After starting every Jets game the past two seasons, right guard Willie Colon’s job was up for grabs when he arrived at training camp in July. He was still rehabbing from a left knee injury and needed to prove himself to a new coach and general manager.
But on Tuesday, after a battle that stretched more than a month, Todd Bowles announced that the 32-year-old Colon – who signed a one-year deal in the offseason – will retain his starting position for 2015.
“He came back to camp in shape. He wanted it more. He played like he wanted it more. He was the hungriest. And he’s shown (it),” Bowles said. “He didn’t bust as many assignments as the rest of them. He played tougher. He played more physical than the rest of them.”
Colon beat out Brian Winters, Brent Qvale and Oday Aboushi for the job despite leading all right guards with 14 penalties in 2014.
Bowles said Winters is currently the backup right guard, but things could change depending on how players perform in Thursday’s preseason game against the Eagles at MetLife Stadium.
Colon noted the play of Winters and Qvale during camp, but ultimately, his experience was the difference.
“When you’re a younger guy and you’ve never been through a competition battle, you can start counting reps, you can start looking into little things like how you’re treated or how people are talking to you. But you have to be able to ignore all that,” Colon told the Daily News. “Any time you’re out there and you’re getting the chance to be out there, you compete. You play hard and you don’t mess up and you do what you have to do to get the job done.”
GOING DEEP
In early August, before he’d been handed the starting quarterback job thanks to Geno Smith, Ryan Fitzpatrick was asked if he’d seen the scouting reports teams have on him.
“I’ve read a lot of them,” he answered, “noodle arm, can’t throw it past 20 yards, can’t throw the deep ball.”
Fitzpatrick, though, couldn’t care less about those reports. And neither does quarterbacks coach Kevin Patullo, who voiced full confidence in Fitzpatrick’s ability to lead a successful vertical passing attack this season.
“I’ve got no problem,” Patullo said. “We try to get it out. We’re not going to hold it back there all day anyway. So I’ve got no problem with that at all.”
MO AND SHELDON TO SIT
Bowles said defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson will “definitely” not play Thursday against the Eagles. Defensive end Sheldon Richardson, who is suspended the first four games of the regular season, is also very unlikely to see action.
“I don’t know if I want to see Sheldon play Thursday,” Bowles said. “He played a lot the last game. He can’t do anything but get hurt.”…Defensive lineman Kevin Vickerson (hamstring) was placed on season-ending injured reserve. …Wide receiver Jeremy Kerley (concussion) was back at practice Tuesday wearing a red, no-contact jersey. …Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills claimed offensive lineman Dalton Freeman off waivers from the Jets on Tuesday. …Bowles said to expect a lot of Matt Flynn and some of John Johnson under center Thursday.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.
Football Rss Article only
Source:
http://ift.tt/1L2Wwkw