Jets Release Martrez Milner, Kareem’s Chances Looking Good
Yesterday, the Jets announced the release of TE Martrez Milner. Milner (6′4′ 260 lbs. UGA) was claimed by the Jets off waivers from the Giants on May 27. Milner was a fourth-round pick (133rd overall) by the Falcons in the 2007 NFL Draft. Milner had two starts with Atlanta.
I thought Milner was an interesting option, a player that had not impressed other organizations (otherwise they wouldn’t have waived him too) but I think more than anything, it speaks volumes about Kareem Brown’s progress.
I think Kareem could fight for the blocking TE job. He’s been making some nice catches in practice, which is a good sign, but what the Jets really need to discern is just how good of a blocker can he be. Since the contact is limited right now, it’s probably hard to get a proper read on just what Brown can do (for you). But once camp and gametime rolls around, look to see how much they test out Brown with opponent’s ones.
Ryan has noted that he sees Bubba Franks as a blocker, and maybe he’s right in that assessment, as he noted Ben Coates did the same thing for them with the Ravens at the end of his career. Franks has never been known for blocking during his career, so I need to see it before I believe it. Franks also has trouble staying healthy, so if the Jets were wise, they’d put him on the PUP list right before camp and see just how far Brown progresses by the first or second preseason game.
A lot of folks have been talking about UDFA rookie Jack Simmons, and I’m glad to see that he’s been having a good spring. Barring injuries, the simple numbers though just don’t play out for Simmons making the active roster. He might be a good Practice Squad type for now, but as a pass catching TE listed at 246, we’ve already got one of those and he’s a first round pick.
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Somebody ought to tell Crowder that Rex Ryan already owns one championship ring and the Ryan family has coached in six different Super Bowls with five different teams, winning five.
Franks was better as a blocker than he was as a receiver last year. That’s not saying a whole lot, but I’d even go as far as to say that Baker was no better than him, blocking wise. I didn’t focus on it that closely, so I’d be interested whether others agree/disagree.
I also saw a mild improvement in Keller in the second half of the season.
I’m excited for Kareem. He was a high energy guy at times for Miami.
kc – Good post, but was it meant to go somewhere else or were you just venting? (I can move it if you want).
lol….bent,just venting a little.I know that is old news but just wanted everyone to see it.
Bent, interesting you mentioned the blocking ability of Baker. To get a handle on KC I’ve re-watched the 2007 season. I took a mental note on how many times Baker seemed to miss his assignment and the QB’s were rushed into poor passes or sacked.
Btw I think I’m going to pass my 2008 CD’s off to my friend in Minnesota.
really curious to see how kareem does if hell get any burn
really curious to see how kareem does if hell get any burn
Martrez, we hardly knew ye.
If Kareem has lasted this long, we might assume Rexy sees something there he likes.
Interesting point, Doug in LV. Folks just assume Chris was a good blocker. Not necessarily the case? Have you compared his 2007 to his other years? And mostly, WHY do you have tapes of 2007? :-)
Doug in LV,
Don’t keep us in suspense, how many assignments did Baker miss?
Kareem Brown people? I’m going to vomit. Kareem Brown? This is just yet another stupid that a championship organizations would not do?
Where you would see the difference between a guy like Milner and Brown is in game time.
igs,
I know you hate many of the FO’s decisions, but this comment makes me think that now you’re just searching for any action that you can bend to suit your already decided. point of view.
Decisions like this are often made before the games begin (including preseason). If such decidions couldn’t be made, everyone who was ever signed would make it to the preseason, and that’s just silly.
They liked what they saw from one player more than the other. They felt one player would never contribute. They cut him. That you would twist this to suit your need to condemn the FO is both obvious and kind of sad. Sad in that you can’t allow yourself any confidence in the decisions of the team you love.
StvDoe,
1st off, I don’t hate everythinmg the Jets FO does. I love a lot that has transpired this offseason and in my past posts I’ve stated that. But I have to call them like I see them. When it’s good I say it’s good. And when it’s bad I will call it bad.
2nd, my problem is not necessarily with cutting Milner (although I do think he has a lot of potential). The fact that you’re looking at a college and pro DE to play TE, no matter what his history, is just bonkers. It’s useless. It’s stupid. THERE’S NO POINT TO IT!
There’s plenty of TEs out there. There’s plenty of all around TEs (not blocking TEs – that doesn’t fit the offense) out there to play backup to Franks and Keller. Why would you be using Kareem Brown. Who does this kind of crap? It’s crap. It’s nonsense. It’s sub par. That’s all I’m saying.
And Plax’s case is adjourned till September so that ship has sailed folks. maybe now the FO will do the smart thing and sign matt Jones.
Sign Matt Jones! Sign Matt Jones! Sign Matt Jones! Sign Matt Jones!
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AoJQ6SjyrXJ4O6QBVrh6sz1DubYF?slug=ap-burress-weaponscharges&prov=ap&type=lgns
“Who does this kind of crap? It’s crap. It’s nonsense. It’s sub par. That’s all I’m saying.”
Brandon Moore was a DT in college. His positional change worked out well.
Spencer Larsen was a LB in college, but played FB last year. He may do both this season.
Packers FB Korey Hall started 10 games as a rookie. He was a LB in college.
Brown was a good football player in college with good athleticism for his size and has some experience of playing as a TE in highschool, so what harm does it do to give him a shot when he obviously wasn’t expected to make it as a DE? As some of the above examples show, good athletes with football experience can make a positional transition, especially in a blocking role.
