In Focus: Claudin Cherelus

Edition #439

Good morning! ☕

Players are in the building! The first session is today, the road to the Super Bowl may have started in OTA’s but it really gets on the road to training camp.

We haven't even got to the first session and we've already had our first move.

Today I’m going to turn my focus to one of the UDFA’s. Every now and then I get a snippet of information, and last week I was told that Claudin Cherelus is a guy who the Jets coaching staff really likes.

First, we’re going to start with the good old quick throws. The survey revealed that a lot of people love this section, so we’re going to keep it going.

🔄 The Jets informed wide receiver Denzel Mims that he was being waived if no trade partner could be found and as such they excused him from reporting for training camp. It was later reported that the Lions were trading for Mins. The Jets are trading Mims to the Detroit Lions for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick, while the Lions will receive a 2025 seventh-round pick and obviously Denzel Mims. This comes as no surprise to anyone who’s followed this team over the last year or two, and this will give Denzel the best chance of catching on in Detroit. Only time will tell whether this was a bad draft pick, bad development or just a player that flattered to deceive.

🤕 The Jets placed RB Breece Hall, TE C.J Uzomah, WR Randall Cobb and DB Jarrick Bernard-Converse on PUP to start camp. They came be activated at any time and it really isn't anything to be worried about at this stage. Although I will say that someone like JBC doesn't want to miss too much practice time in camp.

✍️ Both Will McDonald and Joe Tippmann signed their rookie deals today. Since the rookie pay scale came in, the signing of your draft picks is basically a formality. Sometimes teams wait for the players to arrive at camp to get it done, which is exactly what happened here.

🛼 Will McDonald arrived to camp on a skateboard, which is a strong move. Micheal Clemons turned up topless carrying a baseball bat wrapped in barbwire and Jeremy Ruckert arrived wearing a Ron Middleton qupte t-shirt “Everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die”

⚾ John Franklin Myers threw out the first pitch at Citifield on Tuesday and he threw an absolute strike. It’s one of the best pitches I’ve seen from a player wearing a Mets jersey all summer.

🙌 Quinnen Williams unprompted decided to call out Jermaine Johnson as a player who is heading for a breakout season: "He's bigger, stronger, faster. I for sure know he's going to have a breakout year."

✈️ He was also asked about the expectations on the 2023 season: "We don't really pay attention to the external things. The external factors don't matter because internal is all we got. Focus on each other."

🏛️ D.J Reed was asked about Asante Samuel and the whole CB spat online: "I believe he should be in the Hall of Fame...I think that's what he's trying to do, talk about himself to get his name relevant to be talked about for the Hall of Fame."

🏈 He was also asked about Sauce and the hate he gets and he gave the perfect answer "If you ain't got no haters, you ain't poppin'"

Cherelus ended his college career with a bang. Over the last two years, he’s recorded 149 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks and an interception, and still, that wasn’t enough to hear his name called in the NFL Draft.

The Jets wasted absolutely no time in snapping him up as a UDFA, in fact, it was mere minutes between the Rams making the final pick and Cherulus receiving a call from the Jets. We talk about priority-free agents, well he was right at the top of that priority list.

“We both already felt the Jets would be the best place for me to be,” Cherelus said. “They showed interest in me the whole way and I wanted to be there just as much.”

A high school safety who converted to linebacker, Cherulus originally committed to Minnesota before switching to UMASS after a coaching change with the Gophers, but transferred to Alcorn in search of playing time. While at Alcorn he played for Fred McNair, the older brother of the great Steve McNair.