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Florham Park – There was plenty to go over from the Jets’ second and final open practice from their voluntary veteran minicamp, so let’s jump right in. . .
Safety Calvin Pryor was in attendance after missing Tuesday’s practice. He appears primed to pick up where he left off late last season, as he showed great range on the field during team drills.
Pryor was effective in both coverage and playing the run, but his most impressive play came on a blitz up the middle, during which he blew past veteran center Nick Mangold. He was also vocally supportive of his teammates when off the field. He greeted players with high fives as they returned from the field. . .
The defensive linemen and outside linebackers have shown the ability to shed blocks and get to the quarterback. Yes, it is April and none of the linemen are wearing pads, but the defensive front has been able to put pressure and tip balls at the line of scrimmage, due to high-effort play.
On Wednesday, the defensive linemen forced quarterback Geno Smith to throw the ball away on a number of different plays, including on screens and play action passes.
One of the most consistent linemen over the course of the first two practices was Kevin Vickerson, but the 6-5, 328-pound defensive tackle got nicked up during a two-minute drill at the end of practice. . .
In the locker room, Smith said he was aware that he needs to be more consistent as a player and showed that In practice. He missed some throws and open receivers, but always made up for it on the next play.
He tossed some tight, accurate passes in a fairly windy afternoon and appeared to be in good command of the offense. . .
Much of the offseason attention on wide receivers will be on veterans Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, but Shaq Evans, who missed all of last season after suffering a shoulder injury in training camp, is in good form.
Evans made some nice grabs in positional drills, while also making two clutch catches in the two-minute drill at the end of practice. . .
Guard James Carpenter whiffed badly on a running play. He was slow off the ball and allowed a defender to slip right by him. . .
Long snapper Tanner Purdum, who has been nearly perfect in his career with the Jets, snapped a ball over punter Ryan Quigley’s head toward the beginning of practice. . .
Second-year offensive lineman Dakota Dozier, who has been working at guard and center during the early workouts, said this offseason was his first since the end of his junior year at Furman:
“It was so strange because those first couple of days back here, they’re telling you to take a break for a while,” Dozier said. “From the end of senior year to the end of last year, there really was no break. You finish the season and you start your training. Then you’ve got your All Star games, the Combine, your Pro Day, visits, workouts, so it’s good. This offseason was good”. . .
April 29, 2015
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