Speaking of the offensive line there are concerns that Jet fans should be aware of especially if Darnold is that franchise quarterback. Free agent center Spencer Long had a couple of bad snaps. This is on top of some questionable snaps during practice. Last year center Wesley Johnson was awful and Long is suppose to be an upgrade. If he fails, this is a huge problem as I was expecting him to be a major improvement that would translate into better play by the whole offensive line. In addition LT Kelvin Beachum did not play because of what has been described as a foot injury. Beachum was seen walking in a boot before the scrimmage. Todd Bowles is calling it a week-to-week injury. In a nutshell the offensive line did nothing to distinguish itself. In fact the defense showed a good pass rush. In particular Brandon Copeland, Xavier Cooper and Leonard Williams were active and would have had sacks in a regular season game except for the quick whistle. Honestly the pass rush was more because of bad offensive line play than great defensive line play though out of the three, Williams seemed to be living in the backfield most of night.
As far as the other quarterbacks, Josh McCown looked real good in limited action leading a 60-yard TD drive. Teddy Bridgewater will probably not get a fair look in the pre-season. This is tough considering how hard he has worked to get back to where he is. He was under pressure all night and it looks like he may never get a chance to play behind the first unit. He did go 5-for-5 for 53 yards
and looked smooth when he wasn’t under pressure. It would really serve the Jets well if Bridgewater was given a fair look with the first team in one or more of the exhibition games. As trade bait, the Jets may be able to get a 3rd or 4th round (conditional) draft pick if he plays well.
Penalties are the killers for this team and were an issue again Saturday. I counted a total of eight, split evenly with four on offense and four on defense. The Jets have got to get the penalty situation under control. There are going to be a lot of push ups leading up to the first regular season game.
Rookie TE Chris Herndon looked real good as he has through training camp thus far. He caught four passes in the scrimmage but what impresses me about Herndon is his athleticism. At times he looks like he is a seasoned veteran. Maybe the Jets tight end dilemma is over.
Rookie RB Trenton Cannon may have been the best player on the field last night. He really showed his speed hitting the edge on a few runs incredibly quick. He had one catch when he was lined up wide. I really hope this works out well. He is oozing with talent. My concerns drafting him out of Virginia State was the competition he played against and his size. He is listed at 5’11”, 185 pounds and that is being very liberal. I’m not sure he will be able to take the pounding over the course of a sixteen game schedule.
The Jets had a number of players missing with injuries from Saturday night’s Green & White scrimmage besides Kelvin Beachum. They are: Parry Nickerson (hamstring), Terrelle Pryor, Quincy Enunwa, Jordan Leggett, Marcus Maye, Steve McLendon, Charone Peake, David Bass, Deon Simon, Kacy Rodgers II, Austin Golson, Jeremy Clark and Kevin Pierre-Louis. Bowles said Pryor (ankle) and Maye (ankle) would return to practice Monday. Kicker Cairo Santos did not kick at all, but Bowles said he is not hurt.
The bottom line is Sam Darnold looked real good. The Jets are going to have to devise a plan to bring him along in a way that he will be the QB for 10+ years. The offensive line is the key to his development. God forbid he is put into an Archie Manning situation with incredible talent but nothing around him. I would look at this as a kind of two year plan considering how much money the Jets have in cap space and who will be available as free agents for the offensive line. The Jets are headed in the right direction but besides the OL, they are still missing a skilled pass rusher as well as All Pro talent at the skill positions on offense.
Jets-Dolphins Sun. 9/16 Securely Through Stub Hub.
Rich Cimini, ESPN
On Day 5 of the Jets' quarterback competition, Sam Darnold was spotty — which is what you'd expect from a rookie in his second practice. He threw an interception on quick pass to a wide receiver; his arm hit a teammate's helmet and the ball floated in the air. Darnold shook it off and rallied with a 10-play drive that stalled in the red zone. He showed accuracy on designed rollouts, which will be a staple in this offense. If you're into stats, he completed eight of 16 with one INT, including a handful of reps with the first team. Josh McCown (9-for-11, 1 TD) won the day, leading a nine-play TD drive in scrimmage-like period. Teddy Bridgewater (8-for-14) ended with five straight completions.
