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Indianapolis – Dan checks in from the combine in Indianapolis with a helping of Website Whispers from Lucas Oil Field . . .
I mentioned before that Baylor guard Danny Watkins could be a consideration for the Jets at 30.
Another guy who fits in around this point of the draft, is Temple defensive end Muhammed Wilkerson, who grew up fairly close to Jets camp, in Linden, New Jersey.
He’s right out of central casting to play 3-4 end at 6-5, 300 pounds.
But you know what, with all of Rex Ryan’s Super Bowl talk, perhaps they would want somebody who could help them quicker.
Wilkerson came out after his junior year, and while he’s a terrific prospect, he probably could have used another year . . .
Getting back to Watkins, he made an interesting point today about his maturation process as a guard. He never played football until arriving at Junior College in the United States, but he was life-long hockey player. He played defense. So going backwards, as an athlete, like offensive linemen have to do after the snap, comes naturally to him, from so many years of skating backwards on defense . . .
I asked Mike Tannenbaum today what he thought about Kris Jenkins comments trashing the handling of his rehab. Mr. T. tap-danced around it, and refused to criticize Jenkins at all. He probably figures Jenkins is so temperamental, nothing good could come out of ripping him publicly.
Also, most insiders think Jenkins was ripping for former Jets’ strength coach Sal Alosi, so why get into a fight with Jenkins about an ex-employee.
Jenkins never seemed to like Alosi, who pushed him very hard.  In the 2010 training camp in Cortland, Jenkins was held out of the majority of practices, and was constantly seen on a side field, being driven hard, through gut drills, by Alosi. He would say he couldn’t wait to get back to practice to get away from Sal . . .
If the Jets are looking for another offensive tackle, Wisconsin’s Gabe Carimi could be around when they pick at 30.
Carimi is an observant Jew, and doesn’t like to play on Jewish Holidays.
He said that won’t be a problem in the NFL because Yom Kippur doesn’t fall on Sunday for the next 15 years . . .
Carimi lives in Madison, Wisconsin right on the square where the union protests are going on. He was in Arizona training the last few months, but said he roommates had to move out temporarily because it was too loud . . .
Players at the combine were forced to get up at 4:30 this morning to go for drug tests . . .
The top left tackles this year really have their acts together – Nate Solder (Colorado), Carimi, Derrek Sherrod (Mississippi State) and Anthony Costanzo (Boston College) are all impressive kids . . .
With all the teams playing spread offense in college, there are a shortage of fullback prospects . . .
Tannenbaum said today that one of Vernon Gholston’s issues was how little football he played in high school and college. Remember, he picked up football late in high school, and then came out of Ohio State early.