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Can you argue with this point? Maybe yes, maybe no . . .
Mekhi Becton is likely out for the year after re-injuring his right knee.
“When you are talking about all that weight on a surgically repaired knee, it ain’t good.” – VSIN’s Patrick Meagher.
It took somebody in another market (Los Angeles) to say something like this because so many people locally are walking on eggshells . . .
After practice, veteran defensive tackles Solomon Thomas and Sheldon Rankins spent a bunch of time working on technique with young defensive tackles Tanzel Smart, Jonathan Marshall and Nathan Shepherd. These five were the last guys off the practice field aside from CB Bryce Hall, who was doing extra work.
Thomas and Rankins are two high-character guys who aren’t just good players, but great leaders for the defensive line room.
I’m telling you, these five big guys were out there for a long time after practice in 95-degree heat. This was after practicing in this heat for two hours. This is what you call commitment . . .
I will leave the training camp QB stats to others. That stuff is Kabuki Theatre. But what is my take on the quarterbacks after almost two weeks of practice?
While Zach Wilson is more athletic and has more arm talent than Joe Flacco and Mike White, Flacco and White do a better job of going through their progressions and throwing with anticipation . . .
Smart continues to flash in camp. He shot into the backfield to stop running back Breece Hall for a loss, and he also got into a fight on another play.
Now some people will say that getting into a fight is a bad thing. Not for a long shot (unless you make it a common thing).
Linebacker Chad Cascadden, who made the team as a long shot in 1995, said he got into fights on purpose that summer, to get the coach’s attention. It certainly worked. He went on to play for the Jets from 1995-99. Obviously it wasn’t just about the fighting, he also made plays, but an occasional tussle can help a long shot, because it shows a certain degree of toughness and that he doesn’t back down. You don’t want to do it in games, but practice fights aren’t always a bad thing. Bill Parcells used to have Giants players start them on purpose to toughen up certain players . . .
Getting back to Thomas, he not only is a good mentor to young defensive tackles, but continues to make a lot of plays in camp.
In a short stretch in practice, he had a nice run stop on the line on RB Tevin Coleman, and then beat guard Alijah Vera-Tucker for a pressure forcing Zach Wilson out of the pocket.
The addition of Thomas is quite significant for the Jets because it will help their defensive tackle rotation immeasurably. The Jets like to rotate their defensive tackles a lot and often last year, there was a big dropoff to the second team. With Thomas and John Franklin-Myers, moving in there more from end, that shouldn’t be the case as much this year . . .
It’s never easy mentally joining a new team in the middle of training camp.
Today in practice, Mike White changed a play at the line, and new Jets offensive tackle, Caleb Benenoch, signed on Monday, jumped offsides.
Obviously, mid-training camp additions missed so much of the team’s playbook installation in the spring and summer . . .
We have written a lot about how the linebackers need to make more plays in coverage. Second-year linebacker Hamsah Nasrildeen is trending in the right direction in this area, like today when he almost picked off a White pass over the middle. It went off his hands, but his read was excellent on the play. He read the quarterback’s eyes perfectly . . .
The Jets released defensive end Hamilcar Rashed, a priority undrafted free agent from 2021. What happened? It wasn’t a lack of effort. He has a great motor. The issue is he’s not particularly twitchy and doesn’t have the ideal flexibility to bend the edge. None of that is his fault. He gave it his best shot, and I’m sure other teams will kick the tires . . .
It’s unfortunate when long-shot players have a bad play in camp, because their margin of error is small. Anointed players like high draft picks can make a lot of mistakes, but long shots can’t.
Undrafted free agent wide receiver Keshunn Abram had a drop on a crossing route on a nice throw from Flacco.
Not saying he’s getting cut today because of that, but long shots need to walk on water, like Wayne Chrebet did in 1995.
Anointed players can make a ton of mistakes.
Most NFL training camps definitely have a caste system.
August 9, 2022
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