Guys like Antonio Gates never played football in college, they were just great athletes for their size. Brown will be more of a blocker, but he has more experience of playing football, battling in the trenches etc, which I think is extremely valuable.
History is hardly littered with examples (and I am definitely surprised that reports seem to indicate he’s in the mix for playing time already), but I don’t see what the problem is with trying to see if he can contribute in some way.
Kareem Browne allows you to have a third string TE, that takes 10% of the Offensive snaps, primarily in double TE sets. A 7th defensive lineman, in situational defenses , taking 10% of the defensive snaps. Consider, Jenkins , Pouha, Green NT, Ellis, Douglas, DeVito and Browne. Finally taking 100% of the special teams snaps.( Remember you can only dress 45, do the numbers) Kareem is the 5th read as a TE, his primary objective is to knock the snot out of the outside LB. Being the 5th read in passing plays, he runs the same route everytime, on passing plays blocks to the count of three, and runs a 3-5 yard out pattern to the sideline, forcing coverage away from the middle and stretching the bottem of the zone. That his role
“History is hardly littered with examples…”
And that’s exactly the problem.
1, when you have a receiving TE that’s a blocking liability, the other TEs need to be all around TEs, not blocking TEs. Or you pigeonhole your offensive sets.
2. The Packers haven’t won in how many years? And you know what the Jets’ record is. When was the last time the Chargers won anything?
We need to start having a winning attitude around here. When we look at tendencies, lets look at the tendencies of winning teams. Can anyone find me example of a WINNING team, that has taken a player that has been playing one position in college and the prose and let him play a pivotal position on the other side? Especially a skill position?
-And then tell me why? For what reason does Kareem Brown have to be our TE? Is the NFL… that starved for available, real TEs that the Jets have to engage in “THE KAREEM BROWN EXPERIMENT”?
Bassett, Bent, any one… Any news on who’s been getting playing time at WR opposite Cotch?
@igs
I’ll bite… How does Hines Ward suite you? College QB turned pro bowl/SUPER BOWL WINNING WR. I can definitely go on but that’s the first one that comes to mind.
Merc20
@igs….
Oh and the patriots took a WR in Troy Brown and used him in the secondary of all places in the SUPER BOWL. He was second on the team in interceptions for the season. It’s getting late.. maybe I can dig up some more winners for you tomorrow….
Merc20
Repo – Rex said that he was happy with the (Stuckey, Smith, Clowney) group but nobody had separated themselves from the pack.
Orange – I don’t think we’ll see Kareem at DE anymore. He’s down to less than 270 pounds for one thing – too small for a three man front – and was never a speed rusher off the edge, so I don’t expect them to use him in that role. He’s been exclusively used as a TE in camp.
igs – My attitude is more “what have they got to lose?” Kareem’s a guy they have had under contract and obviously believe they can get to contribute in some way. If it doesn’t work, they haven’t lost anything. Him beating out Milner should be a sign that he is already at a level where he’s outplaying (or at least showing more promise than) “available, real TEs”.
@ JetOrange,
That was a solid post. That was a helluva breakdown..
Go Green
Bent
He has been in defensive meetings during OTA’s. I would agree at 270 your a little light to play Defensive End, but your only looking at 6-8 snaps a game, possibly in passing situations. For Brown’s career, the best evolution for him defensively is to become a SAM LB, the linebacker playing over the TE. Certainly he has the size , the movement and agility is another matter. There is a certain synergy in training, you practice as a TE, and then flop over and practice as a SAM against the Tight End. In Rex’s system he uses tweeners all over the field, sometimes as a DE, and other times as a LB, IMO ReX will find Browne a situational role on defense.
Merc, bad examples. there’s a tradition of college QBs, that for skill set are slated in the draft to go QB: Matt JOnes, HInes Ward, Randle-El, Charlie Ward, etc.
In Brown, we’re not talking about that kind of player. We’re talking about a guy that was never projected to play TE in the draft, and has been player pretty mediocre DE. Is he that much of an athlete? Where has it shown on the feild. Because he certainly has not excelled or shown much potential.
Bent, but he beat out Milner in mini camp. Mini camp means nothing. If anything, if the jets have to go forward with this god-awful experiment, let him beat out Milner in pre-season, in some real competition, because that’s where position, especially skill players, seperate themselves.
Man-genie is gone. Let’s stop wasting time with experiments. There’s a lot to lose. We’ve seen that for 40 years.
It seems to me that a 6′-4″, 300 lb. DE (Brown’s former size) is a more valuable commodity, than a 270 lb. TE; all things being equal. I would think that natural/basic ability would be the overriding factor in deciding where a player plays, and Brown seems to me to be more natural at DE. But maybe this is just an experiment, and if it doesn’t work he’ll move back to DE.
Merc, in addition, Troy Brown was a WR that was primarily used as a WR and played his way into the DB position when injuries permitted. He never stopped being a WR. He was never projected as a DB. And the Pats never dropped a DBs roster spot for him. So that’s also a bad example.
And primarily, if you have to dig for examples (although your examples were bad), that just supports my point, that there’s no precedent for doing this, especially on the championship teams.
@igs…
sorry but I used answered your direct question
“Can anyone find me example of a WINNING team, that has taken a player that has been playing one position in college and the prose and let him play a pivotal position on the other side?”
If you don’t like my answer don’t ask the question. But they are valid. They were players that played primarily one position in college/pros and switched successfully. And were/are productive. But if you want dismiss it I’ve got no problem but I think there’s room for experiments when there’s 80 players trying to make a ball club.
Merc20