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Florham Park – It’s time for a heaping helping of Jets Website Whispers from The Atlantic Health Jets Training Center . . .
Jets quarterback coach Jeremy Bates addressed the media for the first time.
He’s the only Jets assistant who addressed us this off-season who had an opening statement before taking questions.
“I’m really excited to get back in the league,” Bates said as part of his opening statement.
He’s been out of the NFL for four years.
He was clearly dealing with some personal issues. When asked why he was out of the NFL the last four years, he said, “I’m not really going to get into the last four years.”
When the Jets hired Bates this week, a former Jets executive shared a memory on Facebook. I think there might have been an anger management issue with Bates when he was with the Jets the first time. Bates was an assistant under former Jets coach Herman Edwards in 2005.
“Did you see Jets just hired Jeremy Bates, as I recall he was bad news when he was part of Herm Edwards staff,” said a former Jets staffer on Facebook (I’m withholding the name because I don’t think he was looking to get quoted
in the media, but it’s on his page). “Didn’t he punch out a wall or throw something at someone, can’t remember the specifics, but I remember he was not very well liked and his stay was short.”
Bates clearly spent the last four years getting his life together. For his sake, hopefully he was able to do that.
But one thing you will hear from those familiar with his work – he’s a heck of a quarterback coach.
And the Jets’ signal-callers should benefit from working with him. He’s really good at what he does.
“I was ready to get back in and the New York Jets wanted me,” said Bates.
He was asked a lot of questions about Christian Hackenberg today, including a few about his accuracy.
“I think he’s real accurate,” Bates said.
Look, I understand he’s not going to throw Hackenberg under the bus, but to say he’s “real accurate,” is a little hyperbolic.
Today’s Jets practice was another example of Hackenberg needing a lot of work on his accuracy.
Look, there is no question Hackenberg makes plenty of good throws, but he’s missing too many gimmes, like late in practice, when he threw low to Jordan Leggett on a crossing route. He also overthrew tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins on the goal-line.
Sometimes he gets the yips on easy throws and that needs to stop . . .
I know it’s early, but to me, Robby Anderson is displaying #1 receiver potential this spring.
He’s running better routes than he did last year and has been very hard for Jets defensive backs to cover. He’s consistently getting open. What makes Anderson so hard to cover is twofold. Aside from having world class speed; he ran a 4.37 at his Pro Day. But it’s more than that. He has really loose hips, and makes speed cuts at full speed. I know I write a lot about hips, but they are very important in football. Wide receivers with stiff hips often have to gather themselves to cut, making them easier to cover. Anderson’s cuts are so smooth, it allows him to pull away from defensive backs with ease.
He looks like he has the potential to be special . . .
Darron Lee needs to start making more plays on the ball in coverage . . .
June 14, 2017
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