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Greg Salas, after parents caught in LAX during shooting, plays key role for Jets against Saints


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Greg Salas recalled his first reaction being denial, a mechanism employed to explain away concern. The Jets wide receiver's brother had just phoned from California.

Moments earlier their mother had called hysterically crying from Los Angeles International Airport, where a gunman shot and killed a TSA agent.

Salas' parents, Mark and Teri, were flying from their home in Chino, Calif., last Friday to see their son debut with his new team against the New Orleans Saints. They must be in a different portion of the sprawling airport, Salas hoped.

Sitting at his stall in the Jets locker room, Salas checked Twitter for information. Where had the shooting taken place? Had the gunman, a Pennsville native named Paul Ciancia, been apprehended?

Salas' girlfriend told him the shooting took place in Terminal 3. When she mentioned Virgin America -- the airline his parents were flying -- departs from the terminal, Salas said, "Then it got pretty serious."

Salas left the Jets locker room and repeatedly called his parents until they answered. Amid the chaos of the moment -- in which two others were shot and four were injured -- they assured him they were safe.

"It was a heart attack for 10 minutes," Salas said.

Salas' harrowing 10 minutes were brief compared with those in the airport at the time of the shooting. His parents, jarred from the proximity to the incident, were in LAX Friday from 7 a.m. through 10 p.m. The airport was locked down by law enforcement officials and the flow of planes to and from the world's sixth-busiest airport was snarled.

"I don't even know if they'd gotten their luggage back yet," Salas said Monday.

Despite attempts to get a flight out of Ontario International Airport the next day, Salas' parents were forced to watch the Jets' 26-20 victory on television. Salas spoke with them Saturday.

"I told them to stay home, have a beer and enjoy life right now," he said.

They saw their son, who had been nursing sprains to the medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments in his left knee since signing with the Jets Oct. 15, unexpectedly play a key part.

After Jeremy Kerley injured his elbow in the second quarter, Salas' role expanded. Instead of participating just in four-wide receiver sets as the game plan originally designated, he played on 28 of the Jets' 62 offensive snaps.

The third-year wide receiver led the Jets with 57 receiving yards. Both of his catches came on screen passes. The first netted 13 yards and the second, on a third and 10 early in the third quarter, gained 44 yards. The Jets scored 10 points during the drives he caught passes.

"I'm glad everything was okay and worked out and I'm glad I was able to contribute a little bit," Salas said, recapping the weekend. "It ended up being a great Sunday."

Salas will remain in Florham Park during the Jets' bye week. He will continue rehabbing his knee, an injury that has healed steadily since he came from the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad, he said. Like many of the Jets' new additions on offense, he will continue to digest the playbook in hopes of expanding his role.

The most rewarding part of Sunday, though, was the phone call he shared with his parents after the game.

"My mom was super happy and super proud," he said, "as she always is."

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He's already done more than Gates. Maybe he's a keeper. Maybe we'll get lucky with wr's just once, like Giants did with Cruz

 

Interesting you bring up my boy Gates.  These guys have had very similar careers.  They were both 4th round picks in 2011 Gates went one spot ahead of Salas. Both were dumped in the turnover of a coaching change in their second camp.  Both ended up with their prior coaches at their next stop - Gates followed Sparano here, NE with McDaniels traded for Salas. Both have had nagging injuries and their production has been similar- around 30 catches, 300 yard range, 0 TDs.  Gates has done much more as a return man.

 

Gates was drafted 1 spot higher and has never been a FA or on the practice squad.  The Pats traded for Salas, but then dumped him bouncing him from PS to active roster and eventually the Eagles scooped him (they cut another guy we've had in Mardy Gilliard a 2010 4th round pick of the Rams), then the Eagles stashed him on the PS with his injuries. He only lasted a few months there and ended up here. Sparano drafted Gates and brought him here.  The Sparano offensive philosophy (such as can be discerned) was to run and throw deep, so he seemed to place an Al Davis like premium on burners (Stephen Hill).  Gates seems like a kick return burner type, while Salas seems more punt return/slot/WR screen guy which is what I think Mornhinweg wants (DeSean Jackson and he seemed to be courting Joe Cribbs since the day he arrived) and Mornhinweg was in Philly when they first signed Salas off waivers.

 

If there is a moral to this story it is that mid-round WRs bounce around and it seems some of these coaches like particular guys. We should also note that these two guys in particular are a (small step) above the usual camp fodder guys that sit on practice squads and spend time out of the league.  They have both always had a job and somebody has been willing to take a chance on them.  They should be a cut above UDFAs that are cut in camp and bounce from practice squad to practice squad like say, Michael Campbell. 

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The thing about Gates is that he caught five passes in his last game, and then he gets hurt.

 

We wait two years for this guy to come around, he shows nothing in the passing game-then the very game when it looks like he's starting to break through, his season ends.

 

Sheesh.

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you should have said:

 

 

The thing about Gates is that he dropped five passes in his last game, and then he gets hurt

 

 

Zzzz.  Gates drops are way overblown.  Especially on a board in love with Braylon Edwards.  I don't think he dropped a single ball in the last game unless you count the play where he ****ed up his shoulder.  I don't.  The only rough game he had was the Pats game and that has been blown way out of proportion.  The conditions were horrible and nobody was pulling the ball in for either team.  The ball he trapped that was called back was NOT a drop.  The guy isn't a potential stud.  He is a potential useful piece, people keep forgetting that when they get all fired up.

