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A heaping helping of Jets OTA Whispers . . .
Sam Darnold was definitely better today than on Tuesday, but still needs to work on going through his reads more smoothly. He’s a work-in-progress with his progressive scans.
One of his more impressive plays of the day was hitting Ty Montgomery down the right sideline, catching the defense in a mismatch with linebacker Brandon Copeland in coverage. This would have been like a 40-yard gain.
He also had a nice deep out to Quincy Enunwa who also looked a lot better today than the last couple of open practices.
But there are too many plays were Darnold stared down his primary receiver almost praying that he comes open – looking there too long, instead of swinging his head looking for somebody else. This is very common with young quarterbacks.
He should improve in time and can learn a lot of Trevor Siemian about calmly going through progressions. The veteran QB did a nice job of doing that throughout the spring . . .
With nose tackle Steve McLendon not here today, the Jets came out with a starting defensive line of Henry Anderson, Quinnen Williams and Nathan Shepherd. But Williams wasn’t the nose tackle. Anderson and Williams were the ends and Shepherd was the nose tackle. Williams did play nose tackle at Alabama, but end is the better position for him in the 3-4 defense because he’s not a massive guy with the kind of body you look for in a 3-4 nose tackle, but he could be superb 3-4 end with his foot quickness and great athleticism . . .
Joe Vitt talked to the media today and was somewhat unpleasant at times (not the whole time).
First off, when asked about working with Gregg Williams after testifying against him in Bountygate, he replied, “Is this a National Enquirer question?”
Some fans are pissed at the question (which I didn’t ask), but how do you not ask him one question about working with Williams. This was the first time he was available since they were both hired.
A few months ago, I asked long-time Saints writer Larry Holder, now with The Athletic, about the Jets hiring Vitt to work with Williams considering their history.
“It was Friday afternoon – the old Friday news dump pops up; I thought it was fake news,” Holder said. “I thought it was a fake news account. I went and looked several different sources. I was floored that Gregg Williams and Joe Vitt were not only going to be in the same room together for once, after I don’t know how many years, but working together.”
When Vitt testified against Williams in Bountygate he said things like, “I want to show you here the situations where Gregg Williams is a liar, where Gregg Williams is narcissistic, where Gregg Williams has lost his mind in situations. The first time we brought Gregg Williams (to New Orleans), we said, ‘Jesus Christ, this guy is nuts.’”
There was a lot more. So asking him about it today was fair game; at least one question.
I asked Vitt a few minutes later what it’s like working with his son-in-law. Adam Gase, who is married to Vitt’s daughter.
“He’s on offense, I’m on defense,” Vitt said.
I thought he was the head coach of the whole team?
There was no follow-up to this question but he had something else to say to me.
“You asked that question like you wanted to have a fist fight with me,” Vitt said.
What?
He came across like a bully at times. Not a good look.
And the question about working with Williams again, after testifying against him and saying some of the things I quoted above, is a fair question, and not a National Enquirer question. Bountygate happened in the NFL, not on South Beach.
June 13, 2019
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