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Dan checks in from Denville with some training camp Whispers, including notes on Burress, Weatherford and Strickland . . .
The signing of Plaxico Burress is a tremendous move. There is no way around being that blunt.
People worried about him being rusty after missing the last two seasons. I think it’s a positive.
First of all, he was able to let his banged-up body truly heal after nine years in the league.
Veteran players have been raving around the league about how much the lockout allowed their bodies to heal-up.
Well imagine a veteran getting two years off. Plax is feeling great.
And 33 (especially with two years off) isn’t that old for a receiver. Also, a source close to the Giants told me today, that Plax’s game really isn’t about speed. He’s more about size, leaping ability and making things happen in traffic. So if he did lose a step, it’s not that big a deal. He was never a speed merchant.
Plus, the contract isn’t that costly. $3.17 million for a player with this kind of talent is a bargain.
And he’s going to off-the-charts motivated after two years in jail. He is going to be amazingly focused and determined to show everyone he’s still great.
One last thing – Plax, who might be better than Braylon (who I think is darn good), got a third (or at the very least eventually half) of what Braylon wants contractually.
This is just a terrific, smart move by the Jets . . .
Steve Weatherford let his hair down today with the Giants media, and said what he’s wanted to say for a while.
“We didn’t reach out to them,” Weatherford said. “It was time to move on.”
He couldn’t wait to leave the Jets. The bottom line is this – Mike Westhoff is hell on earth for punters.
At some point, Westhoff, obviously an outstanding special teams coach, is going to have to realize that Ray Guy isn’t coming out of retirement, and Shane Lechler isn’t going to be traded to the Jets.
To me, Westy is looking for a level of punting he’s going to have a hard time finding.
He drives punters crazy.
If you don’t believe Weatherford, just ask Ben Graham, another punter not enamored of Westhoff.
He asks them to do tons of situational punting.
At some point Rex Ryan needs to sit Westhoff down and say, “Jesus doesn’t punt.” . . .
The Jets usually allow the press to cover check-in day at training camp.
But not this year.
Here is a big reason why.
Unlike Cortland and Hofstra, the players aren’t staying in college dorms, they are staying at a hotel.
It wouldn’t be fair to the hotel to have a three-ring media circus in their parking lot and lobby.
It’s much easier to allow the media to position themselves outside a dorm on a college campus . . .
The Jets re-signing of Donald Strickland was a very good move. The nickel back already knows the defense. This can’t be minimized, especially at nickel back. A nickel back has a lot on his plate – part cornerback, part linebacker – it’s a very tough job mentally. Not only does Strickland know the system, but he’s extremely bright, so whatever has been added he will take very little time to pick up.
While he’s older than Drew Coleman, he’s an upgrade.
Coleman is terrific in run support and as a blitzer, but he is wildly inconsistent in coverage, a liability at times.
