LB.. Lorenzo Mauldin ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

Bowles : Jets Expect Mauldin to Make 'Big Jump'

 

For over an hour Tuesday morning, Todd Bowles met with the media at the NFL Owners Meetings in Boca Raton, FL. While he was asked plenty about free agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bowles also addressed the club’s new acquisitions, his lessons from Year 1 on the job and a young outside linebacker inLorenzo Mauldin who he believes is ready to take the next step.“He got better as the year went on. As he got comfortable, he started to show his personality and (was) letting his game speak a little bit more,” Bowles said. “In Year 2, we expect him to make a big jump as far as being a full-time player at outside ‘backer. If he comes in shape that way, we’ll sit down and have that talk. But I expect Mauldin to be a major player this year.”

 

Primarily used in sub packages as a rookie, Mauldin saw his playing time increase down the stretch and the Louisville product totaled four sacks.“Well he’s got to make a jump from a pass rusher too,” Bowles said. “He has certain moves, but he has to develop some more and he has to develop the all-around game. But I think he can do that.”

In his rookie season as head coach, Bowles guided the Green & White to 10 victories.“In your first year as a head coach, I don’t think you start head coaching until about the fifth week. The spring and the summer and everything is fine, even the first couple of games, but you kind of have to adjust on the fly and make adjustments on the run and I think that’s everybody who becomes a head a coach for the first time,” Bowles said. “And you settle down as it goes and you kind of get a feel for your team going forward and you make the necessary adjustments. But Year 2, I think we’ve learned a lot from Year 1 as to what to and what not to do in certain situations, so I thought we came a long way from that standpoint.”

 

A successful assistant for 15 years, Bowles started his NFL coaching career as the Jets DB coach in 2000. After stops with the Browns (2001-04), the Cowboys (2005-07), the Dolphins (2008-11), the Eagles (2012) and finally the Cardinals (2013-14), Bowles elaborated on his new roles and responsibilities.“Really it was just thinking on the run most games and starting out certain games,” he said. “Sometimes you want to start out a little bit differently defensively, maybe more blitz than not blitz or offensively maybe more run than pass or vice versa. Whether it’s starting out with a different front or different coverage or just certain things like that, you kind of get a feel for how people are trying to play you as you go along.  And you kind of file that away as a head coach and you remember things especially the second time around or you’re playing teams with similar situations. Things come a little quicker than they would if you normally hadn’t done it.”

 

During the season, Bowles expressed the need to get some speed off the edge. The Jets, a club who finished T12 in sacks with 39, have annually been one of the NFL’s stingiest teams against the run. Long before Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware were wreaking havoc in the Super Bowl, Bowles had talked about adding more explosion on the outside.“The edge rushers showed out this year. You want to find those guys, but you have to be patient in trying to find them,” he cautioned today. “You don’t want to reach to the point that you are foregoing everything else on the team to find an edge rusher.”Damon “Snacks” Harrison departed across town in free agency, but the Jets brought in another run stuffer who has excelled in the middle in former Steeler Steve McLendon.“Ultimate nose tackle, but he has some position flex. He can play defensive end as well and I think you’re going to be pleased with him because he’s a good all-around player,” Bowles said. “We lost a good one, but I think we got a good one too.”

 

 

New York Jets 

 

✔‎@nyjets

Did you know?

McLendon practices ballet to stay in shape.

Yes, ballet.

READ >> http://bit.ly/1LBO5DM 

6:32 PM - 21 Mar 2016

And after designating Muhammad Wilkerson as the team’s franchise player, the Jets added depth to the line with the signing of Jarvis Jenkins.“Jarvis is a three-down player,” Bowles said. “He can move across the line of scrimmage, good interior pass rusher, has power, has some speed and we thought we upgraded there a little bit from a backup standpoint  that can come in and play.”

 

Buster Skrine, one of the Jets’ most significant additions in last year’s free agency class, could be in the running to take over the starting cornerback role across Darrelle Revis. Skrine, who also excels in the slot, is expected to compete for the vacancy created by the release of Antonio Cromartie.“All of them will be competing for it. Obviously Buster played the most, so he’ll probably start out there,” Bowles said. “But we’ll see as training camp comes what the competition brings and who wins it.”

 

Working with less financial flexibility than last spring, the Jets reshuffled their offensive backfield. While the Jets liked Chris Ivory, they were delighted to add the pair of Khiry Robinson, who Bowles described as “tough” and added that he could “surprise” some folks, and Matt Forté.“I don’t think 30 years old when I see running back. I still think running back that can play,” Bowles said of Forté. “We have this mythical number in our head that 30 is over the hill as a football player and that’s not necessarily true. It all depends on how you carry yourself and keep yourself in shape. And there are a lot of guys who can do that and play well beyond the so-called age of 30, and it’s up to us as coaches to distinguish that and he’s one of those guys.”

