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Florham Park – A number of things to get into today in the latest edition of Dan’s Training Camp Whispers . . .
In the #2 quarterback spot, Jake Heaps got more reps than Bryce Petty today.
He’s did a lot of impressive things, including hitting WR Walt Powell (who is having a really good camp) on a deep out against Antonio Cromartie.
He also had a terrific play where he rolled left on a bootleg, and threw against his body, connecting with TE Wes Saxton down the left side.
He clearly more advanced as a pro-style quarterback, right now, compared to Petty. He does a better job of identifying the middle linebacker before the snap than Petty.
I’m not saying he’s a better long-term prospect than Petty who is bigger and has a stronger arm, I’m just saying, right now, he’s higher on the growth curve, after spending time with Charlie Weis at Kansas . . .
I’m often very hard on the former Jets coaching staff, but I do think they had good offensive and defensive line coaches.
I think the former offensive line coach, Mike Devlin, who is now with the Houston Texans, along with his assistant Ron Heller (who is still with the Jets) did a really nice job of developing Brent Qvale last year on the team’s practice squad.
The former Nebraska Cornerhusker has really good technique. He uses his hands really well.
The Jets are going to have some tough decisions to make as far as backup offensive linemen. Ben Ijalana is a good backup swing tackle, and now Qvale has emerged. And while Qvale was safe on the practice squad last year, I don’t think that is the case anymore. He would get stolen now. I think they need to keep both of them, and perhaps go with one less interior player.
I was watching Qvale closely today, and he as just locking people down, play after play, at the backup right tackle spot . . .
Rookie free agent DE Davon Walls, who played at Syracuse, before having an off-the-field issue and transferring to smaller school, is a really good practice squad candidate.
He’s very athletic for a 6-7, 300-pound athlete. He needs work on his technique, but he has terrific raw tools to work with . . .
Watching Buster Skrine, I can’t believe the Browns let him out of the building, especially with the struggles of Justin Gilbert.
While Skrine is playing nickel back for the Jets, he’s a starting level cornerback, who gets his hands on a ton of passes, is willing in run support, and when he blitzes, he gets there in a hurry.
This looks like an terrific signing by Mike Maccagnan.
The Jets basically have three good nickel backs in Skrine, camp standout Marcus Williams and Dexter McDougle. This has gone for being a problematic position to an embarrassment of riches . . .
Mike Maccagnan addressed the media today after chatting with a crisis management expert with a background in politics.
This was the first time Maccagnan talked to the media since the Geno Smith-IK incident.
He didn’t say much newsworthy aside from claiming that he’s probably not going to put Smith on the short-term IR list.
By the way, the tree Maccagnan is leaning against (photo above), while addressing the press, is 200 years old.
August 18, 2015
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