Let Games Begin!

  The NFL season begins in 6 days. We’ll be watching reports but the Jets should be going into the season fairly healthy. RT Breno Giacomini (back/disc) will be starting the season on reserve/PUP. Same for WR Devin Smith. Unfortunately Khiry Robinson re-fractured his leg so he is done for the year. We have to see if Brandon Marshall, David Harris and Quincy Enunwa practice today (Monday). I’m most concerned about Marshall. The injury is listed as a sore hip but Marshall is over 30 and I would hate for this to be one of those lingering things that has him miss a week here and a week there. Despite everyone’s optimism about the “kids” at receiver, Marshall put up incredible numbers last year-109 Rec., 1,502 yards with 14 TDs. These numbers are hard to replace.

Quincy Enunwa is due for a break out season. With the tight end situation still in flux, Enunwa’s health is also an issue.

  I’ve been getting a lot of e-mails about John Idzik’s failure as General Manager. No doubt he set the organization back a bit with his draft picks. Of Idzik’s 19 picks in two years, only 7 picks remain. You and I could have done as well. He did leave Mike Maccagnan with cap space but Idzik’s two years here were bad. The combination of Maccagnan/Bowles seems to be working. Drafts are usually judged 3 years down the road so we’ll see how some of his picks (i.e. Christian Hackenberg) do. 

Let the games begin!

 ___________________________________________________________________________ 

The Jets picked up 4 players on waivers on Saturday. Below are scouting reports from various sources.

Braedon Bowman

School: South Alabama

Position: TE

Positive: Junior-college transfer who caught 11 passes for 447 yards last season. Athletic pass catching tight end who flashes big-play ability. Shows a good degree of quickness in his game, sells routes and effectively uses his frame to shield away defenders. Gets down the field, adjusts to the errant throw and makes the reception in stride. Keeps the play in bounds running after the catch. Squares into defenders as a blocker, explosive at the point and works his hands throughout the action.

Negative: Must improve his ball security. Very limited production on the college field.

Analysis: Bowman is a physically gifted prospect with good upside but someone who will need plenty of work on his game before he'll be NFL ready.

 ____________________________________________________________________________

Brian Parker

College: Albany

Position: TE

There was not much on this guy. We dug up an article about him:

Parker caught 39 passes for 500 yards and 5 touchdowns for the Great Danes, earning third-team Colonial Athletic Association honors. Having already achieved his undergraduate degree in sociology before the season began (he worked on his masters to stay eligible to play football in 2014), Parker withdrew from school once the fall semester ended to embark on his journey to the NFL.

He went to the Sport and Speed Institute in Chantilly, Virginia, to train, and while he wasn’t invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, he did participate in a regional combine in Baltimore. A strong showing there earned him an invitation to the super regional combine in Arizona, and he impressed again.

“The tight end class as a whole isn’t as strong (in the draft) so I think athletically I’ve put myself pretty close to the top,” he said.

Parker consistently benched 220 pounds 25 times, his best 40-yard dash time was 4.55 seconds (on the watch of a Seahawks’ scout), his vertical leap at the Baltimore combine was 39.5 inches, and he did the three-cone agility drill in 7.03 seconds, “So those numbers kind of stuck out for me and put my name on the map,” he said.

________________________________________________________________________

Troymaine Pope

College: Jacksonville State

Position: RB

PRO-DAY RESULTS

SIZE: 5'9-205

SPEED: 4.49X40

POWER: 35 VERTICAL, 10' BROAD JUMP, 25 BENCH PRESS

AGILITY: n/a

Picture

College stats

As expected Pope is faster than many had estimated... broke a solid 4.49 at JSU Pro-Day workout... vertical and broad jumps are solid... early reports had Pope's 40-time as high as 4.8' game tape shows quite the contrary... game speed is dynamic; I timed his game tape 40 (on various long runs from various games) between 4.2s to 4.3s... swift RB on film... solid build, with muscular legs... bouncy runner showing effective jump-cut ability... will dance behind the line at times without a lane opening... likes to bounce runs outside some, but not a habit... hits between the tackles when the hole is there... excellent balance and leg drive... decisive rusher when the lane breaks... puts foot in turf and hits north at full speed rapidly... though built solidly he is not a tackle-breaker... shifty and elusive at the line, through the hole and especially in the 2nd level... shows patience behind his blockers... good "feel" and RB vision... shows to be an average receiver; body-catches most throws his way... ran routes well and caught the ball confidently at his Pro-Day drills... pass-pro and blocking are lacking; needs work there... has the upper-body strength to become an effective blocker; 25 reps on the bench press is evidence... ran tough and strong vs then #6 Auburn... comes to the 2016 draft with plenty of experience but not an overload of wear-n-tear... brings potential feature back rushing ability but needs to improve receiving and blocking chops.
________________________________________________________________________

 Darryl Roberts

College: Marshall

Position: CB

STRENGTHS Impressive recovery speed with short­-area twitch to go with it. Can change directions on command and has desired stop/start quickness. Has long arms and is aggressive with them in press coverage. Will look to pop receivers rather than just touch them at line of scrimmage. Will sniff around on plays outside of his responsibility, looking to make a play. Has length, speed and ball skills to challenge most down-field throws. Core cover player on special teams. Has physical tools defensive backs coaches covet. Sees what he hits in run support and doesn't throw himself wildly at ball carriers.

WEAKNESSES Willing to take too many physical liberties with receivers down the field. Penalized 6 times for 71 yards in 2014, including three pass interference penalties. Needs to play with more bend in backpedal to maximize body control and transition quickness. Inconsistent defensive awareness. Will allow an occasional throw in front of him or a running back to blow by him without being ready. Gets impatient and undisciplined in mirror-­and-­match situations, despite his tools.

DRAFT PROJECTION Round 6 or 7

BOTTOM LINE Will get crossed up in coverage and needs to play with better discipline and overall awareness, but his length and recovery speed allow him to challenge more throws than some of the cornerbacks who will be drafted ahead of him. He could use more time in the weight room, but has the overall size and speed to project as an eventual starting cornerback if his game develops and he takes coaching over the next couple of seasons.