FLORHAM PARK
Authentic Trevon Wesco Jersey , N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets picked a pass rusher with plenty to prove.Florida’s Jachai Polite was the first of the Jets’ two
third-round selections Friday night, going 68th overall and giving New York the
explosive edge rusher they coveted entering the NFL draft.The Jets just hope the
21-year-old Polite has outgrown the maturity questions many teams had about him.
He was once considered a likely early selection, but he struggled during what he
called a “bumpy” pre-draft process — both physically and mentally.“I’ve accepted
all my flaws,” Polite said during a conference call. “I’ve been just working on
that all offseason.”Polite had 11 sacks in his junior season with the Gators,
playing mainly off the edge, and is considered still a bit raw. He tweaked his
right hamstring during the 40-yard dash at Florida’s pro day last month and was
slowed the rest of the day. The injury previously hampered him at the NFL
combine in February in Indianapolis, where he ran the 40-yard dash in an
underwhelming 4.84 seconds and posted a vertical jump of just 32 inches before
choosing not to do any additional drills. His weight became an issue as he got
up to 258 pounds, but was in the 240s when he visited the Jets.He also made
headlines for what he perceived as teams — Green Bay, in particular — “bashing”
him during the interview process at the combine.“I regret saying that (anyone)
was bashing me, because they weren’t really bashing me,” Polite said. “They were
just trying to interview a guy to come play for their team. They just wanted to
see how I reacted. It was all my fault, and I learned from it.“It was an
incident that got misjudged. Things were said that didn’t happen and weren’t
meant that way. It wasn’t really that bad, if you ask me.”Jets general manager
Mike Maccagnan was aware of Polite’s off-field concerns, but said the team did
its homework leading up to the draft. He added that a member of the scouting
department also had familiarity with Polite when the two were at Florida.“He
might not have had the best spring he would’ve ideally wanted,” Maccagnan said.
“But there were definitely things there that we felt good about, in terms of the
opportunity to kind of work with him and develop.”New York also drafted USC
offensive tackle Chuma Edoga in the third round, trading with Minnesota to move
up a spot to take him with the 92nd overall pick. The Jets gave the Vikings the
93rd pick and No. 217 overall (a seventh-rounder).Polite led the NCAA with six
forced fumbles last season, despite starting just five of 13 games. He had a
team-leading 19½ tackles for loss and was selected to the AP All-America second
team.The Jets selected Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams with the third
overall selection Thursday night
Trevon Wesco Jersey Boys , giving New York’s defensive line two promising new additions. With Williams expected to provide power in the middle as a
run-stuffing pass rusher, Polite will be counted on to get to the quarterback as
a mismatch on the outside, potentially as a 3-4 outside linebacker.“This is a
perfect place for me to fit scheme-wise,” Polite said.He’ll also start fresh in
the NFL, and is eager to put all the negative talk in the past.“I have a lot of
people to prove wrong,” Polite added. “I’m ready to work. Growing up, there’s
always been a lot of negative things about me, and I’ve just worked my whole
life.”The 6-foot-3, 308-pound Edoga was a teammate of current Jets quarterback
Sam Darnold at USC in 2017, and he’ll be tasked with helping protect the
second-year signal caller on New York’s offensive line.“I blocked for Sammy D in
college and now I get to block for him in the NFL, it’s a blessing,” Edoga said
during a conference call. “It’s a dream come true.”Edoga played in 44 games,
including 26 starts, with the Trojans — mainly as a right tackle, where he was
selected to the All-Pac-12 second team last season. Both left tackle Kelvin
Beachum and right tackle Brandon Shell are scheduled to be free agents after
this season, so Edoga could be groomed to replace one of the two in 2020, if not
sooner.He played both tackle spots during the Senior Bowl week, something he
thinks he will be able to do in the NFL. Maccagnan added that Edoga could also
potentially play guard.Edoga also impressed teams by flashing some of the
on-field characteristics that moved him up draft boards.“I just like to use my
athleticism and play with aggressiveness
Infant Trevon Wesco Jersey ,” Edoga said. “Try to get off the ball and hit somebody in the mouth.”After the trade with the Vikings, the Jets will enter the final day
of the draft Saturday with just two more picks: a fourth-rounder (No. 105
overall) and a sixth-rounder (No. 196).NOTES: Maccagnan disputed published
reports that he and new coach Adam Gase have clashed at times during the
offseason. “I think Adam and I have worked very well together,” he said. “I’m
sure, like in any process, there are times … when we have different opinions on
a player. From my standpoint, I’ve actually had a very good working relationship
