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Premium – Today Dan looks at the Jets’ secondary scene and how they will survive the rash of injuries that came to pass on Sunday in Cortland . . .
Antonio Allen looks poised for a big season.
He had another strong practice in coverage today.
He’s taken a quantum leap as a coverage guy since his arrival.
Today, he had a PD covering Jacoby Ford, who has 4.3 speed. The receiver attempted a double move on him, but Allen didn’t bite, and broke up this mid-range pass.
Later in practice, he had a PD on pass to Jeff Cumberland on a post in the end zone.
The Jets could play a lot of three safety sets this year with Allen, Dawan Landry and Calvin Pryor, especially with the injuries at cornerback.
Allen has improved so much as a cover guy, he’s actually a very good match-up for big, physical wide receivers.
Allen has been so good this summer, I think he has a chance to be special . . .
John Idzik could be subject to some media criticism over the Jets cornerback injury situation.
Dee Milliner, Dexter McDougle and Dimitri Patterson all came in with “injury-prone” labels, and now all three are injured . . .
I don’t want to be disrespectful to an injured player, and a personal level, I wish him nothing but the best in his recovery, but the loss of Milliner today isn’t as devastating as some would lead you to believe.
He hasn’t had a good camp. While he did make a couple of nice plays in the Indianapolis game, overall he’s been substandard this summer.
Even in today’s practice, before hurt his ankle, he was struggling.
He was beat on a deep pass down the right sideline from Michael Vick to Stephen Hill (great over-the-shoulder catch by Hill).
Before Quincy Enunwa beat him on the pass down the deep left side that Milliner got hurt, Enunwa beat him on a deep post.
Three big plays in an injury-shortened practice.
Now in his defense, the Jets haven’t handled him that well, throwing him to the wolves last year (Rex has said as much), but it’s pretty clear to me, and that scout I quote quite a bit in this space, this is a #2 cornerback, not a #1 cornerback.
Watching these two players closely over the last year and change, I don’t think there is a big drop-off, in any, from Milliner to Darrin Walls, an underrated rated player.
And if it’s a high ankle sprain for Milliner, which most around the scene suspect, he will be back, probably at some point in September.
Once healthy, Dimitri Patterson will start opposite Walls.
It’s foolish to judge Patterson by his performance in the Indianapolis game which included giving up two big chunk plays to Hakeem Nicks and Da’Rick Rogers. HE SHOULD NOT HAVE PLAYED. Injuries to his quad and ankle took away his speed.
He should be ready to roll in a couple of weeks. He calls the injuries, “minor little training camp things.”
Prior to these injuries, he was having a good camp.
With McDougle (torn ACL) and Milliner out, the Jets still have a lot of intriguing cornerbacks to work with including Ras-I Dowling (the x-factor), Johnny Patrick, Ellis Lankster and Jeremy Reeves (having a terrific camp until he tweaked his knee).
While the Milliner and McDougle injuries aren’t a good thing, it’s not like the Jets lost two proven commodities. Neither one is at this point.
One thing that will help the Jets whether the storm, if you consider it that, aside from the depth they have, is Calvin Pryor, who runs sub-4.6, and can cover wide receivers . . .
Aside from one drop on a crossing route, Enunwa had a breakout practice.
The catch he made on the play Milliner was hurt, was a circus catch, easily the best this summer in Cortland.
The thing that Enunwa does so well is win jump balls. He uses his powerful 6-2. 225-pound frame to win a lot of 50-50 balls, and Jets could use a guy like this.
With the emergence of Enunwa and Saalim Hakim, the Jets’ decisions at receiver at going to be so, so difficult.
Greg Salas had another strong practice today.
They might need to keep seven receivers, and go short at another spot . . .
August 10, 2014
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