flgreen Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 Second-round pick Vladimir Ducasse excited to work with Jets' first-team offensive line By Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger May 24, 2010, 9:00AM Steven Senne/Associated PressHead coach Rex Ryan said he has a "funny feeling" Vladimir Ducasse will be a "terrific player" for the Jets.Vladimir Ducasse was drafted into the NFL a month ago. And last Thursday, he found himself practicing with the first team of an offensive line that paved the way for the league's best rushing game last season. "It is exciting to be able to go with the ones," the Jets' second-round pick said after the third day of OTAs last week. "Pretty much we're trying to get me exposed to as much as possible." That exposure includes a new position -- left guard -- after three years as a starting left tackle at UMass. The 6-5, 330-pound Ducasse is embracing the change, saying "I'm a guard" and explaining that he thinks he's physically a better fit for that position. He's also been adjusting to the speed of the game, coming from Division 1-AA, but admitted he still needs time until he's comfortable doing things like changing a call at the line of scrimmage. But while Ducasse is still raw, the Jets have confidence in him. They cut nine-time Pro Bowl left guard Alan Faneca during the draft and said Ducasse and second-year pro Matt Slauson would compete for the starting left guard job. It was Ducasse, though, who took all the reps there last Thursday. "It's great to watch him," head coach Rex Ryan said. "He came to an ideal situation. He Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitonti Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 that didn't take long. so much for slauson eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Integrity28 Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 Sticking this kid between Brick and Mangold does nothing but further increase the likelihood that he will successfully make the transition to the pros... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 that didn't take long. so much for slauson eh? There just wouldn't have been a need to target Ducasse in the 1st round if Slauson was any good, so this shouldn't be all that surprising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montreal Jet Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 There just wouldn't have been a need to target Ducasse in the 1st round if Slauson was any good, so this shouldn't be all that surprising. If Callahan thought Ducasse needed a season on the bench, their no way Faneca would have been cut! Jets Coaching must have been very confident that Ducasse would be able to step into the starting line up as a rookie. If they are right, Ducasse is a great 2nd round pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 If Callahan thought Ducasse needed a season on the bench, their no way Faneca would have been cut! Jets Coaching must have been very confident that Ducasse would be able to step into the starting line up as a rookie. If they are right, Ducasse is a great 2nd round pick. That, and there's no way Faneca would have accepted being relegated to the bench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted May 24, 2010 Author Share Posted May 24, 2010 That, and there's no way Faneca would have accepted being relegated to the bench. Tannenbaum indicated in his presser right after Faneca was released that team harmony was the reason. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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