Training Camp Thread 2.0

https://x.com/zackblatt/status/1692209102267592904?s=46&t=UJKM0mnVo0eqrea-NSzOmQ

 

Perfect. See you September 11th Aaron

 

My mistake, but I do value your opinion as someone who knows something about pro football. Many thanks for keeping us up to date on the training camp posts!

 

This is a common theme with Becton. I went to camp a few weeks ago and he stayed after both days to work with Turner and a coach.

 

I am not sure if either one of them does. Last year when Mitchell got hurt (and at some point when he was just flat out benched for poor play) we got some practice squad guys (Cedrick, etc) who performed every bit as good. Well, every bit as bad. The hope was that Max would improve this year, but based on preseason showings, he hasn't. Billy Turner was a below average player throughout his career, but not terrible. Last year he was terrible. Unfortunately he is also terrible this year based on every report to the point where it is becoming a joke to read that someone beat him like drum again. Ideally even as a back-up we would have someone better. But we don't.

What it looks like now is that Saleh is getting ready for Brown to come as a starter at LT, with Becton at RT. Even though Mekhi is not there yet, and hasn't taking reps with 1s, it seems like he is coming along. He has to start, to me this is not even a question. I know JD and Saleh are putting all their eggs in Brown's basket to start and play well at LT all season, and I hope they are right. I have my doubts, but I cannot wait to see him finally on the field. Regardless, Becton to me is the key starter for the year. It's still a huge question mark whether he can be ready day 1 and then play 17+ games, but we really need him to do so. Max and Billy are not the answer, and we will be at huge disadvantage if they play.

 

Well you know. Nobody likes me or so I'm told.

 

Unless another quality starting tackle is brought in , Becton truly is the key to having a quality OL this season. From the reports he looked good playing RT today, if he can start at RT, a line of Brown, Tomlinson, McGovern/Tippman, AVT, Becton seems solid enough to get the job done this year. If Brown gets injured Becton moves to LT, AVT to RT, Tippman or McGovern to RG. It really is all about Becton, stepping up to be a reliable quality starter.

 

The best outcome may be having both Brown and Becton starting at the OT positions, but it contradicts what Saleh said about there being a competition for the starting LT job. I believe in Becton. I have since his last year at Louisville and have since he has been with the Jets, even through all of his travails. Maybe Saleh started Becton out on the left side because that's where he wants to be and is more comfortable there to let him shake off the rust and develop confidence in his surgically-repaired knee. I have no problem with that. Where I think Saleh has missed the boat was not giving Becton any reps with the 1s before. I disagree with his rationale. When he is one of the two or three best OL on the team, he should be practicing with the 1s, not the 2s. Even so, following the Carolina game where Becton played longer than the CS wanted him to, that should have shown them that he is going to be able to play the full game by the time the season starts, and they should have been giving him reps with the 1s this week since he hadn't earlier, and he should have started giving him reps at RT this week as well.

If Saleh's mind was made up that Becton was going to be at RT, he never should have said that there was going to be a competition for the LT job, particularly if he knew that Brown was nowhere near being ready to practice. That's disingenuous at best.

I understand why he was giving Turner reps at LT. He has done that before and he will be our swing OT. I don't understand it with Mitchell. IMO Mitchell is nowhere near being ready to play LT in the NFL. He needed to focus on developing at RT. I think he has hurt Mitchell's development and hurt the development of the OL and the offense. His handling of the OL could sink the whole season, and we all have seen that happen too many times. The problem is that we won't know that there is definitely a big problem with the way Saleh handled things until it's too late. Discussion about coaching moves and players is what this site is all about.

I appreciate your response. You're one of my favorite posters here, and I always enjoy our discussions. I'm not on the ledge, but neither am I happy with how Saleh has handled things to date.

 

I agree that Becton is the key. Hard to believe JD is hinging a successful OL on a guy that hasn't played in 2 years and would be playing out of position. For all the good he's done, he's also done some real head scratching shit.

 

Yep, but I quickly got over that, and realized that I was wrong. I'll be all too happy to be wrong again, but at this point don't think that will happen. I don't trust Saleh.

 

I disagree. Becton is more talented and can be here long term if he has a great season and wants to be here. Brown is one and done more than likely. I'm thinking long term stability on the OL.

 

IMO you can throw PFF's ratings out the window. They almost never make sense.

 

Would you rather have Brown at LT and Becton at RT or Becton at LT and Turner playing any position on the OL? I know what I'd chose.

Let's see how Becton plays in the next game. He needs to make it through 3/4 of it. If he can do that then I think he will be the starting RT barring a disaster from Brown.

 

WTF man!!

 

Tough love.

 

Why not both? Keep him sharp, you never know when he might be needed on the other side