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It’s time for a heaping helping of Dan Leberfeld’s Jets Whispers and notes, bringing you a bunch of different items on this hot summer night . . .
Headline from the New York Jets website – “Chris Mortensen: Rex is the Right Guy for the Jets.”
Perhaps he is, but it’s important to point out Rex and Mortensen are both Jimmy Sexton guys.
What do you expect him to say? . . .
ESPN ranked Geno Smith 32nd in their ranking of NFL quarterbacks.
This wasn’t just one writer’s opinion. Mike Sando, who put the piece together, but he got input from a myriad of scouts, coaches and executives.
The Jets fired back on their website this week – “I’m sure ESPN’s methodology in conducting this poll was fine, and I certainly can’t sugarcoat it and say Geno was actually in the top five, and I’m obviously biased in my role here with newyorkjets.com.. Yet looking back on Geno’s rookie season, I found it impossible to rank him 32nd overall (which is not what the poll asked its respondents to do) and I also considered several of his strengths that, when combined with his weaknesses, still would have had me at least considering ranking him as a 3 as opposed to a 4, and definitely not a 5, if I had a vote.”
So where would I rank him?
Somewhere between 30-32. Sando had four tiers – Smith was obviously in the fourth tier. Here is the fourth tier . . .
25)Matt Schaub
26)Chad Henne
27)E.J. Manuel
28)Matt Cassel
29)Brian Hoyer
30)Ryan Fitzpatrick
31)Jake Locker
32)Smith
Schaub, Henne, Cassel, Hoyer and Fitzpatrick are all better at that this stage of the game. They all have a lot more experience, which is huge at the QB position – huge.
I’d have a three-way tie at 30 between Smith, Manuel and Locker.
Those guys aren’t better than Smith.
Remember, the poll had a four-way tie at #1 between Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Aaron Rogers . . .
Dee Milliner spoke at a youth football camp this week.
“It’s always going to be tougher than you expected,” Milner said about his rookie year. “My first year in the NFL. Yeah, I never thought it would go like it went. But it was great, it just started off rough. I expected to have a better year but I finished the way that I wanted to play the whole year so I felt great about that. Coming into this year, that’s what I’m trying to do. The way I finished, I want it to be like that the whole year, be consistent in my play.”
It will be interesting to see if he can be more consistent.
While Milliner, did some nice things down the stretch, he was still somewhat inconsistent, and has a lot of work to do.
His technique, footwork, and tackling were up-and-down last year.
And not helping his maturation process was missing a bunch of time this spring due to a hamstring injury. This is the second spring in a row he missed valuable teaching reps due to injury. Not good for the growth curve.
Some have embellished his stretch run – like the light bulb came on and he’s out of the woods.
Even in the last game, when he had two picks, he gave up a touchdown pass to Mike Wallace, and almost gave up another, but Ryan Tannehill overthrew the wideout, who was wide open down the sidelines, getting behind Milliner.
I think Milliner can be solid. Not a star, but solid.
I do agree with what a scout told me last year – “He’s a #2 cornerback.”
And that is okay. If he can be a terrific #2 starting NFL corner, that is not the end of the world. You need two good starters at corner.
July 9, 2014
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