Why do I not hear about this position with any other team? Rex constantly lauded Tebows efforts in this role, and now we have Calvin Pryor getting a possible concussion while participating in a special teams drill. Does any other team use first round draft picks in this position? Can't Tommy Bohannon or another "grunt" fill this role? I know Pryor is a rookie, but the Jets seems to be banking on him to be a Day 1 starter. You would think they would protect him a little more.
Is this a joke? Every NFL team has a punt protector. Last line of defense. And every safety on this team plays a role in special teams. Here we go with the bullshit again.
Its impossible to fully protect a player..even on the practice field. In fact injuries are more likely to happen when guys arent going at 100 percent.
I'm surprised you would take offense to someone being critical of something the jets did. I agree with the idea that we shouldn't be risking our first round pick as a personal punt protecter. It seems rather stupid actually. Rex has a little history of making foolish mistakes like this now.
I don't get why this is a problem and why Rex is an "idiot" for doing this. These guys are professional football players. Their job consists of taking and giving hits. There are countless players that play on special teams that are important parts of the defense or offense. Cromartie was a big special team player for us for a long time. Decker is likely going to be a big special teams player for us. Is it stupid then to have guys like Decker, Ford, Kerley, etc. receiving punts and blocking as well? This is football. Antonio Allen, Dawan Landry, and Calvin Pryor will all be on special teams. As will many other players including Cumberland, Decker, Ford, etc. Pryor got hit a wrong way and was knocked funny. Whether that was blocking for the kicker or hitting someone across the middle, it was a hit he took as a football player. Guys play special teams all the time, just because he's a high draft pick doesn't mean he gets to sit out. Our highest paid offensive weapon will be on special teams taking huge hits and blocking.
Its tough to say. Should a rookie first round pick be the personal punt protector? IDK, I guess it depends how good he really is at it. Who did it for us last year? Bellore, Allen? Most of the time its something you dont even think about. Unless its Tebow of course
Calvin Pryor is a HUGE hitter that can be used a lot on special teams. Special teams is a big part of football and has been an issue for us for quite some time. If you have a big hitter like him, you use it. I have absolutely NO problem with this.
He's probably not going to be playing that role in the season so it seems kind of stupid to try him out in it now...that being said we're only saying that because he got hurt doing it and he could have got hurt doing anything. It does seem like we make a far bigger deal about the role than anyone else though, it's not like it's a meaningless job but probably not something a first round pick should be doing. Ever.
It's not clear where he will be playing in the season, but he will be on special teams, just as every safety is on this roster.
"Let's take one of our most explosive hitters and not put him on a special teams coverage team!" - Said no successful ST coach ever
1st round picks are generally expected to be immediate starters and are key players to every franchise. This is particularly true now with the rookie wage scale. Sticking them at a special teams position that is generally played by a schmuck tail end of the roster guy is a questionable decision at best. Now consider the fact that the personal punt protecter is going to get smacked in the face with a big collision a good percentage of the time we punt and it's even more questionable. This guy is supposed to be laying hits on our opponents and be an enforcer in the middle of the field. the last thing I want to set is him taking the best shot from every dickwad that wants to make a name for themselves on the opposing punt return/block team. Pryor is worth way more to this team than any of the other safeties. What is to be gained by playing him in a high risk position like that? please feel free to list all the other first round picks that are lining up at personal punt protector this week.
It doesn't matter where he got drafted...he should earn his roster spot jut like everyone else. If Rex likes to play all his rookie's on STs early to familarize them w/ the system or as a way to make them show their worth..so be it. It's unfortunate he got hurt but those criticizing Rex for this are really just grasping at straws.
It was a drill they were running in offseason practice. The players are not allowed to tackle to the ground yet. He was hit wrong on a block that was five hundred times short of a real scenario. We don't know the true reason why he was blocking for the punter in this drill, but like Rex stated, it was a special teams drill. People are acting like Rex put Pryor in a position to really hurt himself. He was blocking for the punter on a special teams drill where players are not allowed to fully tackle to the ground.
lol ... doesn't matter where he got drafted. tell that to idzik. There's a good chance Pryor is cut if he doesn't perform well. draft positron doedn't matter.
Why is it wrong for a first round draft pick to be on special teams, but huge offensive weapons being paid millions are allowed to be? In this theory, special teams should be comprised of no names that will never amount to much more than role players.
It doesn't matter where he got drafted...he should earn his roster spot jut like everyone else. If Rex likes to play all his rookie's on STs early to familarize them w/ the system or as a way to make them show their worth..so be it. It's unfortunate he got hurt but those criticizing Rex for this are really just grasping at straws. I'm sure Idzik would agree w/ me given his "competition" mantra. There's most definitely a possibility Pryor does not start at safety this year given the presence of Landry & AA. As such one would assume he'd have a rotational role along w/ a spot on ST.It's not outlandish in the least.