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Zzzz.  Gates drops are way overblown.  Especially on a board in love with Braylon Edwards.  I don't think he dropped a single ball in the last game unless you count the play where he ****ed up his shoulder.  I don't.  The only rough game he had was the Pats game and that has been blown way out of proportion.  The conditions were horrible and nobody was pulling the ball in for either team.  The ball he trapped that was called back was NOT a drop.  The guy isn't a potential stud.  He is a potential useful piece, people keep forgetting that when they get all fired up.

 

addition by subtraction my man.  we are much better without him.  How can you say his drop in the endzone is overblown, because noone else had a great day receiving it gives him an excuse?  case can be made that he cost us the game.  addition by subtraction....

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addition by subtraction my man.  we are much better without him.  How can you say his drop in the endzone is overblown, because noone else had a great day receiving it gives him an excuse?  case can be made that he cost us the game.  addition by subtraction....

 

I say it is overblown because it wasn't a drop.

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Gates has 3 drops this season.  Considering his targets that is pretty poor, but it is still a better percentage than several guys this board has been on the draft, trade for or sign this beast bandwagon for - Tavon Austin, Fred Davis, Nick Toon,  It is not addition by subtraction because he is better than what we have trotted out there and if anything our passing game has been worse without him.  IMO, if the team cuts ties with him it will be because he is made of glass, not because he drops the ball. . 

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Geno-12-300x168.gif

Smith sees Gates running free and while the ball is thrown slightly low and behind, Smith needed to force Gates to sit down to prevent the defensive back from making a play on the ball. Smith’s extension of the play and accurate throw to Gates should have led to a touchdown and that was the ruling on the field, but it was overturned by replay as Gates couldn’t hang on.

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Geno-12-300x168.gif

Smith sees Gates running free and while the ball is thrown slightly low and behind, Smith needed to force Gates to sit down to prevent the defensive back from making a play on the ball. Smith’s extension of the play and accurate throw to Gates should have led to a touchdown and that was the ruling on the field, but it was overturned by replay as Gates couldn’t hang on.

 

 

Despite that, there was no conclusive evidence to overturn the play as you could not see when the ball came out.  We've seen a lot of brutal calls that stood because of that very same reason.  Yet, apparently in Foxboro this is irrelevant.  Makes you wonder.........

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Despite that, there was no conclusive evidence to overturn the play as you could not see when the ball came out.  We've seen a lot of brutal calls that stood because of that very same reason.  Yet, apparently in Foxboro this is irrelevant.  Makes you wonder.........

 

Thats because Jets fans arent a bunch of whiney beyatches like pats fans.  Always a conspiracy with those spoiled brats.  Goodell hates the pats, blah blah blah.  Jets took the loss knowing that we could have won that game with making a few more plays.  With the pats fans,  ohhhhhhhh a bagged win was handed to the jets, its what the NFL wants.  Makes beating them even sweeter!!!! 

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oh and you lose the bet!  J.White getting cut at least opened up a roster spot for someone that wasnt a false target for our boy Geno.  Dont bother arguing, I have ruled on this matter!

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oh and you lose the bet!  J.White getting cut at least opened up a roster spot for someone that wasnt a false target for our boy Geno.  Dont bother arguing, I have ruled on this matter!

 

 

What bet?  I thought you had Spadola?  He has 0 catches in 4 games.  Now maybe if he starts the rest of the season ... 16x0=?  You can add those to Jordan White if you like!

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What bet?  I thought you had Spadola?  He has 0 catches in 4 games.  Now maybe if he starts the rest of the season ... 16x0=?  You can add those to Jordan White if you like!

 

I had White who was cut and it opened a roster spot. You had Gates who imo, and many others opinion had negative value. 

 

0 > -1

 

^^^^is not an emoticon, it is a mathematical equation to prove you lost our bet :winking0001:

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He's already done more than Gates. Maybe he's a keeper. Maybe we'll get lucky with wr's just once, like Giants did with Cruz

Had nice YAC on short pass for 30 plus yard gain. That was about it, but it was his first taste of action so he might be a keeper. As for Steven Hill however, that ship has probably sailed. With Holmes coming back and both Nelson and Salas understanding the offense better than Hill, he might see his playing time slip a bit. Fast is great but good is better.

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I had White who was cut and it opened a roster spot. You had Gates who imo, and many others opinion had negative value. 

 

0 > -1

 

^^^^is not an emoticon, it is a mathematical equation to prove you lost our bet :winking0001:

 

I thought we bet on receptions.  I refuse to worship at the altar of public perception, especially in this den of iniquity!  I will never make a bet where T0mShane has a vote in the outcome!

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Had nice YAC on short pass for 30 plus yard gain. That was about it, but it was his first taste of action so he might be a keeper. As for Steven Hill however, that ship has probably sailed. With Holmes coming back and both Nelson and Salas understanding the offense better than Hill, he might see his playing time slip a bit. Fast is great but good is better.

 

 

LOL.  Salas and Nelson are up and comers but Stephen Hill is a bust!  Never mind that Hill is younger and producing better.  Those things do not matter!

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Gates looked nothing like an NFL player. This guy Salas caught that screen pass and could actually change directions. Gates was a clutz.

 

The receiver group as a whole is abysmal though. Geno doing what he's doing is nothing short of remarkable. 

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Gates looked nothing like an NFL player. This guy Salas caught that screen pass and could actually change directions. Gates was a clutz.

 

The receiver group as a whole is abysmal though. Geno doing what he's doing is nothing short of remarkable. 

 

oh yeah, I remember that screen pass he caught on 3 and 4.  Tripped over his own miserable feet and got 1 yard.  addition by subtraction....

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