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A lot to get into today, so let’s get started . . .
The Jets traded Christian Hackenberg to the Raiders today for a conditional seventh round pick. I have a bunch of notes from the Jets’ OTA open practice today that I want to get into, so I will get into this more tomorrow. But I think it was best for Hackenberg to get him out of here. The well has been poisoned. It’s turned into an untenable situation and I think a wedge issue between the GM and coach.
Let’s dive into some notes from today . . .
Mo Claiborne didn’t practice today. With all his injuries over the years, the Jets, like last year at this time, are handling him with kid gloves, which is smart. So with Claiborne out, the Jet starting corners were Trumaine Johnson and Buster Skrine. Johnson was just as advertised with a pick. Skrine I won’t evaluate because what’s the point, he’s beyond reproach with Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan. It’s true unconditional love . . .
The Jets could use some help at coverage in ILB, and free agent addition Kevin Pierre-Louis could be that guy. In Tuesday’s practice, he picked off Teddy Bridgewater, and then a few plays later, he had a PD on a short pass to RB Thomas Rawls. Pierre-Louis, a Boston College-product from Stamford, CT, ran a 4.51 at the 2015 combine. He covers a lot of ground. Jets need to improve their ILB coverage, and this guy might be able to do that. Another ILB who might be able to help is free agent addition is Neville Hewitt, who had a nice PD on a crossing route to TE Neal Sterling . . .
How did Sam Darnold fair today? My first answer would be, “who cares?” That isn’t a flippant answer, but instead a responsible one. This is a 20-year-old QB with two years of college starting experience who needs a lot of work, and just got to town, so what difference does it make what he did so early in his journey?
But here goes. He had three passes that were way off-target, where he and the receivers weren’t on the same page. He also threw a bad pick to safety Kacy Rodgers. One of his better throws was a back shoulder throw to Robby Anderson on the left sideline. It was one of those “throw him open” plays where the corner had good coverage, but the QB puts it in a spot where the CB doesn’t expect because he’s running down the field with the WR expecting a deep throw. This was a nice play. Darnold also had a nice strike to Jermaine Kearse on a crossing route . . .
Rookie tight end Chris Herndon, coming off MCL surgery in December, seemed to be full go today, and he had a nice grab down the right seam from Teddy Bridgewater. I have no idea what Herndon runs in the 40. It’s not a lack of research, it’s become he never ran it at the combine or at his Pro Day since he was coming off a knee injury, but you could see on this play, he has good wheels . . .
Speaking of tight ends with good wheels, Bucky Hodges didn’t practice today. NFL teams don’t have to report injuries this time of year, but when I saw him in the complex, he had a wrap on his lower leg, like in the calf area. Hodges ran a 4.57 forty at 6-6, 257 pounds in the 2017 draft. He was a sixth round pick of the Vikings last year.
May 22, 2018
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