 

A high character player, Forté could become a huge force in the Jets passing game as well as its ground attack.“Outstanding hands, great route runner. He’s had a bunch of catches, he catches a bunch of balls every year,” Bowles said. “He’s a three-down back and he’s an all-around back and he can do it all, but he has great hands.”

 

Up front, all of the Jets linemen who started in Week 17 against the Bills are under contract. Bowles today was asked about three-time Pro Bowler D’Brickashaw Ferguson. A Long Island native, Ferguson was selected No. 4 overall by the Jets in the 2006 NFL Draft and has only missed a couple of plays while starting all 160 regular-season career games.“He had some good games. Like everybody else, he had some games that weren’t that good,” Bowles said. “But overall we ran the ball pretty effectively. We want to run it better. His pass blocking was there. He did some good things and some not so good things.”

>    http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-6/Bowles-Jets-Expect-Mauldin-to-Make-Big-Jump/ea07f181-5149-46e3-beb0-b1a2bd7169d6

[kelly]

With a conservative approach to free agency due to insufficient funds, it has become painfully obvious that the Jets are going to have to rely on their young core of players to step up in 2016.Once you get passed high priced veterans such as Brandon Marshall,Nick Mangold and Darrelle Revis, the Jets have several young and more cost effective players that will have increased roles this upcoming season.

Here are the top five Jets who have the most to prove in 2016

~ ~  LB Lorenzo Mauldin

Speaking of promising rookies from 2015, Lorenzo Mauldin, will see an increased role on defense next season.Mauldin started the year off as a part time player, used mostly in pass rush situations. When the coaching staff finally unleashed him, Mauldin responded by sacking Blake Bortles of the Jacksonville Jaguars twice in his first extended action.

As the season went on his playing time increased, and the rookie finished with four sacks.As it stands right now, Mauldin will replace Calvin Pace as the every down edge rusher, and the team has high expectations for him.“Year two, we expect him to make a big jump,” Jets coach Todd Bowles told reporters at the NFL Owner’s Meetings. “I expect him to be a major player this year.”

The Jets coaching staff believes he can be a great pass rusher, but Mauldin must work on playing the run as well in order to be a complete player.

rest of above article : 

>   http://jetswire.usatoday.com/2016/04/01/dee-miller-geno-smith-among-jets-with-most-to-prove-in-2016/

[kelly]

There are many ways for a team to get better. It can sign free agents, make trades, find discarded gems on the waiver wire and, of course, draft players. There's another way, albeit a bit old-fashioned:

A team can develop its own talent.

Remember that concept ? It's a good starting point for a story about Lorenzo Mauldin, a second-year linebacker for the New York Jets.

After spending his rookie season learning the pro game as a pass-rushing specialist/linebacker apprentice, Mauldin will get a silver-platter opportunity to become an every-down player. Considering the paucity of outside linebackers on the roster, the former third-round pick doesn't have the luxury of easing into an expanded role.

The Jets need him ... NOW. You could make an argument that Mauldin will be just as important in 2016 as any player they draft in three weeks.

"We expect him to make a big jump as far as being a full-time player at outside linebacker," coach Todd Bowles said at the recent owners' meetings in Florida. "I expect him to be a major player this year."The understated Bowles usually stays away from bold statements, but he evidently believes Mauldin has the goods. He doesn't have elite talent -- he wouldn't have lasted until the 82nd pick if he did -- but he has enough, according to the Jets. He's also hungry and hard working, attributes thatallowed him to overcome a nightmarish childhood in Atlanta. We caught a glimpse of his determination and toughness last September, when he suffered a frightening concussion in the opener and returned in Week 3.

It's only a small sample size, but Mauldin demonstrated pass-rushing ability as a rookie. Used almost exclusively on passing downs, he registered four sacks, seven quarterbacks hits and 16 hurries in 212 pass rushes, according to Pro Football Focus. Extrapolating those numbers, he'd probably have eight to 10 sacks in a full-time role.Mauldin has so much to learn that he doesn't know what he doesn't know. For one thing, he needs to develop more pass-rushing moves, according to Bowles. He needs to learn the base defense, how to drop into coverage, how to set the edge ... you get the picture.

Chances are, the Jets will draft another outside linebacker in the first few rounds, perhaps in the first round (20th overall). Even if they do, they'll still need a breakout season from Mauldin. Bowles wants to find an edge rusher (or two) who can complement the inside power of Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams.General manager Mike Maccagnan drafted Mauldin with the idea that he could take a year before ascending to an every-down gig. That's how it works sometimes in the NFL; it's the patient approach. You draft, you develop and you hope they're ready when it's time.

For Mauldin, it's time.

