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Orlando – A few things to get into today from the NFL Owners Meeting . . .
I asked Vikings coach Mike Zimmer about how Teddy Bridgewater’s knee is doing.
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him in a while.” – Mike Zimmer to Jets Confidential.
Then I asked him how Teddy look the last time you saw him?
“He looked good in practice to me – our guys tried to rough him up I practice (last year),” Zimmer said. “I think health-wise, he’ll be fine.”
Then, during the same media session, he said to ESPN, “The reports I’d get back from the medical people weren’t as positive as I was about it,” Zimmer said. “He still has some recovery to do. When I watched him in practice, he moved well, I didn’t see limitations but from what I was told there was some.”
So which one is it Mike?
Bridgewater passed his Jets physical.
But that doesn’t mean they should go nuts with him this off-season and over-work him. He will continue his knee rehab under the guidance of Jets trainer John Mellody. But just because he’s continuing his rehab doesn’t mean he’s in a bad place. When you suffer a knee injury like Bridgewater did, you continue your rehab for years to keep strengthening it.
That is where he’s at. If there was a game today he could play, but the Jets’ trainer will work hard with the player moving forward making his surgical knee even stronger . . .
I had a chance to talk to Redskins coach Jay Gruden about the Jets’ new center Spencer Long. Based on my short chat with Gruden about the player, I think the Jet are getting him at the perfect time.
Long didn’t play center at Nebraska – he was a guard. So his transition to center happened in Washington. Gruden said there was a learning curve with snapping, especially shotgun snaps. He now is comfortable doing that, and being the leader of a line from the center pot.
“He’s a really smart kid who can handle the calls,” Jay Gruden said.
My take on the Long signing (not sure I got into here yet) is that it’s an excellent move if he stays healthy.
He had knee woes his last two years at Nebraska and then last year with Washington. I’m not saying any of these issues were super-serious, but it’s something to keep an eye on . . .
I had a chance to talk to the two former coaches of Terrelle Pryor today in Orlando – Hue Jackson (Cleveland) and Jay Gruden (Washington), and they both emphasized something I don’t think there is enough focus on – his speed.
When you think of receivers his size – 6-4, 228 – and you think, big physical receiver. You don’t think speed. They both emphasized how fast Pryor is. So not only is Pryor a jumbo receiver, but he’s very fast – he ran a 4.38 forty when he come out Ohio State.
I think this is a great signing. I think this is a guy coming into his own as a receiver.
March 27, 2018
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