Leo Koloamatangi, to opt out over COVID-19 concerns. The Jets signed Doctson in February hoping he could provide some depth at receiver.

He was no sure thing to make the roster but would have been competing for the fourth or fifth receiver spot in training camp.

Doctson is a former first-round pick by the Washington Football Team, taken 22nd overall in 2016. He suffered an Achilles injury as a rookie and was a disappointment there, finishing with 81 catches for 1,110 yards and eight touchdowns in three seasons.

The team cut him last year before the season started. He joined the Vikings, but spent most of the year on injured reserve before Minnesota released him in November.

First-round pick Mekhi Becton is making an impression on his new teammates. Even for an offensive lineman, Becton is big.

“I call that rookie the Great Wall of Green,” guard Alex Lewis said Thursday on a Zoom call. “He’s massive — 6-8, 360 — and he looks great. I’m excited to see what he can do on the field when we put pads on. I know he’s coming in and he’s quiet, as a rookie should be, but he’s a sponge, he’s soaking up everything we’re telling him. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do.”

Guard Greg Van Roten spent the past three seasons on the Panthers, where he blocked for quarterback Cam Newton. Now, Van Roten could face Newton twice a year when the Jets and Patriots play.

“As a friend, I’m excited for him,” Van Roten said Thursday on a Zoom call. “As a division opponent, I’m like all right this guy is going to be kind of a force if they can figure it out up there. [Bill] Belichick’s a great coach. Cam, when he’s healthy, is a great quarterback. It’s definitely not something we would have hoped for, but I think we have a really good team too. I’m excited to see how those games are going to go.”

Van Roten said he believes the NFL can play a full season and that players will be responsible when it comes to staying out of situations risky for COVID-19. He believes players will have a simple motivation — money.

“I am confident,” he said. “Guys want to get paid and the way you get paid is by being available to play football. If there are guys that go out and aren’t accountable to themselves or the team, they’re going to hurt the league in general. I trust the players. I believe in the guys to do the things that we need to do so that we can play a full season and earn our full salaries. You play the game because you love it and because it pays well.”