>     http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/59463/jets-olb-lorenzo-mauldin-could-be-as-important-as-any-2016-draft-pick

[kelly]

video..

>    http://www.newyorkjets.com/videos/videos/Road-to-the-Jets-OLB-Lorenzo-Mauldin/e2869f67-56b6-4c44-bf03-9c090eab0e69

[kelly]

For the Jets defense to be better than they were a year ago, the team needs someone to step up as a pass rusher.

No, not Sheldon Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson and Leonard Williams. While all three are terrors for an opposing offense to deal with, Gang Green needs a speed threat from the outside.And entering 2016, they believe they’ve got one in second-year proLorenzo Mauldin:

“With a year under his belt, we expect him to make a big leap for us,” defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers said.

Originally a third-round pick, Mauldin came to New York as a talented but raw pass-rushing specialist out of Louisville. He had nice size (6-4, 259 pounds), speed and a never-ending motor that led to him bringing the quarterback down 21 times in college.What the Jets have been working on with him is his technique. Because when you combine those attributes, with technique. . . the team hopes you get a backer that can improve on a solid four-sack campaign season in 2015.

A year ago, New York took a slow, developmental approach with Mauldin. Essentially, the only plays Mauldin played were on passing downs. They’d trot him out there for veteran Calvin Pace, and tell him to get the quarterback.He did it well, but in 2016, he’s going to be asked to do everything.Basically, be a three-down menace for opposing quarterbacks to deal with.

Can he do it ?

Well, the Jets certainly seem optimistic.“Mauldin, one, is a guy we expect a lot out of,” Rodgers said. “Through these first couple of days of OTAs and watching him training. . . he seems a lot quicker.”And that’s certainly not a bad thing for the Jets defense.

>     http://jetswire.usatoday.com/2016/05/27/jets-excited-to-see-what-lorenzo-mauldin-brings-to-defense-in-2016/

[kelly]

 — The Jets are looking for new starters at both outside linebacker spots, and it seems likely that one will be second-year pro Lorenzo Mauldin. 

Mauldin, a third-round draft pick, showed potential last season as a pass rushing specialist. But can he be a successful every-down outside linebacker? That is one of the key questions for this defense entering 2016. "I can really capitalize on what I did last year," Mauldin told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday, after an organized team activities practice. "Now I'm in a bigger role. It's up to me to actually live by that role, and be able to get into being a leader for the defense. I guess the coaches have a lot more trust in me." 

During his exit interview with coach Todd Bowles after last season, Mauldin got an encouraging message. 

"He said he was expecting a lot from me," Mauldin said. "My main thing was to live up to the expectations." It reminded Mauldin of postseason conversations he had with coach Charlie Strong during his days at Louisville. In those chats, Mauldin recalled, Strong would tell him that "he wanted to see more."And in the following season, "that's what I gave him," Mauldin said. 

Mauldin played just one season of outside linebacker at Louisville, and he didn't really drop into coverage much. So as he prepared to be an every-down outside linebacker with the Jets in 2016, he focused this offseason on coverage stuff. "I feel like I've got a better grasp of it now," he said at the midpoint of OTAs. "Now that I'm actually getting a lot more reps, it's coming to me naturally. It was foreign [coming out of college], but now I'm starting to understand it.

"My ideal thing over the break was to basically learn more of the position, and being able to go train at the position better, and understand the concepts of it." Mauldin returned to Louisville and also trained in Atlanta. He focused his training on dropping into coverage, while also studying his playbook notes from last year. Among the coverage-related things Mauldin worked on: "Learning where you need to drop. Learning where your landmarks are and getting there in a certain amount of time. Understand who you're guarding and where your eyes need to be." 

Meanwhile, the outside linebacker, when he drops into coverage, also needs to listen to the linebackers next to him and defensive backs behind him — to understand where they're going to be in the coverage scheme. In the end, Mauldin said, he must "be able to apply all of that in one play, within a certain amount of seconds." 

It's not an easy process, but he is beginning to grasp it, which bodes well for the Jets' defense. 

>      http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/06/jets_lorenzo_mauldin_i_can_really_capitalize_on_wh.html#incart_river_index

[kelly]

MAULDIN CAN FILL NEW YORK'S NEED

The Jets are counting on Lorenzo Mauldin to help with their biggest need -- outside linebacker. He played only 244 defensive snaps as a rookie, mostly as a situational pass-rusher, but those snaps qualify him as their most experienced player at the position. Players filling biggest needs

 

>   http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[kelly]

GET USED TO LORENZO MAULDIN MAULIN' QBS

A 2015 third-round pick, Mauldin harassed quarterbacks for four sacks and 14.5 hurries in just 253 snaps as a rookie. Now Gang Green's go-to rusher, he should add a lot more production in Year 2. Super sophomores (Insider)

> http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[CrazyCarl40]

Going to be a monster this year.

