ESPN: Jets Safeties Plan To Play Rough

[Bronxville Jets Fan]

http://m.espn.go.com/wireless/story?...7&city=newyork


CORTLAND, N.Y. -- Yeremiah Bell is a steel-tough safety from a Kentucky mill town. LaRon Landry is a safety with a physique that looks like it was produced in one of those steel mills. Together, they expect to send a message to opposing tight ends -- yes, including the Gronk:

Watch your step.

"We're just not going to let guys run down the field," Bell said during a break at the New York Jets' training camp. "That's one thing we're not going to do. We're going to get our hands on them early and beat them up a little bit and make them earn that catch.

"When you come over the middle, and you have me and LaRon sitting there, that's something to think about," he continued. "So, yeah, we're going to give guys something to think about."

Anyone who watched the Jets last season knows their safeties, Jim Leonhard and Eric Smith, struggled to cover tight ends. They were too small and too slow. In one game, New England Patriots stud Rob Gronkowski was unstoppable, making the Jets resemble the Washington Generals.

The Jets identified safety as their top defensive priority in the offseason, so they jumped on Landry early in free agency. When Bell was released by the Miami Dolphins, the Jets wanted him so badly Rex Ryan made one of his famous home visits (shades of the Bart Scott midnight rendezvous), flying to South Florida the day after the draft.

They absolutely believe they have upgraded the safety position.

"Nothing against those two guys," defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said of Smith and Leonhard, "but we look the part now."

There are questions about Bell's speed, and Landry is recovering from an Achilles tendon injury that started two years ago. Those are legitimate concerns. But what you have in Bell and Landry are a couple of old-school, rock-em, sock-em football players. That physical style, they believe, can get the job done.

The 50 Greatest Jets
Drawn from more than five decades of history, ESPN New York presents its 50 Greatest Jets. Top 50 *Rank 'Em

Yes, even against the Gronk, a giant redwood who can run. Asked about the 6-foot-7 Gronkowski, Bell said the key is to hit him -- early and hard.

"The big thing in this league is timing," he said. "If he has to take two extra steps to get around us, that's one extra second the quarterback has to [look] off him. [Tom] Brady can't key on him the whole time. We're going to get our hands on him and rough him up a little bit. We're going to come after them."

Pettine believes Bell and Landry can cover the Gronk because of their size (Landry is 220 pounds) and toughness.

"If you try to put a smaller guy on him," Pettine said, "they're just bouncing off him."

Bell is one tough dude. After high school, he worked two years in a steel mill, making $8 an hour. No one offered him a football scholarship, so he had to save money to make it somewhere as a walk-on. That place was Eastern Kentucky.

He returned to the mill during the early part of his career with the Dolphins, developing mettle as he developed metal.

Bell already has established himself as a locker-room leader, reminding Ryan of former Jets fullback Tony Richardson. That's quite a compliment. The Jets really missed Richardson last season when the locker room was imploding.

At 34, Bell is near the end of his career, but he can be a galvanizing force in the secondary, replacing the well-respected Leonhard.

"I think the reason that I thought he would fit here was because of the style of defense that we play," said offensive coordinator Tony Sparano, Bell's head coach in Miami and a big reason why the Jets signed him. "Yeremiah is an aggressive player. He is a heck of a pressure player and I just thought that was a great fit."

Landry was the sixth overall pick in the 2007 draft, chosen by the Washington Redskins, and he was on his way to stardom before the injuries started in 2010. Before then, Mike Shanahan said Landry was the best defensive player he'd ever coached.

In Washington, Landry's nickname was "Dirty 30," for his jersey number and aggressive playing style. He's a monster around the line of scrimmage, a human missile crisis. He will be a huge factor in Pettine's blitz packages; he has linebacker size and strength with a safety's speed.

"I'm trying not to be one-dimensional," Landry said. "I love to do it all -- man-to-man coverage, blitzing, whatever."

For Landry and Bell, a big part of "whatever" will be covering tight ends. They intend to bring some hurt to the party.

[RoadFan]

This should be the plan. Use these hard-hitting safeties. Hit Gronk at the line of scrimmage and then ring his bell if he does make the catch. The combo of Eric Smith and the shrimp Leonhard sure didn't work. This will absolutely be more effective so long as the officials, or zebra scabs, don't throw a flag for some contact. The NFL is fast becoming the arena league. We already know the flag is coming when someone sneezes on Brady.

