According to Canny in the New York Post, there’s an interesting wrinkle in the road to redemption for Kerry Rhodes and getting back into the base package.
One week after having his starting job taken away, safety Kerry Rhodes was back playing in the base defense Thursday night in the second quarter. Rhodes said yesterday he knew he would get his job back, but he wasn’t sure when.
Earlier in the week, Rhodes said there was one thing coach Rex Ryan wanted him to do before he could return to his starting role, but Rhodes wouldn’t reveal it.
Asked yesterday, Rhodes said Ryan wanted him to sit down with defensive backs coach Dennis Thurman, a former NFL defensive back who was a mentor to Ronnie Lott and coached the likes of Ed Reed.
“[Ryan] wanted me and DT to meet on a personal level,” Rhodes said. “[Thurman] has worked with a lot of great safeties and he wanted me and DT to meet and talk not just Xs and Os, but how he taught football to those other guys. He was a mentor to Ronnie Lott. Just hearing a name like that makes you want to tune in a little bit.”
Rhodes and Thurman spoke on Tuesday.
“[In] Dennis Thurman, we’re fortunate to have a secondary coach that taught Ronnie Lott how to study opponents and film,” Ryan said. “He had a decent pupil in Troy Polamalu. He had another one in Ed Reed and Rod Woodson. He played a long time in this league as a tremendous player. Why anybody wouldn’t take advantage of that is beyond me.”
The natural question was: Why did it take 11 games before Rhodes had a personal sit down with his defensive backs coach?]
I have to admit that I’m sort of at a loss to know why they don’t meet regularly.
What exactly was Thurman doing for the past 4 months ? They don’t have that many dbs on the roster why did it take this long ? it doesnt make any sense
we must trade this guy. He’s soft, afraid to make a hit, and is not physical enough to play in this system. Get some draft picks for him while he still has ANY trade value. Maybe we can get Eric Berry or Taylor Mays in the draft. i don’t know but I don’t want this guy on my team.
Kerry Rhodes is the most overrated player in the NFL. I am a die hard Jets fan but realistic. Whenever he is tested in a zone situation he is ALWAYS too late to break up the pass. His tackling is atrocious. When he run blitzes he always chooses the wrong gap.
I think Rex Ryan agrees too. Next year when we make a real playoff run we will need a replacement for Rhodes.
Someone needs to start a “Trade Kerry Rhodes Blog” to take over his good press on Google. It could make a difference in our cause.
We need to keep his good press up so we can get better value for this slacker. We want football players…taylor mays is our man. The kid, much like his former USC teammate, bleeds this game
You ask: Why did it take 11 games before Rhodes had a personal sit down with his defensive backs coach?
Maybe it’s because Rhodes is an arrogant hollywood hotdog who thinks he’s above getting any help with his game.
Or maybe it’s because Rex wasn’t on top of the situation for the past eleven weeks like a seasoned head coach would have been.
Or maybe it’s both of the above. . .
I’m not ready to call for Kerry’s head. I think he’s gotten a little big for his britches after having a couple pro-bowl quality seasons, and needs to be brought back to planet earth.
Let’s see how he reacts to the recent stuff and make a ruling at the end of the season.
Why should he sit down with the DB coach.He studies on his own. And he’s a Pro-Bowler. Just ask him and he’ll tell you himself.
WTF? Are you kidding me? I thought Ryan was the BID D man. There’s something really rotten here. My guess – Kerry.
Man, every time you think the organization has turned a corner…you hear stuff like this. When are these guys gonna get serious?
Why don’t we just resign Lott, he exudes toughness. He could be Kerry’s personal trainer. He makes another lame a$$ tackle attempt and he goes to the sidelines and BAMMM!!! Lott lays him out and says try that next time or you get another lesson. Yes I know he is older but you know he is still way tougher than Bollywood.
This is embarrassing.
Even more embarrassing that it is out in the press, this stuff should be handled in house and should have been done way back in camp.
I agree make him sit down with Ronnie now. Even if only a little bit of his attitude rubs off on Kerry we are better off.
I blame all three men in this situation. Rhodes should sought out his coach for any info he could get to improve his game. His coach should have spoken to him from training season to see what kind of player he was coaching. And finally Ryan should have been on top of it. At least its finally happening. Hopefully good things can come from it.
And then you have a guy like Revis, who searches out the coach and asks to be taught. That is the difference, in football and in life…..
Here’s an idea. Rhodes to Cleveland for Jason Trusnik and next year’s 2nd rounder.
Kerry Rhodes = Aaron Glen
Time to take a page from the Pats playbook and put him on the block while he’s still got some worth.
