Updated: 8:16 PM JETS Vilma toils to fit into Jets' system BY TOM ROCK | tom.rock@newsday.com 8:16 PM EDT, August 7, 2007 Jonathan Vilma stormed off the field, a game face still etched on his countenance, and he flung a half-empty beverage bottle into the fence with disgust. His defense had just allowed a last-second touchdown in one of those fantasy two-minute drills the Jets use to cap most of their workouts, and Vilma was livid. There were coverages that needed tightening, communications that needed tuning, and situational awareness that needed refining. It took several minutes for the steamed inside linebacker to regain his composure. Remember: This is still only training camp. "Yeah, that's the type of guy he is," safety Kerry Rhodes said. "He's a fierce competitor. I mean, we're all competitors on this team, but he's a guy who takes it personally all the time. That's the type of person you need." What the Jets need is for Vilma to somehow combine the best aspects of his past two seasons into this one. After an early career in which his sideline-to-sideline impact plays made him appear to be on a fast-track for perennial Pro Bowl status, he was confined by the new 3-4 scheme instituted in 2006. He was still on the field for every defensive snap and still led the team in tackles with 116. But he did not have a sack, broke up only four passes, made two quarterback hits and recovered one fumble. That's the kind of line the old Vilma might have put together in a game or two. And it's why, in the second season with the 3-4 system, Vilma is the canary in the cave for this defense. If he can find a way to merge his skills with the responsibilities of the scheme, the transition will be a success. If he cannot, it could mean either he or the system won't be around next season. Jets coach Eric Mangini said he's seen a lot of different inside linebackers have success in the 3-4, from Tedy Bruschi to Ted Johnson to Roman Phifer. "It's not that there's only one way to necessarily play it," he said. "It develops and you figure out the best way for you to get those jobs done." The notion that he had a "down year" in 2006 likely aggravates Vilma nearly as much as those missed coverages in Tuesday's practice did. Mangini keeps suggesting that Vilma's contributions to the defense were in quarterbacking the group, even if he wasn't making the spectacular plays. With nearly the entire defense returning around Vilma, he'll be less of a traffic cop and more of a decision maker this year. "The bigger things I don't have to worry about, the basic lining up and where the guys fit, that part is done," Vilma said. "Now we're trying to narrow down the plays that the offense has and fit the defense to those plays." Having a grip on the basics also should allow the defense to expand, and with it the role of Vilma should grow. But he'll still be the CPU of the defense, as he was Tuesday when Mangini allowed him to call his own plays in that end-of-the-game scenario. "Whenever you're in that spot, you're going to get second-guessed," said Mangini, a former defensive coordinator who spoke from experience.
Whenever you're in that spot, you're going to get second-guessed," said Mangini, a former defensive coordinator who spoke from experience. vilma has almost as much experience in the 3-4 defense as a ilb as mangini has as a dc. he was only a dc for one full year with the pats before becoming the jets coach. i think vilma would be best utilized as an outside backer, using his speed. only question would be, can he set the corner on the running plays??? doubt he's big or strong enough for it. vilma's best fit is in a 4-3 defense! jet's could get a hell of a lot for him in a trade, if they finally do give up trying to force a square peg into a round hole!!
