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Didn’t think one decision in the first preseason game was ideal for the Jets.
Prized rookie running back Michael Carter returning punts in the second half.
He had two punt returns in the third quarter.
The Jets have big plans for their 2021 fourth-round pick out of North Carolina.
He doesn’t need to be returning punts in the second half of the first preseason game.
You have a bunch of bubble players flying down in coverage trying to get the attention of the coaches with their play.Â
You probably should not have Carter out there at that stage of a preseason game returning punts . . .
When I saw the Jets released DT Michael Dwumfour on the cut to 85, it didn’t seem to make a ton of sense.
Not that he was necessarily going to make the regular roster, but he flashed enough in camp to make it past the first cut, and perhaps land a spot on the practice squad.
The Rutgers product, who started his college career at Michigan, is a thickly built nose tackle, who plays the run well, but also is quick into gaps to create pressure on quarterbacks. In the Jets’ preseason win over the Giants, Dwumfour had a recovered fumble and a half-sack.
So why move on some quickly?
He was waived-injured. He perhaps got an injury settlement. He hurt his calf against the Football Giants. Those darn calf injuries are pesky and linger, so it’s going to be a while for the big fella.
But I bet the Jets get him back in the mix when he’s healthy. The Scotch Plains, NJ native is a pretty good player . . .
One of the things good GM’s do in the summer, at the different cutdowns, is try to jump on good players, who are released, not due to ability, but the number’s game.
Teams have to make reluctant cuts, especially getting down to 53.
Every team cuts guys they don’t want to, due to the roster number restrictions, and perhaps are trying to slip guys through waivers, and move them to their practice squad, but other teams with good personnel departments, need to take advantage of these opportunities.
A perfect example of a team doing this was Joe Douglas claiming defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers on August 1, 2019.
This is a player who was in the Rams’ defensive line rotation in their Super Bowl loss to the Patriots in February, 2019.
He’s turned into a terrific player in the Jets’ defensive line rotation. In Monday’s practice, he had two QB pressures on the interior, getting by Greg Van Roten and Dan Feeney . . .
Robert Saleh and other NFL head coaches are going to get a break this season. From what I hear, they are going to have to speak to the media one less day of the week than past years. One day will be just coordinators, and no head coach. Nice break for the coaches from press conferences that are becoming more and more tedious, especially with all the COVID questions . . .
Jets reserve QB James Morgan will be in the news this week with his return to Green Bay, his hometown, for the Jets practices and game with the Packers.
Here is the bottom line with this player, a fourth-round pick of the Jets in 2020 draft from FIU:
As I mentioned in this space before, nobody works harder than this player. Every day on the practice field, he’s the last one off the field after extra work, and it’s not even close for second.
However, hard work doesn’t guarantee anything at the QB position. I can’t tell you how many guys I’ve seen over the years, who work their tails off, but still have issues going through progressions scans and seeing the field on a high level. Unfortunately, hard work often does help your field vision. We will see if it does here.
August 18, 2021
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