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Todd Bowles OTA Recap 05/29/18


Maxman

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On Trumaine Johnson's absence...

It is voluntary, so there is not an excuse, but I knew about it. 

 

On if Johnson was hurt...

No. 

 

On how Sam Darnold has looked throughout OTAs...

He has been progressing. Obviously installing the offense and putting in everything on defense, he is seeing things for the first time on both sides of the ball. As the days go by, he is getting more comfortable so we just have to keep working at it and getting better. 

 

On Darnold taking reps with the starters...

We have thrown rookies in in the past with the starters. The defensive guys have done that as well. As the reps get up there, you put teams in with Josh (McCown) and Teddy takes turns with the first team, second team and third team. Sam took some today. It is nothing to read into.

 

On Darnold getting more reps than the other quarterbacks...

The reps even up by the end of the week. Everyone is getting the same amount.

 

On if he has seen a change in Jamal Adams...

Yes, mentally. Physically, he has always been in great shape. It is still too early to tell. Right now, he has been running around like he was last year. But his game from a mental standpoint, his eyes are better, he focuses on the little things. So from that standpoint, I see him getting better.

 

On the next step for Adams...

To focus on the little things and understand what is happening to him as far as not letting his eyes roam a little more. If his eyes stay focused, he will be fine. 

 

On Jordan Jenkins' lack of participation in practice whether that is related to an injury...

No, he is running around. He is just nicked up so we held him out a little bit. 

 

On the next step for Robby Anderson...

I think from a mental standpoint as far as pre-snap reads and understanding the game better, which he is doing, and not just using his speed. He is more of a complete receiver than just a speed guy, but taking the next step as far as understanding what is happening to him and how guys are attacking him. And he has been working on that all off-season. 

 

On what he has seen so far from Lorenzo Mauldin

He is running around in shorts and a t-shirt. There is not much more you can ask for right now, but he is understanding the defense better and the biggest thing is he is healthy. So, we just hope he keeps progressing forward and we will see when the pads come on. 

 

On his expectations for Mauldin...

I obviously want everybody to play well, but first of all his health. Obviously, he is healthy and getting back into football form. We want to see him make plays. 

 

On how Bridgewater has looked over the four OTAs...

He has shown no signs of weakness with the knee. He is moving around and taking every rep and every snap like everybody else. So, he is progressing and getting better. 

 

On how encouraging it is to see Mauldin doing well...

It is good. He is a tough guy. Right now, he is very well. He has taken every snap, he feels good, he looks good and he is moving around good. 

 

On the thought process behind the trade for Henry Anderson...

We needed another guy at the time. We wanted a veteran guy on the inside to help out at least on the four-down packages and not just rely on a rookie going in that way. We figured he was better than most of the guys we would have taken at that pick, so we went ahead and made the trade. 

 

On if this is the most excited he has been about the quarterback situation since he has been with the Jets...

I think from a chemistry standpoint with the three around each other, it is the most together from an experience standpoint and a young talent standpoint that we have been in the room. We think we have three good quarterbacks that we can play with and just look and see how much better they can get going forward.

 

On Darnold being able to learn from the other quarterbacks...

I think it helps a great deal. He is getting preseason reps right now once he gets the offense down. Right now, I think it is big for him to take the tips that they are giving him and see the things that they are doing going forward so that when it gets to training camp, he doesn't have to think as much and he can go full speed ahead.

 

On if letting someone have first-team reps helps give him a sense of what they can do...

Not at this time. We are learning, everyone is learning, so at this time it does not.

 

On why chemistry is important in the quarterback room...

They all see different things. And if they all can give each other advice on the field about what they saw on certain plays and they all understand the plays that are going on, if they can feed off of each other and take each other’s advice, I think it can’t help but catapult the chemistry to a better level and help those guys play better. 

 

On the new national anthem rule...

I don't really have a thought on it. We did what we did last year. We haven't had a problem, and again, for me, it is about the issues. I said what I said last year and I am standing by that.

 

On what he liked about Isaiah Crowell...

We liked his toughness. We liked the way he can slash through and cut. He is a tough runner. We think he is a pound-it back as well as having some versatile, lateral movement that can play out on the edge a little bit, and we thought he would be a great younger-leg type of (Matt) Forte utility guy coming in. Maybe not the receiver that Forte is to a certain degree, but from a running-the-ball standpoint. We thought he helped in the backfield from a toughness standpoint. 

 

On Crowell in OTAs so far...

Right now, he has been great. He is doing everything we have asked of him right now. He is running the ball, he is picking up his blocks and picking up the system well. It will be exciting to see him in pads.

 

On how Quincy Enunwa has looked coming off of his injury...

Right now, we are cautious. He doesn't have a helmet right now, but he is running around, he is catching the ball and he is running his routes fine. I think the tell-tale (sign) will be when we put the pads on and go from there.  