To clarify… once Aaron Glen made the pro bowl and got the huge contract, his work ethic/ on-field-play dipped dramatically.
who the hell wants trusnik, the dude isn’t gonna play on the jets, we traded him for a reason.
Lets see what Rhodes does the rest the year, if he is still a primadonna, we can trade em, f it
If he mans up and plays FOOTBALL, we can keep him.
Its win-win regardless.
Tom,
Rex Ryan answers your question (I was thinking the same thing) about why did it take so long?
“Kerry has been a successful player in this league, Kerry knows how to study film, he’s been effective throughout his career, so [he probably figured] ‘Why should I do that?’ ”
Ryan goes on to say:
“You’ve got to understand this resource. This is something that I knew if we would take him out of base or bench him in that role, if you will, then maybe he would respond.”
Which is why I gotta agree with Johnny Reefer’s comments:
“Lets see what Rhodes does the rest the year, if he is still a primadonna, we can trade em, f it”
hodes is NOT a ryex ryan type of player, he will not last. He’s not heady enough or tough enough. What he does have is some AMZING physical gifts in his size and speed. However, as a safety you’ve either got to be an amazing ball hawk or a take your head off hitter. He is neither, we thought he was the former but he’s slacking so at the end of the year I suspect he gets traded to someone who still is interested in his VAST potential. maybe for a 3rd. I’d LOVE that. Also guys forget Berry, he’s atop 10 pick and we cannot afford to trade up again. Taylor Mays s a possibility but he is not a FS but a SS ans we just igned leanard for 3 years so I don’t think this is a fit. Plus we Need as DE or NT in the 1st round. if he slips to the 2nd then I’d take him.
I’ve long defended Rhodes but like many here I’ve had enough. Let’s hope he plays well enough the rest of the way to either convince another team to trade for him, or to convince Ryan he deserves to stay.
I’m not interested in, and I’m sure Rex isn’t interested in, any player who doesn’t want to maximize his potential. Rhodes has the coach and the physical attributes to have his name along with the others Thurman coached. He’s getting paid too much to not put in the time to work to be the best. I’m ready to call for his head, his attitude is a cancer to a team. Your average Jets fan works harder than Kerry Rhodes.
Leonhard, Revis, and Harris should be our long term defensive nucleus. They should set the example for work ethic expected in the locker room, for the defense. I’m excited for the years to come if the team can keep them all here.
I agree that someone needs to hit him… What would be really sweet is on the next blown tackle by Rhodes David Harris comes over and just smooth lays him out right then and there…..
acrew rhodes,we dont want him on our team,he is too soft,my gradma can tackle better than him,we need to trade him as soon as the season is over,ill even take a 3rd round for him and use it on a decent hitting safety.im so sick of rhodes and his stank attitude,his face makes me wanna thrown up
You know what’s great: Kerry Rhodes appears so stuck on himself, he likely will read this post and at least the first few comments until he realizes that it is almost 100% negative about his soft prima-donna self. Like the NFL Network said the other night: his faux tackle in the second half at a ball carrier coming right at him was a “business decision” on his part. And Kerry if you got this far: faux means false.
P.s this guy is the reason revis is on top of his game I dotn think a reciever he covers has over 50 yards he is truly a beast move him to safty he will be all over the field
Rhodes is just writing his ticket out of here!
I hope we trade him to the Browns!!!
He is just a lost cause!!!!
dont get me wrong i love the guy so i will always blindly defend him i mean he is talented..im not gonna make excuses for him but he was thrown under the bus by several of his teamates….idk as far a kerry whatever happens happens but do hope he gets his act together because if he plays like his supposed to this secondary can be top notch..until then……..we’ll see…….pick it up kerry pick it up it hard to turn new yorker back on your side when they think your a bum so pick it up!!
This guy has done nothing not just this year!!! But the last year and a half that the new regime was’nt here yet??? I use to think we had something and applauded when Mr T signed him to an extension. But now it looks like a MISTAKE he did another half hearted attempt at a tackle THURS NIGHT after getting pulled out the base D because of that same CRAP! C’mon Mannnnnnnnnnnn!! You got JL playing out there with one hand and making all the signals
And if we remember in some early articles he was STUNG and had to swallow his pride a lil he said , That he was’nt going to make the secondary signals but he looks forward to be able to freelance . This guy thinks he has rings that he’s above coaching. Its like dating a chick and you think you found the right one and then when you move in with her you see it was’nt meant to be. You know what happens then right? After you find out you have nothing in common! You get rid of HER!! TRADE this CLOWN ASAP took this long to talk to your DB coach ????