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Interesting day in Jets-Land.
Rex Ryan and John Idzik had a press conference and cornerback Antonio Cromartie signed with Arizona Cardinals.
Let’s start with Antonio Cromartie today, and we will get into the press conference tomorrow.
It was time to turn the page.
The Jets need to start two corners who are willing to “beat-up” opposing wide receivers on the line. The NFL rules are very tough on corners. So you really need to take advantage of the five-yard chuck rule, which favors the corners.
While he needs some work on his technique, Dee Milliner is a big, physical corner willing to “mix-it-up” on the line. The Jets need to team him with another physical corner.
I’m not saying he’s going to start opposite Milliner, but I think Darrin Walls is very underrated, and it wouldn’t shock me if he competes for that job.
I have to admit, I forgot that the Jets had Ras-I Dowling on the roster. I know he flamed out in New England, but he was very highly-rated coming out of Virginia. He is still only 25. He’s a huge corner (6-1, 210) with 4.4 speed. He is certainly built to jam receivers at the line. Maybe the light bulb will go on with the Jets. This guy got very high grades coming out of UVA, and was picked at the top of the second round by New England in 2011.
As you know by now, the Jets claimed cornerback Johnny Patrick on waivers from San Diego recently. Another very high-rated corner in the 2011 draft. He was a third round pick of the New Orleans Saints.
Ellis Lankster and Kyle Wilson are also on board.
And I think they will pick a cornerback in the first few rounds.
I don’t have a crystal ball, but have a sneaking suspicion, with the names I mentioned, and a high draft pick corner (I love TCU’s Jason Verrett I the second round), I think this is going to work out.
The departure of Cromartie isn’t that big of a deal.
A fan commented to me today on Twitter that the Jets’ secondary isn’t as good right now as it was last year. My reply, “I don’t think the secondary was that good last year.”
There were a lot of blown coverages last season, and it started in Week One. Tampa Bay’s Vincent Jackson was getting free releases off the line and torched the Jets. Gang Green won the game, but that doesn’t erase this fact.
It was a trial by fire for Milliner, and he understandably struggled, but should benefit from the experience in Year Two.
Cromartie was wildly inconsistent last year, with a big problem being his aversion to jamming receivers properly on the line.
And making the issue worse was that the coaches were scared to reprimand him because he’s so sensitive. So how do you fix a problem, when you are walking on eggshells around the player, and are afraid to be negative with him?
So it was time to move on.
March 20, 2014
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