I agree with this post. I'd sit him too. Nothing wrong with making a man earn his spot. It was odd that Rex started him week 1 - - when we hardly saw anything out of him in the preseason. Maybe that was a mistake? It's looking like it. Idzik comes from the Seattle model where they value competition and make you earn your spot. Rex is a little different. We've seen him stick by Sanchez, even when it was obvious he wasn't earning his spot. We've seen him stick by Bart Scott, instead of letting competition with Demario Davis play out. Milliner this year is handed the starting corner job even though he missed most of the preseason... there are other examples.. I could see this as a point of division between Idzik and Rex. If you are Idzik and you are trying to create a culture of competition and accountability, it makes it pretty tough when the guy making the decisions doesn't follow that model. (Imagine being Walls or Wilson and seeing this kid get torched over and over and sitting the bench only to hear "competition" rhetoric...) I'm not saying Idzik will fire Rex after the year (maybe he doesn't even have that authority) but if he does I think this will be a reason why. You can't have the right hand doing one thing and the left another...
Mitch, my point is that you can say "we're good" or "I believe in us" without the "better than (them)" phrasing.
Milliner being high on other teams' draft boards is not inconsistent with the Jets drafting him to replace Revis. One doesn't rule out the other. It is indisputable particularly with a Rex Ryan D that quality corners capable of playing man coverage are critical. The Jets played without Revis most of last year, and did not want to field the same kind of secondary they had last year (of course they were not anyway, since it turned out both Bell and Landry left). Either they were going to trade or go FA for a cb, or use a high pick. I don't think this is controversial. And if they had andrew Luck as their Qb instead of Mark Sanchez going into the past off season, would they still have picked Smith? Of course not. Take Winters. Moore was leaving, and they decided to let Slauson go (imo a mistake, but there were bad feelings going back to the previous off season with him). They got Colon, but they knew it was risky plugging in Ducasse. So it was no big surprise they got Winters. Even a great pick like Richardson was not purely BPA. Coples was hardly ROTY material last year, and in any event they were letting both Pouha and DeVito go (imo the later move seems somewhat questionable, but Snacks and RIchardson have made it less so). And Ellis was not proven last year, either. In short having a possible pick be highly rated does not mean that filling needs is not or should not be considered.
The Jets are a team full of holes all over the place on both sides of the ball. We are rebuilding and have need at WR, CB, OL, Safety, Running back, TE and QB. Chances are pretty good the NY Jets were picking a player who was the highest rated player on the board who also fit a need. Richardson and last year Couples were 2 players taken who were among the least need positions the NY Jets had. I believe the Jets stuck to their draft board this year and will do so next year. What you and other who seem to want to make this about Revis fail to admit that once Austin was taken at 12 it was highly likely that Milner was on the top of almost every NFL draft board. So while I agree it's possible we had someone rated higher when we picked Milner, I think it's highly unlikely. We did what a smart team does that is rebuilding and has multiple needs we took the highest rated player on our board. I'm not making the argument that Milner was high on everyone's draft board. I'm making the argument that when we drafted him he was the single highest rated player left on everyone's draft board with few exceptions.
I hold out little hope for improvement from him this year. Next year will be his time to make the jump. After having no off season due to inury, no OTA's, then the gall to hold out of training camp after no OTA's, limited practice time and missing games due to injury he's just so far behind the 8 ball at this point that you just have to hit the reset button for 2014. No question he has the physical talent but he is beyond unprepared mentally and technique wise out there. Top that off with the type of pressure Rex' D places on corners in his defensive system and you have what you are witnessing right now.
Marvin Jones is a solid player, Thompkins is beating numerous CBs not only Milliner. I just stated Revis not to compare the too but to show that everyone struggles even Revis and he did indeed struggle.And i mean come on we've been spoiled Revis is the best CB in the league so of course at a young age he didn't struggle as much as Milliner is struggling right now. Milliner still has half a season to go before we should really start judging him. I like the Gilmore comparison, hopefully he can finish strong like Gilmore did as well.
I understand we disagree about the Revis trade, but it is my point that there would not have been the same need to pick Milliner if the Jets still had Revis. I also agree with you that there were plenty of holes on the team as they entered the draft. But I do think Ryan sees cornerbacks who can play man defense to be highly desirable to the kind of D he wants to play, even somewhere between critical and necessary. Others do not rate the importance of the cornerback position as highly. But I strongly believe Rex ranks it very highly.
I said the same thing I think it was yesterday. So obviously I agree. Heh. There's still a question what to do with him this year. I doubt he will learn on the field, although it is possible. But as others have noted continuing to play him when he is not getting it done has unfortunate downside effects. Like, how would any of us like to be Walls right now? Resetting next off season is no guarantee he will succeed. But the possibility he will makes it too early to say he's a bust.
Revis was coming off of reconstructive knee surgery. If they kept him there would be no guarantee that he could ever perform up to his previous ability or if he would even be ready for the season. If they kept Revis, Cro would be gone after this season. He's likely gone either way but certainly with Revis signed Cro was done. Either case if Milner is at the top of the board you take him. Rebuilding teams with multiple holes have to take the top guys on their board or trade out of the pick if the draft dictates it. I really don't see the argument except in hindsight that Milner was the wrong pick at 9. I could understand the argument if this was a reach pick that somehow fit into a script that CB is an extra special position to Rex Ryan. Seeing what we actually appeared to do which was follow our draft board I come to a very different conclusion.
I think with time Milliner can become average NFL CB which combined with good pass rush and more than min number of points from offense would be all Jets need to win (see Giants '11). My problem with him is the same as it was at the draft -- I don't think Milliner is durable. IMO he'd be worth the injury risk concern in 3rd round, but not as a top pick.
And Terry Boobway thinks Dwayne Robertson will someday make the pro bowl...just wait until he understands how to use his hands...and Eric Mangini thinks Gholston will dominate as a pass rusher...just wait until he gets in shape...
