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New Jersey – It’s time for another addition of “News to Me,” a look at a couple different items worth delving into in the Jets Nation. Let’s get into it . . .
It’s unfortunate where this Geno Smith thing is going.
It’s going down the road of Stephen Hill, Joe McKnight, Mark Sanchez and John Idzik.
Where the well becomes so poisoned in the Jets’ nation, due to overabundance of vitriol, it becomes impossible for the invividual to function here
Some in the media are at war with Smith because he’s won’t talk to them. And they’re in their, “we’ll show him” mode, where they are ripping him in print to show him who the boss is.
There is one long-time New York Post columnist who has a history of trashing players who don’t talk. He’s been doing it for 25 years. He’s gives them a browbeating in print. He’ll show them how it works around here.
And fans, perhaps some fueled by the negative press, are verbally attacking Smith at practice and at the stadium.
I’ve seen this movie many times before in Jets history.
The player, coach or GM reaches war criminal status in the Jets’ nation, and it’s hard for them to function, and it often leads to a departure.
Smith’s situation is getting perilously close to this.
Will the Post and others contribute to the player being sent packing prematurely (before his contract is up after the season).
We shall see.
It’s happened many times around here.
I’m so tired of this script, but unfortunately it looks like this is where this might be headed . . .
During Sheldon Richardson’s press conference yesterday, he made it pretty clear he thinks Darron Lee is undersized for a 3-4 inside linebacker.
He talked about how David Harris often would report to camp at 260 (with the thought he would lose weight in camp and be in the low 250’s once the season starts).
Richardson also mentioned that DeMario Davis was around 250.
I agree with Richardson.
I think Lee can help the Jets a great deal as a coverage linebacker, a blitzer and on special teams, but people who actually think he can challenge Erin Henderson for the starting job in the base defense need to get their heads examined.
If Lee started, the Jets would likely have run defense issues. 3-4 ILBs often carry 250 because they often have to stack-and-shed 300-pound NFL offensive linemen.
Look, I think Lee is going to be a boon to the New York Jets.
But in a 3-4 defense, he needs to get bigger and stronger if he’s going to start.
HOWEVER, if they play a 4-3 at times, which I think they will, he can start.
At 6-1, 235, with 4.4 speed, he’s very similar to Carolina’s run-and-hit linebackers . . .
It looks like the light bulb is coming on with second-year safety Ronald Martin. Over the last week he’s really come on. And the Jets could use a safety like him, a guy with his size at 6-2, 220, to help them with certain match-ups . . .
August 23, 2016
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