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My take on the first day . . .
It was a day a lot probably thought we wouldn’t see this year, but the Jets had their first training camp practice today.
Yes, they have been working on conditioning the last few weeks, but today was closer to a real football practice.
I’m not going to evaluate how any player looked because this is the first football practice for these guys since last season. As you know, there were none of the normal spring camps, like OTA’s and the two minicamps.
The idea of these practices is to get the kinks out. They are not for media style points, especially early in camp, especially early in a camp after no off-season practices.
For instance, late in practice, Sam Darnold threw an out route on the sideline to a receiver. The only problem is the receiver kept running up the sidelines, and never cut to the sideline where the ball was thrown.
Was it Darnold’s fault? I have no idea. Was it the receiver’s fault? I have no idea. And it doesn’t matter. The point is now is the time to fix these things so they don’t happen during the season. That is what camp is for. If this is happening in the opener against Buffalo, then it’s a problem.
I have to admit, it was much more a normal training camp practice then I thought it would be. Stretching, individual drills, team drills, 7-on-7 drills and so forth.
The only big difference is that the coaches, trainers, support stuff, owner and media were wearing masks.
Gregg Williams was barking up a storm. There were a couple of running plays where the runner got outside. Somebody failed to set the edge and Williams was livid.
While Williams defense was decent last year, setting the edge was a problem at times. One issue was related the speed of some of the edge-setters, and this allowed some runners to unflank them to the outside.
Speaking of the defense, I was talking to somebody high up in the Jets (not on the football side) and they talked about what a tough blow the C.J. Mosley opt-out was.
And I will tell you exactly what I said.
“If you had lost a great edge-rusher or lockdown corner, that would be been a big blow, but you can replace inside linebackers.”
I’m not saying Mosley isn’t a good player, but he’s replaceable. We saw that last year.
There was kind of a double meaning to what I said to the high-ranking Jets official.
Yes, I think they can overcome the Mosley opt-out.
But by bringing up the edge-rusher and lockdown cornerback, I guess I was kind of making another point, both these areas are still an issue for the Jets.
Just surveying the scene at each of these positions at practice today, they probably still need more talent at these spots, and having four first-round picks in the next two years will help. I know that doesn’t help the Jets now, but you get the sense they might still be lacking a #1 CB and a game-wrecking pass rusher (unless Jabari Zuniga explodes on the scene).
August 14, 2020
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