I just read the article entitled, "Devin Smith had a lot to learn after Jets drafted him" in the Newark Star Ledger. http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/20..._after_jets_drafted.html#incart_story_package In this article the following excerpt bothered me: and and I've seen/heard this type of thing before from Jets coaches, and it rarely works out. To be clear, my problem is not with his desire to have the Jets WRs be flexible and be able to play all positions. I actually like that. I think that in the long run it will make them all better, will possibly confuse opposing Ds because they won't know where those guys will line up, and will help the receivers know where everyone is on the field. What I have a problem with is the way he's going about it. It's one thing to expect vets like Marshall, Decker and Kerley to learn the offense and all the positions at once, but quite another to expect it of Smith, a rookie, and to a lesser extent, Evans, Enunwa and the others, who are practically rookies. Smith has his hands full learning the offense, adjusting to the speed of the NFL, and working on learning the whole route tree. We need 2-3 of those guys to develop and be able to contribute, not have their head swimming and not being confident. It would be better early in the season to have them confident and able to succeed at one position, and then gradually add the others, than having them try to learn all the positions and the offense at the same time. It's idiotic. I didn't like what I read about Dorrell when he was hired, and it's starting to look like my gut is gonna be right, but I hope he will prove me wrong. You don't throw a bunch of stuff at someone at one time. That's no way to teach or for them to learn. It totally ignores sound educational principles.
Its called OJT. TB will figure it out as he goes. Lets not forget this is his first time in the big chair so he's gonna have to figure it out as he goes. His coaching tenure will be a study in evolution as he'll most likely keep what works and discard what doesn't. He's not married to any particular football ideology like our prior coach so, let him learn and grow. TB is human after all..
My concern isn't with Bowles, it's with Dorrell. If the WRs are all struggling, or at least the young ones, I hope that Bowles will get in Dorrell's face and tell him to back off and do things in a more logical fashion.
I think the difference here versus in the past is that Jets coaches were doing it with players that they were depending on in starting roles and the had them drowning in the deep end on Sundays, where in this situation they will be drowning Devin Smith in camp and during practices and probably in preseason while they have actual proven starters he can learn behind. He's a one trick pony right now and if they are going to move on from one or both of Decker and Marshall in two seasons then they need this young guy to start learning versatility early
Let's not overthink this. It's blocking and tackling. I have faith that Bowles will see what works... and what doesn't.
devils advocate: teaching him all the concepts he needs to know in the spring better allows the coaching staff focus on what his strengths and weaknesses are in the summer. He's got his playbook right? So now that he's been given a taste of the variety of roles he'll play he's got a month to digest the basic concepts. Come TC he'll likely better understand certain concepts over others and now he and his coaches can actively find what those are and work from there. this rather than say, letting him settle in on one role and then giving him more advanced roles in august which might be a bit harder to adjust to on the fly. another thing to consider is that, while they may not force the point in actual games if they can help it, there may come a time where he'll have to play a more versatile role like one where, knock on wood, ED or BM get hurt. an efficient method of teaching these roles might better mitigates the problems he could face doing that. or it'll help more than keeping him our deep man and only bringing in other concepts later in the year. just an alternate take.
I wouldn't worry about it too much. If Deck, or Marsh go down, then would you want Devin out there if he only knew go routes? Or would you like him to be immersed in everything? Also, am I the only one who still always sees TB as Tampa Bay?
One thing I can guarantee you that Smith won't struggle with is the speed of the NFL, he's got plenty of it to burn.
Say what? No, it isn't. LOL We're talking about learning 3 different positions and their route trees, blocking responsibilities, while Smith is working on adjusting to the NFL, learning the offense, and working on his route running and perhaps blocking. It's not "over thinking." If you understand pedagogical principles, which I do, since I'm a teacher, it's the absolutely wrong way to try to teach anything to anyone. Again, I'm not talking about Bowles, I'm talking about Dorrell. Bowles may indeed step in at some point, but at that point, it could cost much of his rookie season and hurt the team. They need Smith to contribute early. I'm not saying that it will be a disaster, only that it bears watching. It's a legitimate concern.
Interesting, but again, the way Dorrell is doing it is not how the brain works and learns. The best way to do that is to focus on one position at a time. Once that one is solid, move on to the next. Trying to learn 3 different positions, their routes and responsibilities at the same time while trying to learn the offense is a recipe for mass confusion, frustration and NO learning/advancement.
I read the article and understand where you're coming from. But I took it that possibly Smith was a little surprised by what was in store for him. But this a giant step up for all these kids and they all adjust at their own pace and maturity. Some of them never do. They all say 'I didn't know that I really didn't know' afterwards. All of them prolly exhibited stresses at first during these first practices. They're all thrown into the fire. Not just Devin Smith. Watch these kids as they respond to the stresses. Sometimes it's quite evident. Now Smith know's what it's gonna take. Football wise I have no doubt Smith can do everything they want him to do. Doing it is another story I don't believe the coaching philosophy you're concerned with is just with that situation, our just our team. It's up to TB to manage each individuals situation. Maybe, also, TB will tell his coaches to be a little more careful with what they reveal. That's why the old school HC's never wanted anybody saying much. No fires to put out that way...He's already addressed the social media
I thought exactly the same thing when I read this. I don't see the point of making a young man's head spin by throwing too much stuff at him. Why not teach the rookie one spot and see how he copes with that, then add in more stuff next year. What's the hurry? It just doesn't seem intelligent to me. Smith can add an extra wrinkle to the offense and make a contribution this year, or he can be overwhelmed with jargon and multiple responsibilities and do very little because he can't even remember where to line up. Of course, he may be able to absorb everything and do a great job, but this seems to be stacking the deck against him.
Phase I of the Jets rebuild was easy , Mac gave us a great FA and Draft. Phase II is putting a product on the field that will be competitive enough to win games. Is TB a great coach? Gaily a brillant OC ? Who knows? We jus got to wait and see. As far as D Smith goes, the Jets will get their moneys worth of his talent by teaching him other stuff. Maybe he catches on faster than the other Smith lol. Doesnt make sense just having him do the same thing he did in college and he shouldnt complain. I think the Jets want to take advantage of his speed anywhere he plays.
We are asking him to learn how to run routes (Which if you didn't learn by the end of high school, then WTF?). Not brain science or rocket surgery.
what a shocker, he is struggling to learn things he's never done in college. I think when game-time arrives - the kid will only have a few routes to run. Gotta teach him the basics though and this is the time to do so.
I see it differently and as the right way to go. During training camp you force him to expand his horizon and begin to evaluate his ability to learn different routes and patterns along with polishing his current strengths. He might have been drafted with the stigma that is a one trick pony but sure does not need to be trained as one. As training camp progresses they will need to have a far better assessment of his current total worth, strengths and weaknesses, and then tailor plays based on his near term ability to contribute. Just because he didn't do it in college does not mean he can't learn it. The sooner we figure out his future potential the better. That of course must be balanced with a slow introduction in the field of play come game time but not during practice where a slight over load is part of moving from college to the NFL. As a coach it is just as important to evaluate his areas of weakness ASAP as to hone in on his strength areas. You never know when one of our starters goes down and he gets called in on an expanded role. It is then that you will have to know for sure what he can and can not do well enough to be most effective. And call plays accordingly. The slight but big difference to me is that the prior regime either did not know what our players could or could not do, or did not seem to care to tailor plays to our players strengths, but rather force them to play into a system they were not ready for.
