JetNation Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 New York Jets Secondary Preview (By John Viscardi - Forum Name = NYJetsVets91) Coach Tim McDonald is the Jets defensive backs coach, McDonald is assisted by Brian Smith at the assistant defensive backs coaching position. McDonald replaced Dennis Thurman last year for the 2013 season. Thurman was the Jets defensive backs coach from 2008 to 2012, and assumed the defensive coordinator position last year. Picked in the 2nd round of the 1987 NFL draft; McDonald played strong safety in the NFL for the Cardinals, and the 49ers. McDonald was the secondary coach for Fresno State in 2012, and was signed by the Jets to take on the same coaching position on January 24th, 2013. Brian Smith, the Jets assistant defensive backs coach, was a defensive back for the UMASS Minutemen from 1997 to 2000. Smith went on to coach both linebackers, and wide receivers for UMASS from 2004-2006. Smith was then signed to the Jets for offensive quality control in 2007; he was switched to defensive quality control in 2008 and maintained the position until 2012. In 2013 Smith was promoted to assistant defensive backs coach. Strengths The Jets are undergoing a full youth movement this season in the secondary. Hopefully for the Jets this youth movement will turn out the same way their defensive line youth movement went over the past few years. The Jets have three young 1st round picks on their D-line and linebacking core, and three young 1st round picks at cornerback and safety. Coincidence or pattern? Although the Jets secondary is young, the talent is definitely there. If the Jets secondary can get on the same page in training camp, they could be a special group to complement the dominant front seven on defense. Weaknesses Although the Jets have three 1st round picks potentially starting in the secondary this season, that doesn’t guarantee success. The Jets secondary will have to get familiar with each other, and be on the same page by the start of the regular season otherwise it could be a weak point for the Jets this year. The Jets ranked 22nd in the league last year in opponent passing yards, and only had thirteen interceptions, which is relatively low for a Rex Ryan defense. The Jets secondary will also need to do it’s best to stay away from the injury bug. Training camp will be crucial for the chemistry, and conditioning of the Jets defensive backs. Projected Starters Cornerback: Dee Milliner, Dimitri Patterson, Kyle Wilson (slot) Safety: Calvin Pryor, Antonio Allen The only locks to start in the secondary are Dee Milliner and Calvin Pryor. Wilson and Allen are subject to losing their spot and will be pushed in training camp. Patterson was brought in to start opposite Milliner, but if another player really steps up in camp one would think his spot could be in jeopardy as well. The Jets will have a very young, but also very talented secondary this year. Three of the five projected starters are 1st round draft picks. Projected Reserves Cornerback: Darrin Walls, Dexter McDougle, Ellis Lankster Safety: Dawan Landry, Jaiquawn Jarrett The Jets have eleven cornerbacks, and seven safeties on their roster. There is a good chance they will keep seven corners instead of six, but with all the emphasis the Jets are trying to put on offense they could end up keeping an extra wide receiver instead. Dawan Landry has been seeing a lot of time with the second unit, and it seems almost inevitable that he will be replaced by the youth movement. There will be some big decisions to be made regarding the secondary before the season begins, the answers will begin to surface at training camp. Wild Cards Cornerback: Ras-I Dowling, Brandon Dixon Safety: Josh Bush These 3 players will have a tough time making the 53-man roster, but they all have the ability to stand out in camp. Ras-I has impressed Rex Ryan so far, and is a Patriots “cast-off” as Ryan would say. Ryan would love nothing more than to stick it to Belichick with one of his ex-players. Dixon was a Jets 6th round pick in the 2014 draft, and John Idzik likes to keep as many of his picks as possible. Dixon also has good play making ability, but he will be facing a very uphill battle and will have to stand out in training camp. Josh Bush was a 6th round pick by the Jets in the 2012 draft, and would make a good depth player. Projected Cuts Cornerback: Lowell Rose, Johnny Patrick, Jeremy Reeves Safety: Rontez Miles, Brandon Hardin These five players have little to no chance to make the 53-man roster, and will most likely become practice squad players. With eleven cornerbacks, and seven safeties going into training camp Idzik will get his coveted “competition,” unfortunately for these players though they will be cut casualties. Players to Watch Cornerback: Dee Milliner, Dexter McDougle Safety: Calvin Pryor The Jets are fully invested in sophomore cornerback Dee Milliner, and expect a huge leap this year. Milliner came on strong at the end of the season last year with three interceptions in two games, but struggled for the majority of the season. The Jets are hoping a full offseason will be just what Milliner needs to take the next step. Milliner missed last year’s offseason due to a shoulder injury that hindered his development. This is a huge year for Milliner, and the Jets have high hopes for the 2nd year