Mandatory: Player Interviews

Edition #157

Good Morning!

Today we saw the final day of mandatory minicamp and players will now go their separate ways before returning for training camp, where the real work starts. We’re going to spend today catching up with the players who were made available to the media, but first…it’s quick throws.

Jets beat reporter DJ Bienaime announced that he’d be leaving the Daily News on June 24th. That’s a big loss for the Jets fanbase, DJ was an excellent beat reporter who asked some outstanding questions and spent significant time interacting with the fans. Personally, I think the Jets beat is significantly worse off now he won’t be a part of it. Good luck DJ.

It was revealed that Jets rookie Sauce Gardner paid $50k to veteran corner DJ Reed for the #1 jersey with the Jets…or did he? Sauce later tweeted that he said 50, but didn’t specify if it was $50 or $50k…personally I don’t care, but I know a lot of people do.

'Flight 2022: New Heights' will premiere across platforms at 8 pm EST tonight, the docuseries will cover the Jets off-season and if it’s anything like last year, it’s going to be a must-watch for any Jets fans. I’ll be binge-watching that as soon as I possibly can.

We’re going to go through some of the player interviews today. Players tend to answer short and quick, so I’m going to combine answers to different questions in one quote and indicate in brackets what they were talking about. There were a lot of players made available, so I’m going to cover a few today and I may cover a few more tomorrow.

Sauce Gardner - Rookie Cornerback

‘That’s easy (playbook), I studied a lot and so I’m able to go out on the field and execute. I’m making them better and they’re making me better also (wide receivers), you got guys that are short and quick, guys that are tall and quick, you got receivers with different play styles, the difference between league and college is all these guys I’m going against are good. I feel like I’m a perfect scheme fit for what we do. Whatever the coaches ask me, that’s what I’m going to work on, I’m always working on my craft (on playing more zone). I want to be perfect even though there’s no such thing’

Sauce is a confident man, but he comes across well in the press conference arena. You can tell how much he wants to be great and everything I read about him in college is evident in what we’ve heard from the coaches. He’s a quick learner and he’s a detailed studier, he talked about not making the same mistake twice.

He referenced using the mittens saying that he did that in college and that it’s just practicing good habits with not grabbing. He’s aware that it gets called more in the league than it does in college, and by using the gloves he is trying to eradicate any potential problems. When he was asked what he was going to do between minicamp and training camp, he said he was going to train and who doesn’t want to hear that.

Laken Tomlinson - Offensive Guard

‘OTA’s is a great chance for me personally to get to know the guys. Obviously, being a new player on the team, just my presence alone I feel like will help a lot of the guys learn more about me and build better chemistry (on what OTA’s mean). Physically meeting him, he’s a physical specimen, I remember looking up and was like man this kid is huge (on Becton). It’s fairly similar for me, technique-wise, for me it’s about building that chemistry with the guy to my left and my right. The benefit of being in this type of offense is I have the terminology and playbook already installed (on moving to a similar system). I think we can be one of the best, looking around at all the guys we got (on how good O-line can be).’

One thing I will say off the bat is that I absolutely loved Laken before free agency and spoke about how he’d be one of my first calls, now after listening to him with the press I love him even more. He repeatedly wanted to know the names of the guys asking the questions, it may seem small but that is a level of respect and understanding that goes over well in New York. I loved his style or presser, he’s going to be a media darling throughout his time here, you can book that.

It’s clear that moving between similar offenses is beneficial for anyone and for Laken it’s all about building chemistry. He mentioned how much he learned from playing with Trent Williams in San Francisco and how he can offer those insights to the younger tackles to help them on their journey. It’s clear that Laken will be a leader on this offensive line and on this team.

Breece Hall - Running Back

‘He’ll make it easier on me getting guys out the way (on Becton). I don’t think it would be a huge adjustment, if you’ve seen some of my catches in college you’ll know I can run routes and do that stuff so it’s just me playing football, just let my natural ability take over (on pass-catching on 3rd down). I’ve always been sneaky fast, not the fastest but definitely fast enough to burn you, I feel like I surprise a lot of people when I get the ball because I can make quick movements. Alvin Kamera, Le’veon Bell, Arian Foster (on NFL comparisons)’

I’m a huge Hall guy and I think he can be pretty special in year one. He has that size, and speed combination that is ideal for the NFL, if you’re a 220lb guy who runs a 4.39 forty then you’re going to be impressive. He comes across as very self-assured and confident, but he also comes across as a guy who’s going to put the team first. He spoke several times about players doing their 1/11th which just means doing your job as part of the overall unit, and you can see that’s the message that is being relayed by the coaching staff.

Mekhi Becton - Offensive Tackle

‘I’m feeling good physically, I’m ready to go out there and play. It was a lot of adversity, a lot to come from…it’s a lot to handle, but I’m definitely coming back with that chip on my shoulder (on last year). It’s good, I’m getting the strength back in it (on his knee). I’m close, but I’m not saying numbers. I’m satisfied with where I’m at, me and the coaching staff (on conditioning and weight). It’s football, we’re always going to compete no matter what…I’m open to playing wherever (on competition). I’m going to make them eat their words (on the detractors who have written him off).’

This was the one most people were waiting for. Becton walked to the podium with a “big bust” t-shirt which is obviously aimed at his detractors. Both Mike LaFleur and Robert Saleh said he looked good, and although the photos seem to suggest he’s carrying more weight than the Jets would like, the important note is that it sounds as though he’s healthy and ready to get to work in camp. Now Becton has met with the training staff, they’ll have given him a program to get him down to the required weight by training camp, it’s now up to him to go home and hit those goals and show the organization that he means business.

There did seem to be a level of animosity within the room during the interview, especially when he was asked about staying in Dallas and whether it was purely based on him wanting to be there for the birth of his child, which he confirmed ending with “you knew that”.

The simple fact is that Becton has a huge amount of support within the Jets fanbase, I’m a massive supporter and defender of his. But those detractors won’t go away until he gets on the field and performs, and if he wants or needs to use that as fuel for the fire then that’s his prerogative. The detractors tend to be significantly louder than the supporters, but I would say it’s a tiny minority who have actually written him off.

Zach Wilson - Quarterback

‘I thought it was really good…just the mindset of what we were trying to achieve, it wasn’t supposed to be perfect…coming in and trying to progress and having that focus to just improve every day (on his Spring). I feel like my understanding of what I’m supposed to be doing within the offense, within the timing, of course, there are still improvements. (on his improvement from year one). They’ve done a great job and you can tell the organization cares and they want to win as badly as all of us, they’re doing everything they can to put me in the best position (on surrounding him with talent)’

Zach is always impressive at the podium and he always says the right things, things we’ve heard before. He did confirm that the plan is for the receivers to get together with him in mid-July to work through some scripts and just hang out.

He spoke a lot about playing within the offense and understanding that if he does that he’ll have the opportunities to make those off-schedule throws that wowed people at his pro-day. But the key aspect is making the progressions, working on the timing, and making the right decisions with the football. I’ve said this a few times, but I think it’s key that Zach finds the balance. He can’t be careless with the football, but he also can’t be a game manager.