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What is going on with the three veteran
. . . free agents the Jets recently showed interest in – linebacker Kwon Alexander, defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi and offensive tackle Riley Reiff?
“Joe (Douglas) is working through all of it,” said Jets coach Robert Saleh. “That would be a better question for Joe.”
We don’t have access to Douglas right now. His press conference schedule over the course of the year is after the season, the combine, pre-draft, post-draft and midseason. There is also a possibility he speaks at some point in training camp. What usually happens there is that he goes on during a Jets preseason game TV broadcast, and some reporters complain, and say, “Why is he talking to them, and not us,” and then sometimes he’s made available to the beat writers.
So we can’t talk to Douglas now about Alexander, Ogunjobi and Reiff. This isn’t a complaint. Not at all. Just letting you know we can’t ask Douglas about these players.
What generally goes on with street-free agents like this, who are established veterans that have played well in the league, is they wait until the summer. If a team loses a player at their position, it allows them to sign for more money than they are being offered in June.
If they believe Mekhi Becton is going to be fine to start at one of their tackle spots, and with their depth at defensive tackle, Alexander might be the biggest need with his ability as a coverage linebacker. He played for Saleh in San Francisco, and knows the system . . .
The Jets still need some work on tightening up their zone coverage, which was a little loose at times last year, leaving big holes for opposing quarterbacks to throw into.
There were a couple of plays in a row in Wednesday’s minicamp practice that could make one surmise that they still need a little work in this area.
First Braxton Berrios sat down inside the Jets zone and caught a pass between defensive backs Jason Pinnock and Javeline Guidry. Then right after that, Berrios sat down again in the Jets zone and caught a pass between Guidry and C.J Mosley.
Last year there was too much of this, especially on third down, easy throws and catches into Jets zone coverage.
Not to make too big of a deal about two plays, but since they were back-to-back it caught my attention.
But this is a good time of year to fix this stuff, along with training camp, so this will continue to be a focus for the Jets coaches when they hit the practice field again in about 40 days . . .
Look, they need to win more games, but you have to give Douglas credit for the kind of guys he’s filled the Jets locker room with, players with great character who love football.
“We have a lot of really good human beings,” said Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. “In my time in the NFL, I have never been around a locker room with the character of this group. It is hard to be an a______e on this team. It really is. You have a lot of really good guys that love this game. Not only an a_____e, it’s hard to survive here if you’re not a self-starter, if you don’t love this game. There are so many guys that love it and push it and are self-motivated.”
This isn’t just coach-speak. It’s true.
But now it must lead to more wins.
June 16, 2022
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