Jets' Vlad Ducasse spent rookie season learning many positions, including right tackle Published: Tuesday, March 08, 2011, 3:45 PM Updated: Tuesday, March 08, 2011, 3:46 PM By Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger At last month's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said trying Vlad Ducasse at right tackle was "something we've talked about." The second-year offensive lineman said he hasn't had that explicit conversation with the team -- but that he spent his rookie season mastering both tackle and both guard positions, so he could step in wherever the team needs him. "That was the whole point of learning all those positions, so I could be ready to go out anywhere," Ducasse said today at TEST Sports Clubs in Martinsville, where he is set up to train in the event of a lockout. Trying Ducasse at right tackle could make sense, particularly since the Jets cut 33-year-old Damien Woody last week. Wayne Hunter, who stepped in as the starter when Woody was injured late in the season and played well, is due to become a free agent. Ducasse, the Jets' 2010 second-round pick, was active for only a handful of games last season and saw limited time after Matt Slauson beat him out for the starting left guard job in training camp. Ducasse played at right guard in the season finale against the Bills, when the Jets had already locked up a postseason bid and subbed in many of their back-up players. He said he took reps in practice at four positions -- right guard, left guard, right tackle and left tackle -- to be a versatile back-up in case any of the starters went down and also to give different looks to the Jets' first-team defense. "Last year, you just had that feeling that you’ve got to be ready," Ducasse said. "If they said, 'We need you on the left'; I was ready if they said, 'We need you on the right.' Every practice I was getting reps at tackle and guard." Ducasse said his major hang-up as a rookie was learning the Jets' playbook, a complicated task under renowned offensive line coach Bill Callahan. He admitted he struggled at times to apply what he learned in the classroom to the practice field. Once he lost out in the battle for left guard, Ducasse took time to slow down and go back over his mistakes. Callahan was a willing teacher, Ducasse said, staying late with him after meetings or watching extra film with him early in the morning. "It’s different now," Ducasse said. "As a rookie, it's just like everything comes down on you, that’s the hardest part. I pretty much took a year off, but I was still learning all the other positions. I don’t know how to explain it, but I feel comfortable now." His focus now is staying in shape and maintaining the weight he was at all through his rookie season, 330 pounds. Ducasse, a three-year starter at left tackle at UMass, is perhaps a best fit at the tackle position. He says he is ready to prove what he can do, after a year in the background, and would be happy if that chance came at right tackle -- or anywhere. "Last year the main thing I did was learning, not only right tackle, but all the other positions," Ducasse said. "I'm very much excited about going in there and showing everybody what I learned in that year off. I'm just ready to go."
Big picture. That's what taking him in the 2nd was all about. That's what rookie years are for - learning. He's being groomed to be Woody's replacement, and have the same versatility as Woody to play multiple positions. Let's hope this year he wins the starting job and becomes a bookend at RT. What stands out is that he was pressing to win the starting job, but once he lost to Slauson he was allowed to slow down and learn his positions better. That's really important to his development.
Absolutely rubbish. We clearly signed him to be a left guard and he lost the battle. He's almost a bust. Now they're just making up this right tackle stuff all of the sudden.
That seems a little strong no? It is possible this is another Gholston smokescreen, but it is equally possible that he spent a year learning to play anywhere and now believes he is ready to step up. Releasing Woody - with Turner also a FA - would seem to indicate that the coaching staff has faith in him. In the end, we are all speculating.
The Jets knew Ducasse's potential had a high ceiling when they drafted him.....but they also knew he was raw. Unless Ducasse blew the CS away in training camp...he wasn't going to start.....and we all expected that. In hindsight....i'm glad the CS gave him the year to learn all the positions and gain some experience. Not every high draft pick is required to start in their first year. The Jets are taking the right approach with him. As far as your claim that the Jets are "making up this right tackle stuff"....is a little retarded.
I am too lazy to look up madden stats, but if I were to rate Ducasse last year he'd be rated a 60 something with A potential. Offensive linemen have a long shelf life anyway, and the first few years they usually struggle. Couple that with learning Callahan's zone blocking scheme and practicing at 4 positions and its really hard to blame Ducasse with all the stuff he went through last year.
I like the fact we didn't really need our rookies last year. Not rushing rookies into starting roles is a good thing... hopefully they made the best of their first year to understand the speed of the NFL game and work on getting their fundamentals up to par. I have high hopes for Ducasse, although I feel like this year Hunter will be the starter and Ducasse the 6th OL (still very important for us considering how much we run the ball). In 2012 I think he'll be the starter... and even if he isn't (And remains the 6th OL) he will have a shot at becoming Moore's successor whenever he calls it a day.
We better re-sign Hunter or someone to compete for the RT spot. I think down the road Ducasse will be a solid player for us but next year might be too soon for him to start. Hunter showed he can get it done when he's not tipping plays.
Holy crap, I almost choked. Hopefully last year will be good for his longterm development. We can call him VD, right?
"Ducasse scored an exceptionally low 13 on the Wonderlic at the 2010 Combine" Anyone know about this?
Ouch. Everyone here knew he was raw and not ready coming into his rookie year. If you want to talk about bust bring up Wilson. One of the top punt returners in the nation. Who did we have returning punts this year?
