Content available exclusively for subscribers
Cortland – More of the good stuff from Cortland as Dan checks in from Central New York with some Whispers and nuggets from Jets training camp . . .
Calvin Pryor (pictured above) was working as the second team safety with Rontez Miles.
The Pryor part isn’t a surprise since this was his first practice back from a concussion.
But the bigger story is Miles being ahead of Jaiquawn Jarrett and Josh Bush.
If the Jets keep five safeties, they will have a tough decision to make between Jarrett and Bush, assuming Miles continues his hot summer and makes the active roster.
Jarrett is probably a little better than Bush as a safety, but Bush is the team’s personal punt protector (calls the signals and stands between the punter and line).
There is a question that needs to be answered about Miles in the preseason games. We know he can hit like a ton of bricks, but how will he hold up in coverage? He’s a little stiff athletically and runs just 4.62. Also we need to keep an eye on his diagnostic skills; reading offenses – it’s a big jump from California of PA to the NFL.
But one thing you can’t question is his heart. Miles, who came from a tough upbringing in Pittsburgh, is a warrior, who want this real bad.
If you are a Colts backup receiver, you better keep your head on swivel with Pryor and Miles manning the two safety spots. Miles isn’t that far behind Pryor as a hitter . ..
Eric Decker beat cornerback Brandon Dixon on a post route deep down the middle today.
He should beat Dixon, a third string cornerback, a raw rookie out of Northwest Missouri State.
So what is my point?
The point is Decker last year often got coverage like this – a 3rd or 4th cornerback or a safety, due to all the attention garnered by Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker and Julius Thomas.
We know he can beat these kind of corners.
But as the Jets #1 receiver, he going to face much stiffer challenges than this, and it remains to be seen if he can handle them.
He had trouble getting open against Richard Sherman in the Super Bowl.
Can he consistently get open against #1 cornerbacks?
Stay-tuned . . .
Speaking of Decker, I think the media is starting to get to him.
He’s getting flooded by non-stop requests, something he’s not used to, and it’s clearly starting to grate on him.
It’s been overwhelming . . .
With the second-team offense, Marty Mornhinweg dialed up a couple of fade routes in the left side of the end zone to TE Zach Sudfeld.
At 6-7, with really long arms, he could be a major weapon for the Jets in the red zone.
The Jets have big plans for him . . .
The Jets were livid with Brian Costello for reporting the password to their digital playbooks which are on IPADS.
It is 1-9-6-9, as in 1969, the last time they won the Super Bowl.
The team feels that the writer created extra work for the football video department, which now has to reprogram all the IPADs with new passwords.
But there is no love lost between Costello and John Idzik, so the writer probably didn’t lose any sleep over doing this.
Clearly the angle to this story was that “1969” was the code, and the significance of that number in Jets history.
If it was just some random number, Costello wouldn’t have written the story, even if he uncovered it . .
August 5, 2014
Premium will return by 9:30 pm on Wednesday.