[NYs Stepchild]

17 minutes ago, CrazyCarl40 said:

Going to be a monster this year.

Now if someone can just beat Breno out of a job. 

[peekskill68]

51 minutes ago, NYs Stepchild said:

Now if someone can just beat Breno out of a job. 

Dan Leberfeld reported that Jarvis Harrison is now practicing at right tackle after being drafted as a guard.  So between him, Qvale and Art Shell's nephew that's the competition for Breno...

[kelly]

Lorenzo Mauldin  is the kind of young man that Jets fans can really get behind. As a second-year linebacker who won't turn 24 until October, he still has a great enthusiasm for the game and no challenge is too big for him.

Such as the hurdle facing him this preseason to become a well-rounded outside 'backer.

"Yeah, I feel good," Mauldin told me after today's return to practice at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. "Last year was a little slow for me. Now I've had an offseason and was able to get my feet under me and get the playbook down. So I come out here more fluid, the coaches like it, and they want me to be the starter. I've just got to live with those expectations."

Head coach Todd Bowles wasn't tipping his hand as to who among his OLBs — Mauldin, rookie Jordan Jenkins ,  Mike Catapano  and  Freddie Bishop  on the first two units (with  Trevor Reilly  sidelined due to injury) — was showing him the most."All of them are having their ups and downs," Bowles said. "All of them are getting off the ball at times and all of them are getting stuck on blocks at times. We'll get a better gauge on Thursday and going forward."

Thursday night, of course, is the Jets' preseason opener at MetLife Stadium against Jacksonville. And again Mauldin's enthusiasm comes through in discussing the Jaguars. Fans may remember Lorenzo broke out with the first two sacks of his career, actually one full sack and two half-sacks, against QB Blake Bortles and the Jags in Game 8 last year."I feel like now that I'm getting my reps, I should do way better than I did last year," he said, ignoring the prospect that he and the first defense may be on the field for only about a quarter. "I thought I had a good game but I want to have an even better game."

If that's his mindset for the preseason opener, what will it be for the regular-season opener against Cincinnati and beyond? I asked Mauldin if he had any goals he cared to talk about for his second season in the NFL and his first possibly as a frontline player."My goal is to get to a Pro Bowl. That's the biggest thing," he said. "If I'm going to be a starter, I should be making starter plays. If I do that, I'm hoping for a Pro Bowl."

Ah, youth. Here's wishing Lorenzo all the best in pursuit of his goal.

>     http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-randylangefb/Lorenzo-Mauldin-Ready-to-Take-On-Year-2/480f3671-7ac3-4230-9471-f0768e2e1342

[kelly]

When he woke up in Mount Sinai hospital nearly a year ago on that Monday morning, he saw the fear in the faces of the people that meant the most to him even if he didn't understand why, how or when he got there. It was the strangest feeling.

Didn't he have a game to play ?

"The last thing I remembered I was on the football field," Lorenzo Mauldin said in a quiet moment after a recent Jets practice. "The next thing I know I got needles stuck in my arm, stuff all over my head, trying to figure out what's going on with my brain. What happened?" It had been hours since Mauldin, the Jets rookie outside linebacker, who had overcome a hellish past, lay motionless on the field after his early fourth-quarter collision had forced a fumble. He had gotten up only to collapse after the first big play in his first NFL game. He had a childhood that no child should have endured, bouncing from foster home to foster home, before finalizing realizing his dream. Now, one moment threatened to take it away. The team feared neck and spinal cord injuries as medical personnel strapped him on a spinal board and carted him off. His friends feared paralysis.

"They thought I was going into a coma… because I wasn't responsive," Mauldin said. "It was pretty scary." Hours later, Mauldin had feeling in his extremities. He had suffered a concussion, but cheated something much more ominous... even if he has no recollection the play or the stunned silence at MetLife Stadium when he collapsed. For once in his life, he was lucky. If you have a pulse, it's impossible not to root for him. Mauldin's past has buoyed him when it could have easily buried him. The Jets expect big things from the second-year linebacker in this win-now season. "He's going to take a big step from where he was last year to this year," Todd Bowles said.

"How big? That remains to be seen. I'm not looking for him to have a breakout Reggie White-type season, but as a complete linebacker I expect him to get better." Mauldin must morph from situational pass rusher to every-down linebacker for Bowles and Kacy Rodgers' defense to evolve. For all the difference makers along the defensive line, the Jets lacked a consistent presence on the edge last season. Mauldin spent the offseason working on the nuances of playing his position with special attention on dropping into coverage. He only played one season in college at outside linebacker. He was never going to be an overnight sensation at the next level. He learned on the fly last year. Bowles limited the former third-round pick to sub packages on passing downs. He finished with four sacks and seven quarterback hits as a rookie. Now, he's expanded his understanding of the defense.