 

On how he sees Enunwa fitting in the offense... 

He is versatile. When he gets to camp, obviously his health is more important, and once that gets to be fine, I think we can fit him in very well. We're excited to have him back once he gets back, and he is excited to be back so we will see when the pads come on. 

 

On Jordan Leggett coming back from his knee injury...

He's been good. I mess with him all the time. He gets us a bunch of touchdowns in shorts and t-shirts, which is great, but when the pads come on, he just has to stay healthy. It's good to see him running around healthy. It will be great for him to get into training camp as well. 

 

On if something is lingering from last year on Jenkins...

He is just nicked up and we have guys we hold out certain days. It's spring, so he doesn't have to play right now. 

 

On if he expects Marcus Maye to be reading for training camp... 

He should be.

 

On if Maye will participate at all in the spring...

Probably not in the spring. 

 

On how close Devin Smith is to participating...

I won't know until training camp.

 

On if Smith is being held out for the spring...

Yes.

 

On how much Smith is an unknown because of his injuries...

That makes him a big unknown. He's injured, and there's not much he can show when he's injured. Obviously, he has had some serious injuries. (It’s) not his fault. Sometimes things like that happen. Until he gets out on the field, it is going to be an unknown. First and foremost, he has to get healthy and then we'll judge him if he can get on the field. 

 

On if Smith is facing an uphill battle with a crowded receiving corps...

It is crowded. It is the old saying: "You can't make the club in the tub," but sometimes serious injuries happen and you can’t get around them. He is doing everything he can to get back. So, we will see.

 

On who has been the biggest surprise in these last couple of weeks...

There are not really any surprises. Everybody is learning the playbook and everybody is learning how to mesh together. You can make a case for making plays out of pads and not making plays out of pads, until we start going full speed. Guys are working hard. They’re getting to know their teammates. The chemistry is coming together and I would wait until training camp before I see people becoming All-American in shorts and t-shirts. 

 

On what it means to have Owner Christopher Johnson express his support...

It's always nice to have the owner have your back. Like I said, it’s about the issues for us. We didn't have a problem a year ago. We will continue to talk as a group, as a team and as an organization and go forward from there. We try to focus on the issues and do things behind-the-scenes that make a difference as opposed to sitting out here and going tit for tat with a lot of things going on. 

 

On if there is anyone who has come back from last year looking different in a good way...

McCown always comes back in pretty good shape. He takes care of his body to a great degree. I think (Brian) Winters looks a lot better than he did last year dealing with a lot of things, and everybody else is status quo.

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9 hours ago, Maxman said:

On how encouraging it is to see Mauldin doing well...

It is good. He is a tough guy. Right now, he is very well. He has taken every snap, he feels good, he looks good and he is moving around good. 

This guy was the feel-good story in '15 that Shepherd has been this year. It'd be nice to see him get back on track in a real way. The Jets don't have a lot at OLB after Jenkins. 

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If you are a vet or a high priced vet you do not have to show up to otas, that is bowles mantra.  We are paying Johnson a ton he better have a good reason to not be here.  He let mo wilk and moreso shel rich not show up many times.

This is not the guy to lead us forward. 

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3 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

If you are a vet or a high priced vet you do not have to show up to otas, that is bowles mantra.  We are paying Johnson a ton he better have a good reason to not be here.  He let mo wilk and moreso shel rich not show up many times.

This is not the guy to lead us forward. 

Overreact much? 

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11 hours ago, Beerfish said:

If you are a vet or a high priced vet you do not have to show up to otas, that is bowles mantra.  We are paying Johnson a ton he better have a good reason to not be here.  He let mo wilk and moreso shel rich not show up many times.

This is not the guy to lead us forward. 

No one HAS to show up for OTA's. Teams CAN incent players by putting bonuses in based on being at OTA's, but that is not on Bowles.

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NY Jets takeaways from Week 2 of OTAs: Why Todd Bowles is excited about his quarterbacks

Published 8:56 a.m. ET May 30, 2018 | Updated 5:34 p.m. ET May 30, 2018

FLORHAM PARK — These must be strange times for Jets fans. 

A few months ago, they were lamenting the sad state of their quarterback situation because it was, well, sad.

As the calendar flipped to March, Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg were the only Jets quarterbacks under contract. And when they were rejected by Kirk Cousins in free agency, it seemed almost certain the Jets were destined for yet another year of quarterback ineptitude. 

But general manager Mike Maccagnan moved quickly, re-signing veteran Josh McCown, taking a chance on Teddy Bridgewater's surgically repaired knee, and trading up to get the No. 3 pick in the draft, which became Sam Darnold. 

