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Emptying out the notebook . . .
. . . from the last open practice of the summer, which took place on Tuesday.
The Jets should be in good hands at tight end with veteran Ryan Griffin holding down the fort during Chris Herndon’s four-game suspension.
In Tuesday’s practice, he had a pair of plays which showed his all-round tight end skill set.
On a running play, he showed perfect blocking technique setting the edge by locking up Henry Anderson. Griffin also caught a deep pass down the left sideline from Sam Darnold, getting behind linebacker Neville Hewitt.
Griffin, who had 36 career starts in Houston, is more than capable of filling in for Herndon and going a solid job . . .
The Jets traded a sixth-round pick to Indianapolis for former Temple cornerback Nate Hairston. He was a 2017 fifth-round pick of the Colts, who started 11 games in Indy, but was benched in the middle of last year.
Hey, he’s worth taking a flyer on, but with a cornerback shortage in the NFL, you have to wonder about a CB another team is willing to trade.
And it’s possible his best cornerback play could still be in front of him. He was a wide receiver his first three years in college, switching to corner as a senior. So he’s still getting comfortable at CB . . .
As the Jets continue their search for cornerbacks, two guys who they seem to like in the crowded field are Tevaughn Campbell and Kyron Brown, who both had interceptions in Tuesday’s practice.
Campbell can play outside and in the slot.
Neither player is a burner, but I’m starting to take a different view about cornerback speed. I had an epiphany this summer while watching training camp. I used to be focused like a laser on the speed of corners. I’m starting to back off a little. Of course speed is important at corner, but since it’s so hard to find good corners these days, I’m starting to think that it’s okay to have guys who run 4.6 as long as they have instincts and good coverage eyes.
I’d rather have a 4.6 guy who is instinctive, than a 4.4 guy who isn’t, because if you don’t know what your doing out there, that 4.4 can look like 4.8.
I think Campbell and Brown are two smart corners who will do what they are assigned to do. The Jets have had too many assignment-errors at cornerback in recent years . . .
I really think defensive end Bronson Kaufusi is really going to help the Jets this year. He never really emerged in Baltimore after arriving there as a 2016 third-round pick, but it looks like the light bulb has come on with the Jets.
In Tuesday’s practice, he beat left tackle Kelvin Beachum with an inside move to pressure Sam Darnold.
Kaufusi has a great motor, is long (6-6, 270), and plays with good technique after growing up with a father who was a long-time college defensive line coach . . .
Every summer there are receivers who flash in camp, but get caught up in personnel politics, and this summer those guys could end up being Tim White and Deonte Thompson. Both have had good camps, but it’s hard seeing where there’s a spot for either of them.
White could end up on the practice squad and Thompson on the short list to be brought back if somebody gets hurt.
I mentioned the other day how Gil Brandt said there is a shortage of cornerbacks. One position there is no shortage is wide receivers. You could see that in the Alliance of American Football, the CFL, the Arena League. Plenty of very good receiver talent on the planet.
. . .
August 28, 2019
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