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The Jets are obviously young at cornerback.
But when you really think about it, they are probably going to have only one rookie starting in their secondary – whoever starts opposite Bryce Hall at cornerback.
The two safeties will be veterans – Marcus Maye and LaMarcus Joyner – and the nickel back will likely be Javelin Guidry, who got in games for the Jets last year. The third safety, for now, is Sharrod Neasman, who is 29, and spent a lot of time with Jets DC Jeff Ulbrich in Atlanta, so he knows the Jets’ system. A new addition at safety, Sheldrick Redwine, could take some time to get up to speed, but has two full seasons of NFL experience.
So it could be just one rookie starting, and if you look at how the rookie corners performed this summer, Brandon Echols perhaps had the best camp. He made a lot of plays on the ball and looks like a potential sixth-round steal.
The point here is that the Jets are young in the secondary, but they might only be starting one rookie . . .
Even though some were pushing for the Jets to go out and get a veteran backup like Nick Foles, who hasn’t played well the last couple of years, and is immobile, the Jets’ QB room is actually set-up just fine right now.
Mike White had his second good summer in a row. He outplayed Sam Darnold in the 2020 camp. He earned the #2 job and could be a valuable asset if something happens to Zach Wilson. But they were also able to get that veteran presence in the QB room, and on the practice field, in 34-year-old Josh Johnson, who has been on 13 NFL teams. With the new practice squad rules you can sign vested veterans to the practice squad, and the Jets took advantage of this. Johnson played for San Francisco last year, so he knows Mike LaFleur’s offense, so not only does he give a veteran for Zach Wilson to lean on in general about quarterbacking in the NFL, but also is a good sounding board if he has questions about the system. You throw in new assistant coach Matt Cavanaugh brought in to fill the large shoes of Greg Knapp, and that QB room seems to be in a good place right now . . .
The Carolina Panthers waived running back Trenton Cannon yesterday to make room for RB Royce Freeman. If I were the Jets, I’d bring Cannon back. Not only can he give you insight on Carolina, but I’m not entirely sure why they got rid of Cannon last year, he is a superb kick and punt cover guy, who Brant Boyer loves. That was a strange move in the summer of 2020, and it wasn’t even on the final cut, it was on August 3. Never quite understood that move. Carolina claimed him on August 4 . . .
He might be able to help the Jets, but clearly Shaq Lawson had a bad camp for the Houston Texans. The Texans took a financial hit by trading him to the Jets, with $1.7 in dead money this year, and $5.3 million in 2022. As long-time Houston Texans writer Aaron Wilson put it – “It was a case of Texans general manager not being ruled by financial decisions. It was a football move.”
The Jets and Lawson feel that playing in a Jets scheme that is pretty simplistic, and allows Lawson to pin his ears back and get after the QB, without being bogged down by myriad assignments, that will help his game.
“I know he’s excited about letting his personality show and being the player we all know he is,” said Jets GM Joe Douglas.
There are pluses and minuses to simple NFL defenses.
September 3, 2021
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