Some final observations - for this morning anyway - on the just concluded three-day rookie minicamp:
-Jeremy Kapinos consistently boomed towering punts during the time the media was allowed to watch minicamp and while the Kellen Clemens/Chad Pennington battle will be – and should be –the headliner of training camp, the Kapinos/Ben Graham one will be worth watching, too.
“We’re going to look at both those guys and give them an opportunity to state their case,” Eric Mangini said Saturday.
- Enamored might be a tad strong, but Mangini clearly believes the Jets got a steal in cornerback Dwight Lowery, the team’s fourth-round pick. Mangini praised Lowery pretty effusively on Friday and Saturday, with one of his Saturday answers, in discussing a predraft interview session with Lowery, providing this memorable quote:
“He comes in and he could explain what he was doing at the corner position, but he could also explain what the whole secondary was doing," Mangini said. "We had some film there, so if it was a blitz or some kind of zone blitz, he could explain what the linebackers were responsible for under these coverages. He saw the whole picture from the corner spot, where a lot of times those corners come in, they can explain, ‘Okay, I got that cat,’ and that’s pretty much it. But you want them to be able to see the big picture so they understand how they fit, and [Lowery] did.”
Two things from that answer: 1. Justin Miller, coming off surgery, better be ready to bring it during camp. And, 2. Mangini, indeed, did use the phrase, “I got that cat.” As good as you think it sounded...it sounded even better.
- Kansas wide receiver Marcus Henry, the team’s sixth-round pick, has enormous hands.
- One interesting thing from the locker room on Friday and Saturday was the general wide-eyed look players gave in talking about the difference in the size of the playbook they received this week as compared to what they had in college.
“Oh man,” Erik Ainge told me Saturday. “It’s about two inches taller. There’s a lot of information, obviously, but that’s part of it. That’s part of coming here, not knowing anything, and you have to learn.”
I asked Henry the same question.
“You have no idea,” he said, shaking his head.
Finally, I’m calling for a moratorium on the phrase “win-now mode” in describing the Jets for this season. I’m the first to include myself among the guilty who have uttered, or written, the phrase, which already in early May has become stale, tired and devoid of any real insight. I'm done with it, or at least until we start writing that a given team is in a "win-later" mode.
Comments (11)
Erik,
Maybe you should keep that man-crush on Marcus Henry under wraps.
Since we lost Coleman, do you really believe that we're going to use Lowery as a corner instead of a safety? I know Elam looked good last year, but if Lowery can see the whole field and has this understanding wouldn't he be better suited as a safety? Just a thought.
Roger, you're killing me.
Cliff, Mangini was pretty open about the fact they'll take a long look at Lowery, a safety in junior college, for both positions.
Erik,
Is it pretty safe to assume then, that Justin Miller and Darrelle Revis are the starting corners heading into camp?
Ever since I first heard it, I've been wondering what "win now mode" means. All teams are, or should always be in a win now mode. Yes, it takes time to build a team, and good team management should always keep an eye on long term success; but you should still be trying to win now.
I don't see anything that the Jets did this off-season that sacrifices future success. They had a decent draft, and have not sacrificed future picks. The team has a range of player ages, not particularly old or young. And their FA signings addressed specific needs with proven players. The salary cap still seems to be in control for future signings or resignings. Overall, it seems that they are following a prudent strategy for winning now and for several years to come.
Now we just have to see if the players remain healthy and play as well as envisioned.
Rich, I'd say you're right in that assumption, though there's some uncertainty how Miller will look on the field coming off the knee surgery. He would be the Jets preference. By default, as of now, the other option there is probably veteran David Barrett.
Erik: Have you heard anything WRT personal seat licenses [spit] Hopefully, they'll squeeze the corporates and leave the fans alone but if the Jets are going to stick us with that bill, I better set aside some money.
J., No decision on that has been reached - at least publicly - but Woody Johnson was quoted early last month as saying "I think there is a likelihood," regarding PSL's. Many years ago, I heard them described as Personal Screw Licenses in terms of how they impacted fans. Hard to argue the point.
Erik, I would be curious to know what type of rehab/training Chad Pennington has been doing in the offseason. Has anyone seen him throw lately?
Matt, we'll get our first look at Pennington at the veteran minicamp in early June. Past injuries aside, Pennington entered this offseason pretty healthy so there wasn't much in the way of rehabbing from anything. He was at the Jets facility in mid-March for the start of the team's voluntary offseason training program.
Personally, after watching the past two seasons, if Pennington can't throw a deep ball then we have to give it up to Clemens.