The possibilities for Bowles and Rodgers' unit are frightening if Mauldin turns into the player that the brain trust believes he can be this year. "We'll be an unstoppable defense," Mauldin said. "We were close to No. 1 in run defense last year. We just hope to get up there (statistically) with pass rushing. I feel like we're a lot faster on the defense. We're going to show people…." Mauldin is more comfortable than he was in his first training camp. "I was a little confused," he admitted. So, he logged plenty of study hours after the season. He even gained weight to become a better edge setter.

"I feel like I'll be good as an every-down player now, because I understand the system," Mauldin said. "Last year, I was just used as a rush specialist. I was able to just go, go, go. But now I have to drop back. I have to look at formations. I have to understand what's going on… and I have a better grasp of that." He is trying to apply all this knowledge in camp. Although he hasn't jumped out in the first two preseason games, that doesn't mean a lack of progress. "He's learned a lot of things," Bowles said.

"He flashes as a pass rusher, but we're trying to get him to learn how to play the total linebacker positon and that takes some learning. We're not disappointed in him. He hasn't regressed at all." It might only be Mauldin's second year, but there's real pressure to deliver. The typically reserved Bowles and Rodgers have heaped plenty of praise on the young linebacker. The expectations are clear. The expectations are high. "All I got to do is live up to the expectations," Mauldin said. "I've been doing it my entire life. So why not now?" He needs to make a significant jump.

>         http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/year-major-health-scare-jets-mauldin-jump-article-1.2761292

[MaxAF]

I really like this kid. I expect him to make a big jump too this year. He's put on some weight. I don't know if that's a good thing as far as speed goes. I know when I put on weight when I played I was stronger but not faster. So far in preseason he has missed some tackles and overran some plays. I hope he settles in and finds his groove.

[kelly]

— Lorenzo Mauldin has heard the criticism this offseason. Ever since he put on a few extra pounds— he went from 250 to 265— in an attempt to improve his play against the run, critics have said the Jets' outside linebacker looks slower. 

His jump off the ball isn't the same, they say. He's not as explosive as he was, they say. He won't be as good, they say. 

What does Mauldin say ?

"You're not out there playing so I don't care what you think or what people think," Mauldin told NJ Advance Media on Monday. "It doesn't matter."

Even with the extra weight, Mauldin, who was selected by the Jets in the third round of last year's draft, believes he's just as fast as he was his rookie year. Nothing has changed. Not his straight-line speed, nor his agility. The only hurdle he had to overcome was the mental one. Mauldin had to learn to play heavier, but that lesson is in the past. He feels plenty comfortable now.

And the Jets agree.   

"What was it? A 10-pound difference?" outside linebackers coach Mark Collins said. "I think he's fine. He looks good. I think he's progressing. I think he has a long way to go, from a mental standpoint with the position, but he has made progress. I'm happy with where he's at with that progress."Mauldin's weight gain wasn't necessarily by choice, but out of necessity. The Jets want him to be an every-down player this year, and felt he needed to pack on a few pounds to be able to withstand the physical grind of the season. 

See, as a rookie, Mauldin's weekly game plan was simple: Pin your ears back and get the quarterback. He would check in on passing downs, and check out when the offense was looking to run the ball.

This year, he's doing more than that. A lot more. 

"You have to set the edge," Mauldin said. "You can't let anyone get outside you. You have to make sure your pursuit game is good. You have to drop into coverage. That's how you play defense."I know what my job is. It's to drop into coverage sometimes, go forward sometimes and get the quarterback, stop the run sometimes. It's not one thing anymore. I have a job. And I have to do my job."And sometimes that job means Mauldin won't always be in the spotlight. He needs to do the dirty work, which can come recognition-free.

In the preseason this year, Mauldin has been statistically quiet. He has five total tackles (including three solo) and no sacks in parts of three games. But what doesn't show up on his stat line are the times he set the edge and forced the running back inside, or his pursuit which cut off a big play. Those plays are just as important as anytime he reaches the quarterback. And Mauldin's successfully making them more than ever before. 

"When people look at me, all they want is sacks, sacks, sacks, sacks," Mauldin said. "But playing defense is more than just sacks."

Whether the critics like it, or not. 

>    http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/08/jets_lorenzo_mauldin_to_critics_who_say_hes_slower.html#incart_river_index

[kelly]

You could have handpicked any Jets played this summer, and they all would have told you the same thing: This team is headed to the playoffs. 

Everything was in place. Ryan Fitzpatrick had just re-signed. The defense was just as ferocious. The special teams improved.After coming so close in 2015, and having so many of the same players returning to make a run in 2016, there was no way the Jets could fall short this year. 