Darnold, Bridgewater and McCown have all looked good this spring. Hackenberg and Petty are gone. And for the first time in a long time, a Jets coach can say nice things about all his quarterbacks and actually mean it. 

And that's just what Todd Bowles did Tuesday.

"It is the most together from an experience standpoint and a young talent standpoint that we have been in the [quarterback] room," Bowles said after the team's fourth OTA practice. "We think we have three good quarterbacks that we can play with."

Having three good quarterbacks will get complicated once training camp starts, but that is a long ways away and those are the kind of complications you want. For now, Jets fans should revel in the fact that they have three competent quarterbacks pushing and learning from each other. It's not a situation the Jets have found themselves in often.

Why chemistry matters

It sounds like coach speak when Bowles raves about the quarterback chemistry, until you watch practice and see the dynamic.

During individual drills on Tuesday, Darnold shook his head after throwing a poor pass over the middle of the field. The rotation was about to come to an end before the 20-year-old rookie fixed his mistake. But McCown, 38, immediately gave up his spot and told Darnold to take the rep again. Before Darnold made his next throw, McCown also gave him a tip on his footwork so he wouldn't make the same mistake twice. 

These seem like little things, but Darnold is learning from McCown and Bridgewater every day.  And over the long haul, it'll make a difference. 

"I think it helps a great deal," Bowles said of Darnold learning from the older quarterbacks in the room. "It is big for him to take the tips that they are giving him and see the things that they are doing going forward so that when it gets to training camp, he doesn't have to think as much and he can go full speed ahead."

Bridgewater turning heads

No one was sure what to expect out of Bridgewater, as he continues working back from the devastating knee injury he suffered just before the start of the 2016 season. But through the first four OTA practices, two of which were open to the media, Bridgewater has passed the eye test. He's running and moving without any hesitation or hint of what he's been through.

"He has shown no signs of weakness with the knee," Bowles said. "He is moving around and taking every rep and every snap like everybody else. So, he is progressing and getting better."

The true test will be how Bridgewater responds when he takes a real hit, probably during the first preseason game. But if Bridgewater can stay healthy, he'll have a real chance of winning the starting job or potentially being a trade piece. 

Eating clean

In the non-quarterback department, second-year safety Jamal Adams says improving his diet has been a major focus this offseason. The 22-year-old says he stopped eating fried food and hired a personal chef.

Adams is already seeing results. He said he weighed in at 208 pounds Tuesday, about five pounds less than what he played at as a rookie. 

"I haven't been 208 in a long time," Adams said. "So I'm feeling really good, man. .. [The diet] definitely helps. Just sleeping better at night, recovery, having a lot more energy and just feeling better about your body."

He says the change was inspired by LeBron James and Tom Brady, although he acknowledged with a laugh that Brady's diet is "on a whole 'nother level, something that I can't do."

"I just wanted to help myself," said Adams, who was picked No. 6 overall in 2017. "Anything I can do to help myself get better on the field, to help this team out, that’s definitely what I wanted to do.’’

One thing that hasn't changed? Adams' intensity. He was vocal throughout practice and letting his offensive teammates hear it when they failed to catch a pass on him. 

Anderson impresses

Wide receiver Robby Anderson looks poised to build on his breakthrough 2017 season. He made several good catches Tuesday, including a leaping grab on a well-placed throw from Darnold. Anderson was known as a vertical threat his first two years in the league, but Bowles said he's becoming smarter, better balanced receiver. 

"[He's improved] from a mental standpoint as far as pre-snap reads and understanding the game better, which he is doing, and not just using his speed," Bowles said. "He is more of a complete receiver than just a speed guy, but taking the next step as far as understanding what is happening to him and how guys are attacking him. And he has been working on that all offseason." 

Catching on?

*The Jets are in no hurry to rush back wide receiver Quincy Enunwa, who is recovering from neck surgery. Enunwa is participating in individual drills without a helmet, and he's looks good running routes against air, but it seems likely we won't see him in team drills until training camp. 

"Right now, we are cautious," Bowles said. "I think the tell-tale [sign] will be when we put the pads on and go from there."

Wide receiver Devin Smith is a long-shot to make the roster. The 2015 second round pick has only one catch in the last two seasons after tearing his ACL for the second time last April. Bowles said he won't practice until at least training camp, where he'll have to stand out in a crowded receivers room. 

"There's an old saying: 'You can't make the club in the tub,'" Bowles said. "But sometimes serious injuries happen and you can’t get around them. He is doing everything he can to get back. So, we will see."

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On 5/30/2018 at 8:23 PM, rangerous said:

they need someone who can pressure the qb game in and game out.  mauldin showed some flashes and then got the injury bug.  here's to hoping.  his success somewhat vindicates mac's drafts.

Mauldin is horrible.  And Jordan Jenkins really gets a free pass he can’t sniffthe qb

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