McKnight Gets His Feet Under Him

[Kentucky Jet]

McKnight Gets His Feet Under Him

Posted by Randy Lange on August 2, 2010 – 1:08 pm

Everything’s a full go again with Joe McKnight.

The Jets’ fourth-round rookie from Southern Cal was a full go at this morning’s first practice of Jets training camp at SUNY Cortland, running the ball, catching it, returning kickoffs. He’s ready to put his minicamp and conditioning test issues behind him and correct those first impressions he gave to fans.

“Yeah, I was frustrated,” McKnight said after the morning practice. “I fell behind at the rookie minicamp and I really wanted to come out and prove myself. Everything went through my head about what people thought, their perceptions of me. Once I’m on the field it’s up to me to prove myself and I don’t worry about it. But when I get off the field it’s tough.”

McKnight’s failed conditioning run came Thursday at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, which landed him temporarily on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list. It seemed more a case of him overtraining for the test rather than undertraining. The next day he could be seen working with Sal Alosi and his trainers, stretching his lower body.

“It was just a bad day,” he said. “I just drained my legs out. I wasn’t tired but my legs were just heavy.”

Then McKnight passed the run Sunday morning and jumped on the bus for Cortland.

The shame of it is that McKnight worked extremely hard in the weeks after the May rookie camp and June full-squad camp and in fact ran the conditioning test in mid-July and “I just killed it.”

Head coach Rex Ryan concurred that his rookie RB passed that pretest.

“Two weeks earlier, in 103 degrees, he actually ran the test and just blew it out of the water,” Ryan said at his midday news conference. “He’s a young man, he gets a little hyped up sometimes. He did that first minicamp — run the ball, throw up, run the ball, throw up. But this is an impressive kid now. He did some great things today. He hits the hole, he does some nice things, he catches the ball. He had a drop, too. But he’s a talent. He’s a 210-pound back not just a 180-pound guy.”

Even after sweating away some pounds this morning, McKnight might still be tipping the scales at 210. His beard is not nearly as full as Braylon Edwards’ impressive growth, but it’s getting there.

“I’ve had it like this before,” he said. “I just left it like this until I prove myself and then I’ll cut it off.”

As of now McKnight is off and running — and in fact split out wide a few times at this afternoon’s session. He’s intent on proving himself as a key contributor on the Green & White offense and special teams.

Morning Practice Pops

Shonn Greene was grounding and pounding in the morning session. Even though some worry about the toll the second-year RB’s style will take on his body, Ryan said the coaches won’t tinker too much with it.

“He runs hard, he takes that extra hit sometimes,” the coach said. “I talked to [RBs coach] Anthony Lynn about if we can put big pads on him, can he look like Lee Roy Selmon out there all padded up. But his running style has to be that. That’s what makes Shonn an unbelievable back.”

There was some loud pad-popping in 11-on-11 drills. Ryan cited rookie FB John Conner for three big hits: “He was just blasting guys. He took the wind out of three linebackers. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that.” Another crusher was S James Ihedigbo’s pop of McKnight up the middle.

With Kellen Clemens rehabbing a calf issue on PUP, Mark Brunell moved into the backup QB role behind Mark Sanchez and looked like the wily “Old Man” that he is. He hit a number of quick, short throws, including one to David Clowney just ahead of a pick attempt by Antonio Cromartie. But Brunell had Laveranues Coles wide open down the left sideline, threw the ball a little behind, and Coles couldn’t come up with the long gainer.

However, there’s always this afternoon’s practice, which, keep in mind, is open to the public.

P.M. Practice Notes

In the afternoon practice, as almost 1,500 Jets fans filled the stands along the grass fields at SUNY Cortland, reporter Nick Gallo noted a few interesting items:

■ In the special teams drills, punters Steve Weatherford and T.J. Conley went head to head, with Weatherford especially impressing as he booted some punts 60 yards. Kyle Wilson, Jim Leonhard and Aundrae Allison were all back returning punts.

■ Quarterback Mark Sanchez made some very sharp passes, including a deep out to Brad Smith and an in to Dustin Keller. He will continue to develop during training camp, as he just barely missed an open Braylon Edwards on a long post pattern.

■ With the Jets in soft shells, the best action was seen in the 1-on-1 line drills. DE Vernon Gholston went head to head with veteran offensive tackle Wayne Hunter, and rookie Vladimir Ducasse got a lot of solid reps against a variety of D-linemen.

■ The Jets acquired undrafted free agent rookie WR Vic Hall. The 5’9”, 185-pound Virginia product was previously with the Chicago Bears this offseason before being released in late July. Hall saw action at cornerback, quarterback and punt and kickoff returner during his time as a Cavalier under former Jets head coach Al Groh.

[Larz]

■ The Jets acquired undrafted free agent rookie WR Vic Hall. The 5’9”, 185-pound Virginia product was previously with the Chicago Bears this offseason before being released in late July. Hall saw action at cornerback, quarterback and punt and kickoff returner during his time as a Cavalier under former Jets head coach Al Groh

saw this on the nfl network ticker, figured he played specials

[#27TheDominator]

■ The Jets acquired undrafted free agent rookie WR Vic Hall. The 5’9”, 185-pound Virginia product was previously with the Chicago Bears this offseason before being released in late July. Hall saw action at cornerback, quarterback and punt and kickoff returner during his time as a Cavalier under former Jets head coach Al Groh

saw this on the nfl network ticker, figured he played specials

I thought it was just a vote of no confidence for Coles.

[Larz]

I thought it was just a vote of no confidence for Coles.

sarcasm ?

[Jetsfan80]

I thought it was just a vote of no confidence for Coles.

Nah, its a vote of no confidence in Clowney as a coverage team gunner.

[Bruce Banner]

There was some loud pad-popping in 11-on-11 drills. Ryan cited rookie FB John Conner for three big hits: “He was just blasting guys. He took the wind out of three linebackers. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that.”

Knocking the wind out of guys in non contact drills?

[Mandarinia]

Knocking the wind out of guys in non contact drills?

Kid is just trying to stand out from the crowd.

[GodWearsAGrayHoodie]

Nah, its a vote of no confidence in Clowney as a coverage team gunner.

As the guy is unlikely the make the final 53 probably neither.

But the Jets probably want to make sure that they are at 80 to send message to Revis, "we aren't sitting at 79 looking at an empty chair at the table. We want ya back, but if not we are moving on without ya."