Through two games, the Jets are 1-2. Critics have said the team looks much more like a mediocre squad than a championship contender.But the confidence from this summer hasn't wavered for those in the Jets' locker room. Just ask Lorenzo Mauldin. 

The playoffs were one of the many topics the linebacker touched upon with NJ Advance Media in this week's Q&A. 

Q: Three games into the season, where do you feel the team is right now?

MAULDIN: We're just starting off slow. We understand it's the beginning of the season. We know we'll pick it up. It's inevitable. 

Q: These first six games, you play five playoff teams and four games on the road. Has the difficulty of starting the season this way been talked about in the locker room?

MAULDIN: Coach [Todd] Bowles always says it, we all feel it: You can say we have a tough schedule, but the way we look at it, everybody else has a tough schedule going against us. We don't go into these games expecting a lot, we go in and go off the vibe of what's going on in the beginning of the season. You don't go in saying, 'Oh, we've got a tough schedule.' We go in and play. If we play up to our ability, we should win. 

Q: The defense has allowed a few chunk plays this year. Is it overly frustrating when you stop and opponent all but two or three plays, but those two or three plays are back-breaking?

MAULDIN: As individual players, you need to have responsibility for it. Say I let the edge get open, or Darrelle Revis lets up a pass, or Calvin Pryor misses a tackle, or Ryan Fitzpatrick throws an interception, you should be upset with yourself. But at the end of the day, you make mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes. You just need to see what you did wrong, then understand what you have to do right next time. It's the beginning of the season. Everybody is dusting off their motors. We're still getting back into it. We're four games in. We should pick it up after this week. 

Q: Because of that, do you feel some of the issues are easily correctable?

MAULDIN: Any mistake is a big mistake. For example, say I take the wrong step, and the tight end gets on my outside shoulder. Suddenly, he's able to get outside. I can easily fix that next week. I can correct that mistake. Its a big mistake, but it's correctable. I can change my stance, or change how I take a step, then the edge is set next time. It's nothing you can't fix. It's something you can learn going into the next week. 

Q: The playoffs were talked about a ton this offseason. Do you guys still feel you're a playoff team?

MAULDIN: Most definitely. You can't judge a team these first few games. At the end of the day, everybody is healthy, their bodies are perfect. The real way you can find out about a team is right in the middle of the season or towards the end. That's when people start getting tired. People aren't into it. But that's when it's time to go because you're getting closer and closer to the playoffs. You can't judge starting off. We're knocking the rust off. Going out there and playing. We're getting better. 

Q: In a 3-4 defense, you start. In a 4-3 defense, you're a rotational pass rusher. How do you keep yourself mentally checked in going into a game you know you maybe won't play as much?

MAULDIN: You need you realize that you've got a role on this team. Each week. You've got a role. Most of the teams we've been playing are running-style teams. A 4-3 defense is better against running-style teams. I just tell myself, when it's time for me to get in there, be ready. I have faith in my guys that they're going to get the job done on first and second down, which means I come in on third. We have a good front seven. We have a good secondary. I know I'm going to get on the field. I just need to be prepared for when. 

>    http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/09/lorenzo_mauldin_for_sure_jets_still_playoff_team.html#incart_river_index
 

[BRONX DUDE]

Mauldin doesn't sound like a young enthusiastic LB who grew up in a foster home and is hungry for the NFL

He sounds like a defeated Geno Smith.  Sad.

[Joejet]

22 minutes ago, BRONX DUDE said:

Mauldin doesn't sound like a young enthusiastic LB who grew up in a foster home and is hungry for the NFL

He sounds like a defeated Geno Smith.  Sad.

You got that from that interview?  I would interested as to how you came to that conclusion.

[BRONX DUDE]

I guess after watching Lawrence Taylor running around like a crazed maniac when he came out of college I would like to see a little more intensity coming from him. I am NOT comparing Mauldin to Lawrence Taylor but I don't want to listen to a student giving bland responses to reporters questions.

( We are talking about football. Please don't start mentioning Taylor's drug and other illegal actions).

[LIJetsFan]

I gotta agree with Bronx dude.  Wait till mid season sounds a lot like wait till next year to me.  Besides from the little I've gleamed, Mauldin has been underperforming our year two expectations.  Our DB's are average at best and our LB can't stop a bubble screen to save their necks.    

[NYs Stepchild]

10 hours ago, BRONX DUDE said:

I guess after watching Lawrence Taylor running around like a crazed maniac when he came out of college I would like to see a little more intensity coming from him. I am NOT comparing Mauldin to Lawrence Taylor but I don't want to listen to a student giving bland responses to reporters questions.

( We are talking about football. Please don't start mentioning Taylor's drug and other illegal actions).

Somebody needs to get MAuldin some drugs and some illegal action. 

[Maxman]

15 hours ago, Joejet said:

You got that from that interview?  I would interested as to how you came to that conclusion.