[Dimitri_0515]

How far will Landry make it in the season? If he lasts the whole season I'll be shocked.

[JETSALLDAY24]

Landry IMO is going to have the biggest impact of out anyone we signed this offeseason.

[Dimitri_0515]

Originally Posted by JETSALLDAY24

Landry IMO is going to have the biggest impact of out anyone we signed this offeseason.

I hope so. I loved him coming out of college. He just hasn't met expectations.

[DDNYjets]

Sounds great. Hope they plan to do all that within 5 yards.

[JETFAN1]

If Bell can be an above average cover safety it will be interesting to see how much 46 will be implemented. I hope Landry can stay healthy to utilize his strength which is a big if which makes Erik Smith paramount.(I can't believe I just typed that)

[lamont_jordan_rules]

... love what we've seen & heard of these 2 so far ...

... please let them be able to stay on the field ...









l_j_r

[eaglenj]

Mike Shannahan apparently referenced landry as one of the best defensive players he has ever coached, so no doubt about the talent.

Hopefully if either of them have to miss time, it will give bush/allen more time to get acclimated to the NFL and learn the defense if they have to step in.

[Redrew]

Why must every thought that travels through the brain of a Jet player or coach make it into the media? From Hard knocks to Red Light Green Light to DB WRs to wildcat to safety gameplans to Coples being the next JPP...etc etc etc.
Our enemies to the north have a simple philosophy ....Give 'em nothing, Soft sell everything. No daily media firestorms, no player self promotions.....just managing expectations...just business.
The Jets.....aka... the Circus....they just can't help themselves. I keep going back to the Revis negotiations. Mistake number one....telling the world Revis is the best D player in the NFL. Negotiations were lost a year before they ever began. Then allowing HBO to film management's stress level during his holdout...amateur hour times ten.
Face it, the Jets have become attention whores. They are the Kardasians of the NFL. Famous not for any real accomplishments....but a knack for having the cameras pointed right at them...the NFL's first soap opera.

[Ray Ray19]

Originally Posted by Redrew

Why must every thought that travels through the brain of a Jet player or coach make it into the media? From Hard knocks to Red Light Green Light to DB WRs to wildcat to safety gameplans to Coples being the next JPP...etc etc etc.
Our enemies to the north have a simple philosophy ....Give 'em nothing, Soft sell everything. No daily media firestorms, no player self promotions.....just managing expectations...just business.
The Jets.....aka... the Circus....they just can't help themselves. I keep going back to the Revis negotiations. Mistake number one....telling the world Revis is the best D player in the NFL. Negotiations were lost a year before they ever began. Then allowing HBO to film management's stress level during his holdout...amateur hour times ten.
Face it, the Jets have become attention whores. They are the Kardasians of the NFL. Famous not for any real accomplishments....but a knack for having the cameras pointed right at them...the NFL's first soap opera.

I still don't understand why fans think this.

The jets aren't asking for the media attention, they never have. Rex has done everything to allow the media to do their jobs and has always been gracious to them, yet they will tear him down at every move.

I now wish Rex would go into full blown Parcells mode and tell them all to F off every day, but the thing is, Rex isn't built that way, he's a genuine dude, and is too damn honest.

[Apache 51]

It's business, big business and even more so since Jetlife was built. No such thing as bad publicity the old players, the talk, the winning that's what helped keep them in the public eye. Now if we could just get back to the winning because that's what really brings em in.

[sg3]

just so we all understand... Redrew is a huge diehard fan of "our enemies to the north" and has been since the day he started posting here

[Redrew]

Originally Posted by Ray Ray19

I still don't understand why fans think this.

The jets aren't asking for the media attention, they never have. Rex has done everything to allow the media to do their jobs and has always been gracious to them, yet they will tear him down at every move.

I now wish Rex would go into full blown Parcells mode and tell them all to F off every day, but the thing is, Rex isn't built that way, he's a genuine dude, and is too damn honest.

"Not asking for media attention" ????? Are you kidding?

