Content available exclusively for subscribers
A lot to get into today . . .
The Jets are going to have some tough receiver decisions at the final cutdown.
Jeff Smith and Denzel Mims flashed in practice today, and both seemed to have strong springs.
Mims had a leaping grab over a defensive back deep down the right side on a pass from Mike White.
And Smith had a one-handed grab down the left sideline on a deep pass from Zach Wilson.
But then again, they could keep six – Corey Davis, Garrett Wilson, Elijah Moore, Braxton Berrios, Smith and Mims . . .
A signing that looks like it’s going to benefit the Jets a great deal is the addition of safety Jordan Whitehead. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneer showed great instincts throughout the spring, being at the right place at the right time, and getting his hands on a lot of footballs in coverage.
He has very sophisticated eyes in coverage, which should help the Jets deep patrol a great deal. There was too much see-and-go-reacting last year with guys too often arriving late to the scene . . .
Cornerback Isaiah Dunn had an active practice on Wednesday, with two nice PDs, one on a deep pass, and the other on a fade in the end zone.
He could be a nice depth guy for the Jets at cornerback . . .
Linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips broke up a pass to tight end Trevon Wesco from Joe Flacco on the goalline.
The reason I bring this up is that there might not have been enough of this in the spring – talking about linebackers getting their hands on footballs in pass coverage.
This was a little bit of a problem last season as well.
Free-agent Kwon Alexander’s name has come up as a guy who might be able to help, but another guy to keep an eye on is Atlanta’s Deion Jones. who might be on the trade block. He has 11 career picks in six seasons, and played for Jets DC Jeff Ulbrich in Atlanta, where Ulbrich was Jones position coach from 2016-20 . . .
The Mekhi Becton press conference today in Florham Park was a “Tension Convention.”
To his credit, he stood up there and answered the tough questions, but he certainly would have preferred to be somewhere else. Some of the questions were about his weight.
And this begs the question – Is it out of bounds to ask a player about this weight, especially since the powers-that-be, have never gone public with any complaints about his weight?
Have Robert Saleh or Joe Douglas ever said he needs to lose weight, and if they haven’t, is it unfair for reporters to ask him about it?
Look, I don’t want to come across as a hypocrite. I’ve written he could be even better playing at less say, 345-350, but if his bosses aren’t complaining about his weight, why should people on the outside harp on it so much? Is that fat-shaming?
Honestly, while many of us have theorized he could healthier if he lost weight, that knee injury he suffered last year at Carolina in the opener had nothing to do with his weight. He was blocking somebody and his knee got rolled by a player on the ground.
So I’m dropping the weight stories, at least for a minute. I’m sick of the story and these tension-filled press conferences with the guy. If his bosses are okay with his weight, that is the bottom line. And the other bottom line is how he plays. He can perform well at the weight he chooses, that is all that matters.
If I were him I’d consider getting off social media where the hate-filled trolls seem to be getting to him.
He was asked about his experience at right tackle, and it’s more extensive than I realized, in both high school and at Louisville.
So the best plan would probably be to keep George Fant at left tackle where he played really well last year, and plug-in Becton in at right tackle and roll that way . . .
June 15, 2022
Premium will return by 9:30 pm on Thursday.