Danish Mehta, NY Daily News
QB Sam Darnold said that he watched the first three practices on his iPad while staying at a hotel about one minute away from the team facility. Threw with guys from CAA at local high school.
"It sucked watching... but at the same time, I knew it was necessary.
Sam Darnold is absolutely terrific on designed rollouts. He's making some solid decisions. Good elusiveness. Taking risks, so it's far from perfect. But he looks pretty good overall......
See Sam Pass! See Sam Run! See Sam Win!
Is there a better gift this year?
Mehta on Derrick Jones
He’s jumping off the tape, this skinny player with an apropos nickname, making plays left and right like some dude who used to wear the same jersey number for the Jets the last time they were relevant. He’s a project, an athlete, a hell of a dancer (more on that later) and a tantalizing piece that has crashed the party in the first week of training camp. It’s been impossible to ignore Derrick Jones.For all the focus on the Jets quarterbacks, free-agent additions and rookies, this second-year, sixth-round cornerback has stolen the show through the first six practices by popping up time and time again. No matter who you focus on before the snap, Jones invariably comes into your field of vision. He’s been everywhere. It looks the Jets made a wise investment in this project.
“He keeps showing up in practice every day,” general manager Mike Maccagnan said. “Now, of course, time will tell how he continues to progress or not. But you see those little things. Those guys are kind of wild cards. It was like when we had Robby (Anderson) the first year. We (thought), ‘Oh. We may have something in him as an (undrafted) free agent. And suddenly, he sort of blossomed.”
The 6-2, 188-pound Jones, or “Bones” to his buddies, has made a remarkable leap in his development after the Jets plucked the converted wide receiver from Ole Miss with the 204th overall pick of the 2017 draft. While most late-round projects fizzle quickly, Jones has been the biggest surprise of camp after logging only 18 special-teams snaps in three games as a rookie.
Click Joe Namath for the best in Jet collectibles
Brian Costello, NY Post
The early breakout star of training camp is second-year cornerback Derrick Jones. He has constantly been around the ball. He has intercepted McCown and Bridgewater and tipped a Darnold pass Monday that was intercepted by Doug Middleton. Jones basically had a redshirt year in 2017 after the Jets drafted him in the sixth round out of Mississippi. Now, he is emerging and could be a fourth cornerback this season.
Last season, Antonio Garcia got to go to Super Bowl LII with the Patriots. Except, he was attending as a member of the non-football injury reserve list after blood clots in his lungs sidelined him for what was supposed to be his rookie campaign.The experience made one thing clear to Garcia — he’d have to make it back, but this time as a contributing player.When Garcia was released in May by the Patriots, who drafted him 85th overall in 2017, his first thoughts reflect his competitive and matter-of-fact nature: “On to the next. The next step in Garcia’s football career started May 14, when the Jets claimed the 6-foot-7 tackle off waivers.
“Training camp is training camp. We all know that,” Garcia said at camp this week as he battles for a spot on the roster. “I’m just trying to take everything I learned [in New England] and bring it here as far as just being disciplined and some of the culture there in a certain sense. I try to bring here.”
The 24-year-old said he’s feeling good, though New England never medically cleared him. Medications, including blood thinners, resulted in a 40-pound weight loss.Though his health and weight has, for the most part, been restored, Garcia, listed at 300 pounds, said the Jets coaching staff and medical staff have been accommodating.
“Anything I need, they get me. I follow their orders and we do what we got to do,” Garcia said. “I feel good, I did what the doctors told me. I worked hard, I stayed on a strict diet and went through with the medication — full regimen. I’m back, healthy and ready to go.”
Through the first four days of training camp, Garcia said he’s already developed chemistry with his new teammates as he looks to fulfill the potential he showed that made him a third-round pick.The Houston native would have been a four-year starter at left tackle for Troy University had he not suffered a knee injury that saw him miss half his redshirt freshman season in 2013. Garcia went on to make a team-high 24 starts through his sophomore and junior campaigns.