corner. Many people questioned the Jets 3rd round selection of Dexter McDougle out of Maryland. There were more tantalizing, and higher ranked choices still on the board but the Jets committed to their man who “plays like a Jet.” McDougle had an award named after him, the “Dexter McDougle Ultimate Team Player Award,” and was the first recipient of the award. McDougle’s award is now an official award at Maryland that will be given out each year to the team leader. Aside from McDougle’s leadership qualities, his play also impressed the Jets. McDougle had six interceptions in his college career, and three of them came his senior year when missed the last nine games. McDougle could end up being a smarter pick than most critics originally thought. Calvin Pryor was selected 18th overall by the Jets in the 2014 draft. Rex Ryan expects big things from the rookie safety, saying: “There’s going to be a lot of jerseys sold with Pryor’s name on the back, because I have a funny feeling he’s going to become one of the more popular Jets as this thing gets going.” Pryor earned the nickname “Louisville Slugger” for the massive hits he inflicts on receivers. Pryor is regarded as one of the most physical players coming out of the draft, and will be labeled as an “enforcer” going into his first season in the NFL. 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Maxman Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Good job John. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go Jets77 Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Strengths: We're young? Weakness: Technique, basic fundamentals, talent, depth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#27TheDominator Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Nice write up. I don't think that Patrick is practice squad eligible. He had a bunch of starts and has been on an NFL roster quite a bit. I think Rontez Miles has a fair chance to make the roster. He was active a few games last year and coming from a small school (I think he was from California U in Pennsylvania) we knew he was going to need some time. I think he is good on specials which is how those last few spots should shake out. They certainly could be tiring of Bush, Jarrett or even decide to dump Landry. The fact that they dropped Garay and Peterman last year makes me feel a bit better about keeping the best players rather than just the FA vets they picked up. I think the whole CB roster is in the air, but I'm quite a bit less impressed with Darrin Walls than the board in general. He could turn out okay, but I don't think he or Lankster are roster locks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dundunit Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Good write up. Really the achilles heel of our team last year was our secondary and our quarterback. If we can get real improvement out of Milliner and Geno this team will be very much improved and really have a good chance at the playoffs. You could see at the end of the year that Milliner was much more comfortable and aggressive. The best part of the end of the year for Milliner is that he really started to locate the ball. I think that shows that he really started to figure it out and trust himsel.f I'm also really hoping that Pryor and Allen can step up so we can finally have a young combination of talented safeties. Having Bell and Landry two years ago I thought was a big reason why our secondary was very solid despite losing Revis to the torn ACL. Undoubtedly Cro had a lot to do with that but stability at the safety position makes everyone else's job easier. Our secondary can't be as bad as it was last year or else we will not make the playoff again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slats Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Good write up. Really the achilles heel of our team last year was our secondary and our quarterback. If we can get real improvement out of Milliner and Geno this team will be very much improved and really have a good chance at the playoffs. You could see at the end of the year that Milliner was much more comfortable and aggressive. The best part of the end of the year for Milliner is that he really started to locate the ball. I think that shows that he really started to figure it out and trust himsel.f I'm also really hoping that Pryor and Allen can step up so we can finally have a young combination of talented safeties. Having Bell and Landry two years ago I thought was a big reason why our secondary was very solid despite losing Revis to the torn ACL. Undoubtedly Cro had a lot to do with that but stability at the safety position makes everyone else's job easier. Our secondary can't be as bad as it was last year or else we will not make the playoff again. I hope so. I have really high hopes for Milliner, as he played at a really high level to end of the season. I suspect the Jets are counting on that, and on him to be the #1 CB all season. A lot of the optimism I have about the team is based on that as well. How quickly it all comes together for Pryor is also a major key. There are question marks all over the secondary, but if Pryor is out there wreaking havoc and shortening receivers' arms, that'll also go a very long way. I'm also hoping Idzik outsmarted everyone by taking McDougle in the third. I doubt there's a rush to get him on the field, as two rookies and a second year guy in the secondary might be a little too young, but he's a guy who I expect to see on the field more and more as the season wears on. There's no doubt in my mind that they want to move on from Wilson, although I still believe that's a year off. Kyle has to know that, too, and maybe he finally learns to turn his head around this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZachEY Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Strengths: We're young? Weakness: Technique, basic fundamentals, talent, depth Boring and predictable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RutgersJetFan Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Three of the five projected starters are 1st round draft picks. ORLY?