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New Jersey – It’s time for a heaping helping of Whispers from Jets country, with a few different nuggets, including Mantra-Gate . . .
As the reporter entered the locker room on Thursday, David Nelson was shaking all of their hands. And it wasn’t just a guy who was politicking with reporters, he sincerely likes the media. I know that is hard to believe, but there is actually somebody in there who likes the Jets’ media – LOL . . .
Breno Giacomini was at the White House on Wednesday with his former Seattle Seahawk teammates to meet the President, which happens once a year for the Super Bowl champions.
He said it was “very cool” to talk to, and shake the President’s hand.
It was a little weird for him going with players he isn’t teammates with anymore.
Breno, and fellow lineman Pat McQuiston, now with the Cleveland Browns, who was in the same shoes, commiserated on that one.
But there is no hard feelings at all between Giacomini and the Seahawks. Both sides kind of new they would be going their separate ways after the season, due to cap considerations. The writing was on the wall as Seattle was training players like Michael Bowie and Alvin Bailey to take his place.
But the Jets are getting Giacomini at a great time, and I will tell you why.
Giacomini went to Louisville as a tight end. He was moved to right tackle late in his career, and only started, in earnest, as a senior.
So he came to the NFL very raw, and was brought along very slowly by Green Bay his first few years, and was eventually stolen from the Packers practice squad in 2010 by Seattle.
In 2011, he played in 15 games and started eight for the Seahawks.
In 2012, he was the full-time starter, as he was this past year, though he missed some time with a knee injury.
So the point here is simple. He came into the league as a major project. He needed a lot of development. He got it in Green Bay and Seattle. The Jets are getting him as a polished right tackle, in his prime, at the age of 28.
The Jets are benefiting from all the hard work Breno and his two previous teams did developing him into a bonafide NFL starting right tackle.
He also came into the league needing to get much stronger and re-defining his body. Now he’s a sculpted, powerful 6-7, 320 pounder . . .
Rex Ryan doesn’t address the media again until Wednesday at 1:15.
Why am I bringing this up?
Because at that point, we will finally get some kind of explanation as to what the heck went on yesterday during the press conferences of Mike Vick and Geno Smith.
Vick said there is no QB competition and Smith said there is.
I’m sorry this is big deal. I can’t tell you how many times John Idzik brings up the word “competition.” I’ve lost count. He brings it up all the time.
“We’ll always operate off our mantra of competition,” Idzik said recently. “So just like bringing Mike Vick in here, and Matt Simms got better last year – he’s returning. So that runs throughout. That is legitimate. That is not just a line that we use.”
So what Vick said yesterday flies in the face of Idzik’s favorite mantra.
This needs to be cleared up.
What Vick said sent a terrible message through the locker room, and with the fans and media, that the competition mantra is window-dressing.
Somebody needs to provide some clarity on this one, and perhaps on Wednesday, this will happen.
May 23, 2014
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