I just read the interview twice for that exact reason. Definitely didn't get that impression

[SickJetFan]

guess who is no longer the starter

 

http://www.newyorkjets.com/team/depth-chart.html

 

[kelly]

In terms of playing time (or lack thereof), one of the more notable parts of theJets' 1-3 start is the relative absence of second-year outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin. 

He hasn't been the every-down player he hoped he'd be. Lately, he has barely been the pass-rushing specialist he was last season.

In the opener, Mauldin played 23 snaps (40 percent), followed by 22 (42 percent) and 17 (27 percent) in the next two games. Against Seattle on Sunday, Mauldinplayed just six snaps (10 percent).By comparison, the Jets have used their other outside linebacker, rookie Jordan Jenkins, more. (Both Mauldin and Jenkins were drafted in Round 3.)Jenkins has played in two games since returning from a calf injury. In Kansas City, he played 30 snaps (48 percent). Against Seattle, he played 21 snaps (35 percent). 

Jets coach Todd Bowles said Mauldin isn't playing a lot because the coaches want to maximize the playing time of their four talented defensive linemen: Sheldon Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson, Leonard Williams, and Steve McLendon."Our defensive line has four good football players," Bowles said. "And we're playing four good football players — not that Lorenzo isn't — right now. Our most dynamic four football players up front, in the [front] seven, is our defensive line."

Hard to argue with that approach. 

As for why Jenkins is playing more than Mauldin, Bowles said they play two different outside linebacker positions. Mauldin is a "will" (weak-side) linebacker, while Jenkins is a "sam" (strong-side) linebacker. 

"They do different things," Bowles said. "And 'sam' linebacker is more Jordan's forte." 

>      http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/10/why_isnt_jets_lorenzo_mauldin_playing_more_todd_bo.html#incart_river_index

[joewilly12]

Mauldin has regressed 

[CrazyCarl40]

8 minutes ago, kelly said:

In terms of playing time (or lack thereof), one of the more notable parts of theJets' 1-3 start is the relative absence of second-year outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin. 

He hasn't been the every-down player he hoped he'd be. Lately, he has barely been the pass-rushing specialist he was last season.

In the opener, Mauldin played 23 snaps (40 percent), followed by 22 (42 percent) and 17 (27 percent) in the next two games. Against Seattle on Sunday, Mauldinplayed just six snaps (10 percent).By comparison, the Jets have used their other outside linebacker, rookie Jordan Jenkins, more. (Both Mauldin and Jenkins were drafted in Round 3.)Jenkins has played in two games since returning from a calf injury. In Kansas City, he played 30 snaps (48 percent). Against Seattle, he played 21 snaps (35 percent). 

Jets coach Todd Bowles said Mauldin isn't playing a lot because the coaches want to maximize the playing time of their four talented defensive linemen: Sheldon Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson, Leonard Williams, and Steve McLendon."Our defensive line has four good football players," Bowles said. "And we're playing four good football players — not that Lorenzo isn't — right now. Our most dynamic four football players up front, in the [front] seven, is our defensive line."

Hard to argue with that approach. 

As for why Jenkins is playing more than Mauldin, Bowles said they play two different outside linebacker positions. Mauldin is a "will" (weak-side) linebacker, while Jenkins is a "sam" (strong-side) linebacker. 

"They do different things," Bowles said. "And 'sam' linebacker is more Jordan's forte." 

>      http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/10/why_isnt_jets_lorenzo_mauldin_playing_more_todd_bo.html#incart_river_index

No it's not. It's very easy to argue with that approach. This team wasn't constructed to have 4 down lineman at all times and having Sheldon at outside linebacker is a fatal flaw. I want to like Bowles and I want him to have success, but he can't get out of his own way here. McClendon is a solid player but the Jets need speed on the outside. This is maddeningly frustrating.

[phill1c]

1 hour ago, CrazyCarl40 said:

Jets coach Todd Bowles said Mauldin isn't playing a lot because the coaches want to maximize the playing time of their four talented defensive linemen: Sheldon Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson, Leonard Williams, and Steve McLendon."Our defensive line has four good football players," Bowles said. "And we're playing four good football players — not that Lorenzo isn't — right now. Our most dynamic four football players up front, in the [front] seven, is our defensive line."

Hard to argue with that approach.

I know it's probably just me, but I find it EASY to argue with the approach.

• the lack of sacks and pressures even
• the inability to defense the short passing game

Every persistent Jets fan saw how ineffective DL Richardson and, before him, Coples was playing OLB. It's hard to be successful asking a DT to play OLB. Hell, Wilson was stepping up into a pristine pocket on most of the effective pass plays he had last week. So, the DL play has not been maximized AND the LB play hasn't been improved.