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgb Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Really the achilles heel of our team last year was our secondary and our quarterback. when your weaknesses are the most important position in the NFL and the most important unit for your defensive genius HC's scheme, that's more than an Achilles heel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dundunit Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 when your weaknesses are the most important position in the NFL and the most important unit for your defensive genius HC's scheme, that's more than an Achilles heel. That's true, and that is why some of the games we lost like the Bengals and Titans we got absolutely steam rolled. Because those two games the secondary play and the QB was obnoxiously bad. If we can have some real improvement and consistency from those two areas this year that makes this team considerably better than last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
32EBoozer Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Nice write up. I don't think that Patrick is practice squad eligible. He had a bunch of starts and has been on an NFL roster quite a bit. I think Rontez Miles has a fair chance to make the roster. He was active a few games last year and coming from a small school (I think he was from California U in Pennsylvania) we knew he was going to need some time. I think he is good on specials which is how those last few spots should shake out. They certainly could be tiring of Bush, Jarrett or even decide to dump Landry. The fact that they dropped Garay and Peterman last year makes me feel a bit better about keeping the best players rather than just the FA vets they picked up. I think the whole CB roster is in the air, but I'm quite a bit less impressed with Darrin Walls than the board in general. He could turn out okay, but I don't think he or Lankster are roster locks. Agree about Miles. This kid plays hard, the way Rex likes to see the position played. Tough road getting here, hope he sticks. I also hope they can stick Reeves on the PS. Physical freak... give him a year to develop in a system and see where he's at next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYJetsVets91 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Strengths: We're young? Weakness: Technique, basic fundamentals, talent, depth Go troll a patriots site... ORLY?? Yes really, Milliner, Pryor, and Wilson are all 1st rounders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYJetsVets91 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Nice write up. I don't think that Patrick is practice squad eligible. He had a bunch of starts and has been on an NFL roster quite a bit. I think Rontez Miles has a fair chance to make the roster. He was active a few games last year and coming from a small school (I think he was from California U in Pennsylvania) we knew he was going to need some time. I think he is good on specials which is how those last few spots should shake out. They certainly could be tiring of Bush, Jarrett or even decide to dump Landry. The fact that they dropped Garay and Peterman last year makes me feel a bit better about keeping the best players rather than just the FA vets they picked up. I think the whole CB roster is in the air, but I'm quite a bit less impressed with Darrin Walls than the board in general. He could turn out okay, but I don't think he or Lankster are roster locks. Good write up. Really the achilles heel of our team last year was our secondary and our quarterback. If we can get real improvement out of Milliner and Geno this team will be very much improved and really have a good chance at the playoffs. You could see at the end of the year that Milliner was much more comfortable and aggressive. The best part of the end of the year for Milliner is that he really started to locate the ball. I think that shows that he really started to figure it out and trust himsel.f I'm also really hoping that Pryor and Allen can step up so we can finally have a young combination of talented safeties. Having Bell and Landry two years ago I thought was a big reason why our secondary was very solid despite losing Revis to the torn ACL. Undoubtedly Cro had a lot to do with that but stability at the safety position makes everyone else's job easier. Our secondary can't be as bad as it was last year or else we will not make the playoff again. Thanks guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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