In his senior season, Garcia did not allow a single sack in over 900 offensive snaps to lead the Trojans’ offensive line that led the country in fewest sacks allowed (nine). He was credited with over 70 knockdown blocks on the season.Although Garcia is already on to his second team just one year after getting drafted into the NFL, it’s clear his injuries and medical history so far have prevented him from establishing himself within an organization.
If the Jets can ignite Garcia’s untapped potential, his first official season in the NFL could be a solid basis for the rest of his football career. Garcia said he’ll do anything to get there.
Five observations on Day 6 of Jets camp: 1.) Injuries are starting to mount. Rookie CB Parry Nickerson, having an impressive camp, tweaked a hamstring while covering Terrelle Pryor on a "go" route. WR Quincy Enunwa (hand) sat out for the second straight day. 2.) There are no stars at tight end, but there's good competition. Todd Bowles called it the best group he's had. At this point, I have no idea who will emerge the starter. It's so wide open. 3.) WR Chad Hansen, one of the spring standouts, has disappeared. 4.) RB Isaiah Crowell is faster than I expected. He's a better receiver than Bowles expected. He'll be a big factor. 5.) The secondary wants to create more turnovers. Through six practices, the defense has picked off only two passes in 11-on-11 drills.
Around The AFC East
…..Patriots
Rookie running back Sony Michel underwent a minor procedure to drain fluid from his knee, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Saturday, via a source informed of the situation. The former Georgia star is expected to be back in time for the Week 1 clash with the Texans, Rapoport added……WR Jordan Matthews was released by the Patriots who signed Eric Decker to a one year contract…… Running back Jeremy Hill still has a better chance of making the Patriots‘ final cut than fellow RB Mike Gillislee, Doug Kyed of NESN.com writes…..When it comes to the biggest surprise from Patriots camp so far, it has to be offensive tackle Trent Brown. He came over from the 49ers with a few concerns, but he’s been outstanding thus far. He’s dominated the 1-on-1 linemen drills and has showed his athleticism in 11-on-11s getting out in front to block. For as much as the left tackle spot was a question mark going into training camp, Brown has done everything he can to put those concerns to bed.
…..Bills
Defensive tackle Adolphus Washington may be in roster trouble…..WR Kelvin Benjamin was traded from the Panthers to the Bills last season, and he’s glad to be gone from Carolina. Benjamin told The Athletic that he never felt that he was a fit with the Panthers, and specifically never felt he was a fit with Cam Newton…..Free-agent defensive end Ryan Russell is finally a free agent no more. Per a league source, Russell has agreed to terms with the Buffalo Bills. It’s a one-year deal. Russell previously played for the Buccaneers. In 2017, he appeared in 14 games with seven starts. He also generated a pair of sacks….. How nice of a weight room can you buy with $18 million? The Bills are about to find out. "Team owners Terry and Kim Pegula are funding a massive $18 million renovation of the weight room inside the ADPRO Sports Training Center, which Bills officials say will give the team the best such facility in the NFL," Jay Skurski reported Friday…..
…..Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins scrimmage could have gone better as the offense appeared sloppy and there were a ton of penalties. The biggest offensive highlight was Brock Osweiler throwing a touchdown to wide receiver Drew Morgan during the live scrimmage. But during 7-on-7’s, Ryan Tannehill hit Mike Gesicki for a long touchdown. Penalties have plagued the Dolphins for the past two seasons under Adam Gase and it’s something that needs to get fixed somehow.…..Rookie tight end Mike Gesicki was compared to Jimmy Graham both prior to and after the 2018 NFL Draft. That is just what we have seen out of him. He’s been an incredible threat in the red zone and capable of making big plays downfield. He’s already climbed from fourth string to first string in less than two weeks. He’s bodying defenders, getting to the ball at its highest point and tearing it down with excellent body control according to Mark Morales-Smith….Wide receiver Rashawn Scott and defensive end Charles Harris have looked great in camp so far…..Ryan Tannehill seemed to have a connection with Danny Amendola, who might end up leading the team in receptions. Their chemistry has been excellent thus far.
Green Rewind's Tailgate Central
No comments:
Post a Comment