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Morris County – I have to be honest, I didn’t think this guy had any chance of making them team.
But that’s why you let things play out in camp and see what happens.
In football, things can change in a heartbeat.
I’m talking about QB Mike White.
The former Western Kentucky and USF QB was getting second-team reps today, ahead of David Fales and James Morgan, and looked terrific.
Gregg Williams talks to his defensive players a lot about having the right “body language” on the field.
I have to say, I’m impressed with White’s body language.
He looks confident and like he belongs, smoothly looking over the field and delivering the football, like on a deep pass down the right sideline today for a TD to newly-signed WR Chris Hogan.
White certainly looks the part at 6-5, 224 pounds with a rocket arm.
I’m not putting him in Canton, just saying that he clearly made great progress sitting and learning last year on the Jets’ practice squad, after getting signed on September 25. He came into the league as a fifth-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2018, and was on the team all of that season as a third-string QB. Late last August, the Cowboys decided to go with former Northwestern star Clayton Thorson as their #3, released White, and a few weeks later, the Jets took a flyer on him.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves because it’s early, but the Jets might have something here . . .
While on the topic of narratives changing really quickly in NFL training camp, let’s talk about Chuma Edoga.
I thought he was in a little trouble, and suggested to a reporter on the sideline, he could be a tradeable commodity. The backup left tackle was Conor McDermott for the first week of camp. Generally, whoever the backup left tackle is, is the top candidate to be the backup swing tackle. Edoga was working as the #2 right tackle. Also, the Jets picked Charlotte’s Cam Clark in the fourth round, and view him as a guard/right tackle. So if McDermott and Clark made the roster, Edoga might be the odd man out.
That might have changed. McDermott suffered a knee injury yesterday, and Clark has missed most of camp with a shoulder injury, and there’s no clear sign on when he’s coming back.
So this is why, as Bud Grant would say, “Don’t make a move until you have to.” The Jets held on to Edoga, and now he’s clearly an important piece for them as the current backup swing tackle.
Watching Edoga in camp, one thing that’s very impressive about him are his feet. As scouts like to say, “He has the feet of a dancing bear.” Being light on your feet is very important for NFL offensive tackles facing so many quick edge rushers . . .
Speaking of injuries and depth, one position you always need quality depth is at tight end, because it’s such an injury-laden position. It’s such a physically demanding spot. Think about what those cats do for a living. They’re in constant collisions as blockers which can lead to things like shoulder issues, and then they are running around in space as receivers, which can lead to muscles pulls, knee issues and so forth. So it’s a double-whammy position when it comes to injuries.
So the Jets off-season signing of Ross Travis is looking darn smart and he’s shined in camp. The former Penn State basketball player, who the Kansas City Chiefs made into a tight end, and then he had a cup of coffee with the Indianapolis Colts, is an inviting 6-7 target who catches everything in sight.
With Ryan Griffin and Daniel Brown currently on the shelf, this guy has really come in handy for the Jets early in camp. He looks like a player who can help them.
August 20, 2020
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