"Rex isn't built that way." No kidding. The guy does not have a filter....what I call an "out loud thinker." Every thought that enters his mind exits his lips. And now the players feel they too must offer up in order to keep the cameras on them.
The Jets are a soap opera that has something for everyone. Drama, comedy, slapstick, beefcake, fetish. The coverage is not about how the Jets are playing. They were a mid pack non contender last year but the cameras are more present than ever. Its all about..."what's going on inside the minds of Rex, Tebow, Sanchez?" When will the problematic WR blow? Who points the blame finger first? The cameras are lining up for the expected train wreck and the audience is staying tuned.
Most teams choose to go about their business adhering to the Belichick model of "internalizing" team business. The Jets have opted for the Jerry Jones model of tabloid externalization. Although Jones system is not condusive to sustain periods of on field success, it has achieved unprecedented success in inflating team value. Go get 'em Woody

[124]

Sounds great. We'll see. We'll see if Landry can stay healthy and that really is the biggest key.

[jetsfan1983]

Safeties can't play physical in this league anymore...

15 yard penalties waiting to happen. At least it will make the receivers worry though.

[Redrew]

Originally Posted by sg3

just so we all understand... Redrew is a huge diehard fan of "our enemies to the north" and has been since the day he started posting here

Actually I'm a die hard fan of how the Patriots operate. I'm a former Jets season ticket holder that moved south years ago. Maybe time and distance has allowed me to view this team less emotionally now...but when I examine the Jets operation, I instinctively ask the question...What would Belichick do? Sorry that bothers you. No doubt much of Belichicks credibility is a result of having Brady on their roster...but...12 years of sustained winning is remarkable and considering all the hats Belichick wears, he is remarkable.
Up and down the list....team building, management style, coaching, philosophy...I wish the Jets operated like our enemies to the north. What's going on to the Patriots south is a clown show.

[jetsfan1983]

Originally Posted by Redrew

Why must every thought that travels through the brain of a Jet player or coach make it into the media? From Hard knocks to Red Light Green Light to DB WRs to wildcat to safety gameplans to Coples being the next JPP...etc etc etc.
Our enemies to the north have a simple philosophy ....Give 'em nothing, Soft sell everything. No daily media firestorms, no player self promotions.....just managing expectations...just business.
The Jets.....aka... the Circus....they just can't help themselves. I keep going back to the Revis negotiations. Mistake number one....telling the world Revis is the best D player in the NFL. Negotiations were lost a year before they ever began. Then allowing HBO to film management's stress level during his holdout...amateur hour times ten.
Face it, the Jets have become attention whores. They are the Kardasians of the NFL. Famous not for any real accomplishments....but a knack for having the cameras pointed right at them...the NFL's first soap opera.

Those guys to the north haven't won anything in 8 years despite having one of the greatest QB's of our time.

They are doing plenty wrong up there...

[First DOWN!]

You know if Landry stays healthy and plays up to potential, he could be the biggest signing of the offseason of any team. He'd easily be top 3 safety in the league.

[kdelgado]

Originally Posted by Redrew

Actually I'm a die hard fan of how the Patriots operate. I'm a former Jets season ticket holder that moved south years ago. Maybe time and distance has allowed me to view this team less emotionally now...but when I examine the Jets operation, I instinctively ask the question...What would Belichick do? Sorry that bothers you. No doubt much of Belichicks credibility is a result of having Brady on their roster...but...12 years of sustained winning is remarkable and considering all the hats Belichick wears, he is remarkable.
Up and down the list....team building, management style, coaching, philosophy...I wish the Jets operated like our enemies to the north. What's going on to the Patriots south is a clown show.

I'm not a fan of it. Any time a Pats fan says that they like it I merely say I don't care not everyone is built the same. I hate ground and pound and I think that the panic after the Raiders and Ravens games was so overblown it led to regressing in Sanchez's development. I however, don't hate the crass, verbose nature of this team. I missed it last season. The team wasn't asking you to hit them harder. The team stopped pounding it's chest and pushing its opponents' buttons. It made gave the team unity in that it provided an us against the world mentality. It made it clear that the enemy was there in a different colored jersey on Sunday.

Since Rex has gotten here we haven't dealt with a losing season and reached the AFC title game twice. We are perennial contenders even though the media wants us to fail. It's nice being the fan of a team people can't stop talking about. Everyone has an opinion of my team and thats better to me than being irrelevant because if we sucked and were loud no one would talk about us.