Jets' Darron Lee: 'Sucks' to play back-to-back special teams, but good cardio

[Gas2No99]

Jets' Darron Lee: 'Sucks' to play back-to-back special teams, but good cardio

Jets rookie outside linebacker Darron Lee on his NFL debut: "It was a lot of fun." AP Photo/Bill Kostroun

 

• 
  enRichly inCimini-atedESPN Staff Writer
•  

 

About 30 minutes after his first professional game, first-round pick Darron Lee offered a blunt assessment of the NFL experience.

"Going back-to-back on special teams sucks," the New York Jets rookie said Thursday night. "If you want some good cardio, I suggest everybody try that."

No thanks, Darron, we'll stick to the boring treadmill.

Lee played a lot of football in the Jets' 17-13 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars (38 snaps on defense, 13 on special teams), and he was drained afterward. Presumably, he didn't play special teams at Ohio State, so the extra work probably was new to him.

"It was a lot of fun," he said of his debut. "I'm pretty tired from special teams, I'm not going to lie. But, according to everybody else, that's what a rookie has to do. I have to keep running down on special teams but still go out and make plays, regardless if you're winded."

He's learning quickly.

Lee didn't start on defense, but he replaced Erin Henderson in the first quarter and was credited with four tackles, one sack and one tackle for loss. The sack was a cheapie (he fell on Chad Henne as he stumbled forward) and he was unblocked on the tackle behind the line, but Lee did enough to catch his coach's eye.

"I saw him make some tackles, but I need to see exactly how, whether he scraped correctly and all those things," Todd Bowles said. "But he flashed quite a bit."

It will be interesting to see how the Jets use Lee in the regular season. At 6-foot-1, 232 pounds, he's undersized to be an in-the-box thumper, but he could be deployed in a hybrid role. He can rush the passer, drop into coverage and walk out to cover a receiver in a man-to-man situation. My prediction: His success as a rookie will be tied to the coaches' creativity.

One thing he'd better get used to: special teams.

 

 

 

[Larz]

love how bowles handles rooks

[Gas2No99]

Darron Lee = $ LBer 

[Integrity28]

22 minutes ago, Gas2No99 said:

"I saw him make some tackles, but I need to see exactly how, whether he scraped correctly and all those things," Todd Bowles said. "But he flashed quite a bit."

Wow. So different than the way Rex would talk about a player who filled the stat sheet in preseason.

[Obrien2Toon]

I said last night, wow he looks gassed.

never seen him gassed in his whole college career.

guess this explains it 

[Jetsfan80]

4 minutes ago, Obrien2Toon said:

I said last night, wow he looks gassed.

never seen him gassed in his whole college career.

guess this explains it 

Welcome to the league rook!  He'll be fine, just needs to get into NFL shape as opposed to college shape. 

[peebag]

Tiny linebacker is tired.  Someone hold him close.

[joewilly12]

Our #1 draft pick playing special teams 

[32EBoozer]

1 hour ago, joewilly12 said:

Our #1 draft pick playing special teams 

Yeah..... usually reserved for players taken in later rds. and UDFA

If he gets a knee taken out by a cheap back block, I'll be pissed

[JetsFanatic]

1 hour ago, joewilly12 said:

Our #1 draft pick playing special teams 

LT played special teams with the Giants as a rookie.

[JetsFanatic]

I was at the game last night and I must say Lee was quite impressive with his quickness. There were a few plays where he shot the gap and stops for losses or no gains.

[JoJoTownsell1]

1 hour ago, joewilly12 said:

Our #1 draft pick playing special teams 

If he doesn't want to play special teams then he needs to dominate in his time on defense so that he can take over as a starter. Tough to have  a super fast,  athletic kid playing back up lber and not play special teams.  

[joewilly12]

We picked a player with our #1 pick to play special teams............sheesh 

[Shadetree]

2 hours ago, peebag said:

Tiny linebacker is tired.  Someone hold him close.

Lol at that one

[Shadetree]

13 minutes ago, joewilly12 said:

We picked a player with our #1 pick to play special teams............sheesh 

Yeah..I was surprised to see that he played ST, too. I know rooks play ST, but first rounders? I suspect he won't be there long when he starts making 12+ tackles a game.

[SickJetFan]

STFU rook or I will tape ur balls to the kickers foot

[Joe W. Namath]

2 hours ago, joewilly12 said:

Our #1 draft pick playing special teams 

Antonio brown plays special teams.

[Bocajetfan]

3 hours ago, joewilly12 said:

We picked a player with our #1 pick to play special teams............sheesh 

No I believe the Jets drafted a LB who can also play Special teams 

[Xtina]

Good looking guy, if tiny 

[The Crusher]

6 hours ago, peebag said:

Tiny linebacker is tired.  Someone hold him close.

^^ perfect example of owning it.

[The Crusher]

4 hours ago, joewilly12 said:

We picked a player with our #1 pick to play special teams............sheesh 

Beats taking a pee during special teams to prevent yourself from kicking the the tv when they come on. Like last year 

[Gas2No99]

5 hours ago, joewilly12 said:

Our #1 draft pick playing special teams 

 

4 hours ago, joewilly12 said:

We picked a player with our #1 pick to play special teams............sheesh 

 

Says hello . . . . 

[Jetster]

6 hours ago, Gas2No99 said:

 

 

Says hello . . . . 

Yea right...our 2nd rounds say hello,lol. Stephen Hill, Vlad Ducasse, Alex Van Dyke, your boy Nugent..I think I'm gonna be sick.