[Sperm Edwards]

1 hour ago, CrazyCarl40 said:

No it's not. It's very easy to argue with that approach. This team wasn't constructed to have 4 down lineman at all times and having Sheldon at outside linebacker is a fatal flaw. I want to like Bowles and I want him to have success, but he can't get out of his own way here. McClendon is a solid player but the Jets need speed on the outside. This is maddeningly frustrating.

4 down linemen = Harris has to cover too much area

4 LBers = he drops Sheldon back to keep all his best players on the field

Should have gotten what we could for Sheldon before the ink dried on Mo's contract. Or don't extend Mo, trade him for what you can get not what you want to get, keep the much cheaper Sheldon at end. What a waste to keep both of them after drafting Williams. I know they're all mega-talented, but while they may be fast for huge men they're not fast for every NFLer. 4 of these guys across the line is a slow DL. Impossible to run up the gut on, I'll grant you, but they're too slow to all be on the field together (even more so with the slow Harris behind them).

[phill1c]

1 minute ago, Sperm Edwards said:

4 down linemen = Harris has to cover too much area

4 LBers = he drops Sheldon back to keep all his best players on the field

Should have gotten what we could for Sheldon before the ink dried on Mo's contract. Or don't extend Mo, trade him for what you can get not what you want to get, keep the much cheaper Sheldon at end. What a waste to keep both of them after drafting Williams. I know they're all mega-talented, but while they may be fast for huge men they're not fast for every NFLer. 4 of these guys across the line is a slow DL. Impossible to run up the gut on, I'll grant you, but they're too slow to all be on the field together (even more so with the slow Harris behind them).

a coffee table is too much area for Harris to cover...

[phill1c]

I love and respect Harris, but the notion that he's really needed to QB the defense seems absurd. He needs to sit, too. But, because any QB on the Jets--offense or defense--has a lifetime job, he'll be out there...NOT covering anyone.

[SickJetFan]

The reason Mauldin is not playing is because he has not been very good.  He was playing late into 3rd and 4th preseason games against jags and still did not create any pressure.  I think bowels just being kind to him saying he wants to play sheldon out of position.

Sheldon on the other hand is not shown to be a superstar he believes himself to be.

[BurnleyJet]

It's on Todd, he wants to play Sheldon at OLB. The D's has been a massive disappointment. We will have to replace 2, maybe even 3 of the 4 starting back field next year.

It's fooking aweful, they play 10 yards off the LOS, and still get beat deep. We are paying an old Revis 17mill per. Some here say move him to F.S. On 17 mill per are you kidding me!

[kelly]

Pick 6 : Lorenzo Mauldin

>    http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-7/Pick-6-Lorenzo-Mauldin/b38143ea-096f-48fd-91b6-ff08cf243643

[kelly]

— The Jets defense has (sort of) turned it around these last two weeks. In wins over the Ravens and Browns, they're finally starting to look like the unit many expected them to before the season started. 

No, it hasn't been perfect. Ugly, in fact, when talking about the first half of those games. But it has certainly been better.And linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin has played a significant role in said turnaround. Could it because he's actually, finally, seeing the field?

"Most definitely," Mauldin told NJ Advance Media 

From a talent point of view, there's no denying the defensive line is the best on the Jets' roster. Leonard Williams, Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson are three of the best in the league. So, the Jets have been testing (for nearly two years) and trying different ways to get the three on the field at the same time.

Unfortunately for Mauldin, whom the Jets selected in the third round of last year's draft, that has meant him coming off the field in the Jets' experimental 4-3 defense. There were games when Mauldin played just 15 defensive snaps, others when he was on the field less than 10.

The little playing time prevented Mauldin from getting into a rhythm, which hurt his on-field production. 

"When you're only coming in as a third-down pass rusher, you can't get into a groove," Mauldin said. "It's tough to just go in every now and then cold. You aren't going to get production that way." 

These last two weeks, Mauldin has been playing. He was on the field for 84 percent of the Jets' defensive snaps against the Ravens (had five hurries), and 86 percent against the Browns (three tackles, three hurries, a diving interception).The increased reps are the primary reason, he says, for his increased production. He's no longer a situation pass rusher playing maybe one or two snaps a series. He's out there most every play. 

"I'm coming in now and getting pressure," Mauldin said. "I'm in there on first and second down and getting into a rhythm, finding my role. The coaches believe I can stop the run and set the edge, so I've been out there." Even when he wasn't playing, Mauldin kept himself level-headed. Was he frustrated? Probably, but he never let it show. 

Now that he's on the field, and playing well, the smile doesn't leave his face."Loving it," Mauldin said when asked if he's having fun again. "I'm loving it, man."

>      http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/11/lorenzo_mauldin_says_hes_playing_better_because_je.html#incart_river_index

[whodeawhodat]

Let Mauldin play, showcase Richardson and let Mo rest.