with Adam. Quite frankly, he has a very good sense of humor and kind of makes me
laugh quite a bit.” NEW YORK (AP) — Jamal Adams understands what the New York
Jets‘ record shows: a 4-10 squad facing an uncertain future.He also refuses to
accept that they are one of the NFL’s worst, no matter what the standings or
critics say.“Again, we’re a good football team,” the safety insisted after the
Jets’ 29-22 loss to Houston on Saturday night. “We’re obviously in every
ballgame besides the Buffalo Bills game, but the rest we’ve been in. So I don’t
really know where the speculation of just because we’re losing we’re a bad
football team (comes from).“We’ve just got to make more plays and play smarter
at certain times.”The Jets have actually played a lot better since losing to
Buffalo 41-10 on Nov. 11. A 14-point loss to New England followed, then a
seven-point defeat at Tennessee. They snapped a six-game skid with a 27-23
victory at Buffalo last Sunday and then held a late lead before falling to the
AFC South-leading Texans.So, a play here or there and the record could look a
lot more respectable.Coach Todd Bowles deals in reality, though, and there’s no
denying the facts staring him in the face.“Our record is what it is,” Bowles
said Sunday when asked about Adams’ postgame comments. “We are a 4-10 football
team. We compete our butts off, but no moral victories (for) playing hard. We’ve
got to win ballgames.”That, of course
Trevon Wesco Jersey Draft , has been much easier said than done this season. And time is running out, with a home game against Green Bay next Sunday followed by the
finale at New England.Bowles is likely to be dismissed after that, ending a
four-year tenure that included no playoff appearances. General manager Mike
Maccagnan is also no lock to be back, especially if acting owner Christopher
Johnson decides to start from scratch — again.But, is Adams’ overall assessment
that far off, as outlandish or optimistic as it seems at face value?Well, for
one, the Jets believe they have their franchise quarterback in Sam Darnold , and
he has certainly played like one in the two games since he missed three with a
foot injury.The No. 3 overall pick is 40 of 62 for 423 yards and three
touchdowns with an interception, and showed in both games an ability to take
over drives with both his legs and his right arm.“Darnold’s special, and you see
it,” cornerback Trumaine Johnson said. “He is special. He has kept us in games,
for sure.”For a franchise in flux, having the quarterback to build around is a
start. Whether it’s Bowles and Maccagnan or another combination of men in
charge, the Jets will head into the offseason expected to have more than $100
million in salary cap space. They’ll have the opportunity to bring in the type
of playmakers that could have made a difference in those close losses.On
offense, Darnold is working with a line that has been inconsistent and a
backfield that is missing its top two players in Isaiah Crowell and Bilal Powell
because of injuries. Wide receiver Quincy Enunwa has been banged-up and the
rookie is beginning to establish a rapport with deep threat Robby
Anderson.“Obviously, he’s getting comfortable and he’s making plays with his
feet and he’s finding the open areas,” Bowles said of Darnold. “He and Robby
have had the chance to work together for a while now and it’s just starting to
click.”Anderson was targeted 11 times by Darnold against the Texans and finished
with seven catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. Against Buffalo
Trevon Wesco NFL Jersey , Anderson had four catches for 76 yards and a score on seven targets.“Communication, repetition and connecting,” Anderson said of what
has changed between him and Darnold since training camp.There’s still some
fine-tuning needed, though, as shown when Anderson couldn’t hang onto Darnold’s
pass on fourth-and-14 from the Jets 21 late in the game that led to a field goal
for the Texans with 57 seconds left.“Every throw that I throw to our receivers,
I feel like they can catch,” Darnold said. “But at the same time, I’ve got to
put it in a better spot. That’s just the name of the game.”There have also been
frequent breakdowns on defense late in games, including allowing Deshaun Watson
to march the Texans down the field 75 yards for a go-ahead touchdown. That has
been an ongoing theme throughout the season, something that will need to be
fixed moving forward, whether it’s adding additional playmakers, a new scheme,
or both.“It was just a couple of plays here and there that we could have made,”
cornerback Morris Claiborne said. “For the most part, I felt like we put
together a good game. Probably one or two plays that separates them. That’s the
difference in this league. I felt like we came out with some good energy. We
came out and played fast. It just didn’t come out our way.”NOTES: Bowles said RT
Brandon Shell was scheduled to have an MRI later Sunday after he was carted off
the field with a knee injury. “I don’t think he’ll be back anytime soon,” Bowles
said. … Bowles said WR Rishard Matthews (hamstring) is also having an MRI, and
DB Darryl Roberts has a sprained toe.
