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Morris County – A few different things to get into today in this edition of One Jets Drive. Let’s get it started . . .
The Jets elevated defensive tackle Brandin Bryant from their practice squad earlier this week.
Bryant can pull fullback. The Seahawks were using him there some this summer.
Keep this in mind on Saturday.
The guy has muscles on top of muscles – bench pressed 225, 38 times before the 2016 draft, the most of any defensive line prospect.
The question is how he fits in a 3-4 defense at 6-2, 289 pounds. At that size, his technique better be darn good . . .
It was a big week for Florida Atlantic at Jets camp. Around the same time the Jets promoted FAU’s Boldin to the active roster, they signed outside linebacker Randell Johnson from the Los Angeles Rams’ practice squad.
The Jets continue to look for a 3-4 outside linebackers who can get to the quarterback, and that is why they signed Johnson.
Johnson has the perfect size for the role at 6-4, 245 with 4.6 speed. He was a seventh-round pick of Buffalo in 2014 and spent a couple of seasons in Western New YOrk. He was on the Rams’ practice squad this year.
We see what he can do, but you’d have to think if he flashed anything as a pass rusher, Rex wouldn’t have let him out of Buffalo. We shall see . . .
I was on a Patriots radio show today with their play-by-play guy Bob Socci. He mentioned how close so many recent Jets-Patriots games have been. He asked me if I expect this again.
I said, “If Ryan Fitzpatrick was starting at quarterback, yes, with Bryce Petty, all bets are off.”
Fitzpatrick played well in the three games he quarterbacked the Jets against the Patriots. Socci pointed this out during the interview.
Fitzpatrick did a nice job of reading the complex Patricia-Belichick defense in each contest.
This is going to be quite a challenge for Petty, who like most young quarterbacks, is struggling reading NFL defenses, which is so freakin hard.
The bottom line is simple. And I like to deal with reality. The Jets would have a better chance to win this game with Fitzpatrick at quarterback. But since they are out of the playoff hunt, they want to take a look at young players, including Petty.
They can claim they are trying to win the game, but are they?
You can decide that.
A fan said to me today that it’s important for Petty to get this game experience because it will help him in the future.
It might, but there is no guarantee of that. Look at Blake Bortles. Jacksonville gave him three valuable seasons, and have nothing to show for it.
It cuts both ways. When teams give young quarterbacks time to develop on the job, sometimes it works out, sometimes it’s turns out to be a waste of games. It will be interesting to see if these games help Petty, or do nothing for him because he has inherent shortcomings that he can’t overcome, like Vince Young, Rick Mirer, Cade McNown. I could go on all day with this list.
Time will tell if this was a waste of time or valuable experience that helped him take the next step.
December 21, 2016
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