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New Jersey – Dan checks in with more Whispers and notes from the Jets rookie mini-camp. Let’s get into it . . .
Like Mike Tannenbaum before him, John Idzik let Rex Ryan make a pick.
You know what, if you are going to give Ryan a pick, why not keep it in his wheelhouse.
Ryan is really good at spotting defensive line talent – look at Mo Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson, who turned to be steals where they were picked.
Maybe let him pick a linebacker.
But a quarterback?
You could make a strong argument it’s misguided to allow Rex Ryan pick a quarterback.
Especially with a part of his drive behind the pick being that he knows the kid because his son goes to Clemson.
Why should that matter?
Tahj Body looked very bad in practice on Friday.
He was very inaccurate and was sailing passes (which was a problem at Clemson)
Look, I understand this was his first NFL action in practice, but I saw some inherent issues that could be a problem, like his height and pocket presence (sometimes he feels ghost pressure).
Why am I making a big deal about a sixth round quarterback?
Because the Jets might need a third quarterback to play this year? What if Geno Smith doesn’t take that next step, and the telegraphing and issues feeling the blitz continue?
What if Mike Vick comes in and gets hurt. Where do you turn then?
I don’t see it with Matt Simms – he’s not a great reader at defenses, and throws passes that are too flat – no arc.
That is why I thought picking an Aaron Murray, A.J. McCarron, David Fales, Tom Savage – somebody like that in the middle rounds – made sense.
So this QB selection does matter.
And to let Rex make that pick, when that isn’t an area of strength (scouting quarterbacks), makes little sense . . .
We mentioned the other day, that wide receiver Dwight Jones had a horrid practice on Friday, with drops galore.
He was released after the camp.
He seemed to lack focus in the practice.
Remember, he had an infant child pass away a couple of years ago, and left Houston Texans camp when it happened.
You get the sense he’s still not over that, which is understandable . . .
Following the mini-camp, the Jets signed offensive tackle Marcus Zusevics (ZOOZ-uh-vicks). He was in camp as a tryout.
He was clearly head-and-shoulders above the other lineman at this camp.
This guy was a terrific lineman at Iowa, and likely would have been drafted in 2012, but he unfortunately tore his pectoral muscle doing the 225-bench press test at the combine. So no team was going to pick him after that. He was signed by New England and spent some time on their practice squad.
To me, this is a very interesting signing, and not just a frivolous transaction.
Zusevics is a 6-5, 303 pounder with good feet and mobility. He ran a 5.03 forty at Iowa.
This guy is a legitimate contender for the Jets backup swing tackle job (backing up both left and right tackle).
This position is unsettled right now. Prior to the arrival of Zusevics, there were just two unproven candidates in the mix – Oday Aboushi and Ben Ijalana.
Zusevics, out of Iowa, a school that has produced a lot of NFL offensive linemen in recent years, isn’t just camp fodder. He has a shot.
May 20, 2014
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