BY NICK ST. DENIS
Santonio Holmes missed the first four games of the 2010 season while serving a suspension. The New York Jets may again be without their top receiver for at least that amount of time.
According to Brian Costello of the NY Post, Holmes "has told friends he expects to miss at least the first four games of the season."
Holmes suffered the most severe version of a Lisfranc injury early in 2012 season, and he's been sidelined since.
The veteran receiver said in June he hoped to be ready by the start of training camp, but it quickly became clear the team would be luck to have him by preseason. Last week, Holmes couldn't guarantee that he'd play at all in 2013, and the latest report doesn't bode well for his return.
Gang Green will now likely enter the season with Braylon Edwards and Stephen Hill starting on opposite perimeters with Jeremy Kerley in the slot. That's not the worst lineup in the world, but there is little to no depth behind them.
Clyde Gates has reportedly shine in camp, though camp heroes and gameday heroes can be two totally different things.
The Jets were expected to be very dependent on their running game and out-of-backfield passing attack this year with the lack of options through the air, and that has been further exemplified with Holmes's delayed return to the lineup.
The problem is, the Jets aren't quite sure what they have at tailback. Chris Ivory is expected to start the season as the No. 1, but he's been slowed down by a hamstring ailment. Mike Goodson is away for personal reasons, and Joe McKnight is currently sidelined with a head injury. Bilal Powell could be an interesting option, but just under two weeks into training camp, the Jets have nothing solidified in the backfield.
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