Sermon on Mount Becton

[reuben]

Really? I think it's almost certainly Becton's to lose. Mitchell was OK last year but nothing special, and I wouldn't want him entering as a starter. And he wasn't healthy.

He was pretty good until he got hurt, especially for a 4th rounder.  He came back and played well.  I think there's a lot of potential there.  Plus he was recognized as a team leader throughout college and clearly has the respect of the coaching staff.  Also he didn't blame his blood clots on the freaking Jets nutritionists or parking lot attendants and that counts for something in my book. 

I have substantially more faith in Mitchell's future than Becton's.  Becton can't even get through a single offseason without making an derriere of himself or blaming someone else for his own shortcomings.

[Heismanberg]

The immaturity and lack of accountability are a bigger concern for me than his injuries.  He can't get out of his own way.  He's the kind of player that will all of a sudden get healthy, show some signs of hope, and then eat himself out of the league in the offseason.

You can't predict injuries, especially the ones that he's suffered.  It's unfortunate that our scouting department, coaches, and GM weren't able to identify just how stupid this player is.

[Derek Smalls]

He was pretty good until he got hurt, especially for a 4th rounder.  He came back and played well.  I think there's a lot of potential there.  Plus he was recognized as a team leader throughout college and clearly has the respect of the coaching staff.  Also he didn't blame his blood clots on the freaking Jets nutritionists or parking lot attendants and that counts for something in my book. 

I have substantially more faith in Mitchell's future than Becton's.  Becton can't even get through a single offseason without making an derriere of himself or blaming someone else for his own shortcomings.

I think your qualifier is correct. "For a 4th rounder" he was pretty good.

Is that the guy I want to go into the season as protecting Aaron Rodgers on the right side? I'd love for him to prove it. Not saying he can't. But I think Becton showed he has a higher ceiling.

[reuben]

Is that the guy I want to go into the season as protecting Aaron Rodgers on the right side?

Honestly, no, no I don't feel great about it.  I really believe that this line needed to add a first round talent at tackle, but here we are.  I think of the players we have to work with, Mitchell has shown potential, Warren is an unknown commodity, Turner is an aged but capable back-up, and Mekhi Becton shouldn't be relied upon in any capacity.

[reuben]

But I think Becton showed he has a higher ceiling.

I just think his ceiling is irrelevant at this point.  We've had a rash of players recently with sky-high ceilings who are too stupid and/or immature to get off of their respective floors. 

[reuben]

The total timeline is just so bonkers to me:

~ Saleh suggests conditioning and weight management are areas to focus on during Mekhi's first offseason
~ Mekhi shows up with below average conditioning and 400+
~ Gets injured immediately, expected to miss about a month
~ Winds up missing the whole season
~ Not a single public critical word from CS or Saleh during that span
~ Shows up overweight and underconditioned to 2022 training camp
~ Gets reinjured immediately
~ Nothing but positivity and public support from Saleh and CS
~ Finally gets in shape after another year
~ "They should have played me at LT, it's their fault.  No one cared."

Next level bonkers lack of accountability. 

[Badger]

The total timeline is just so bonkers to me:

~ Saleh suggests conditioning and weight management are areas to focus on during Mekhi's first offseason
~ Mekhi shows up with below average conditioning and 400+
~ Gets injured immediately, expected to miss about a month
~ Winds up missing the whole season
~ Not a single public critical word from CS or Saleh during that span
~ Shows up overweight and underconditioned to 2022 training camp
~ Gets reinjured immediately
~ Nothing but positivity and public support from Saleh and CS
~ Finally gets in shape after another year
~ "They should have played me at LT, it's their fault.  No one cared."

Next level bonkers lack of accountability.

Last year's Zach debacle really drove this home for me - a lot of players on our team, especially the young guys, read the clickbait headlines about the team and take them as gospel. So Saleh saying "we're gonna play our best five" becomes "Robert Saleh slams an offensive lineman" and it honestly seems like he believes that's what's happening.

[reuben]

I really respect Saleh's (apparent) approach to player relations: treat the players like grown men, professionals.  Don't treat them like children who need to be disciplined.  Long-term, I think it's the right approach.  The unfortunate drawback of that philosophy, especially in the first few years while you're building the culture throughout the locker room, is that some young players really still are children at heart.  Zach Wilson, Elijah Moore, and Mekhi Becton have all struggled here due in some part to their inability to carry themselves like grown professionals. 

I still think it's the right approach, but I do wonder if either of the three would have been better off with a Belichick-type poopchute telling them exactly what to do and when to do it.  Probably more likely they would have never even made those rosters. 

[Libero_2]

I really respect Saleh's (apparent) approach to player relations: treat the players like grown men, professionals.  Don't treat them like children who need to be disciplined.  Long-term, I think it's the right approach.  The unfortunate drawback of that philosophy, especially in the first few years while you're building the culture throughout the locker room, is that some young players really still are children at heart.  Zach Wilson, Elijah Moore, and Mekhi Becton have all struggled here due in some part to their inability to carry themselves like grown professionals. 

I still think it's the right approach, but I do wonder if either of the three would have been better off with a Belichick-type poopchute telling them exactly what to do and when to do it.  Probably more likely they would have never even made those rosters. 

In a perfect world, I think that poopchute, is a veteran that young guy can look up to and say “damn that dudes been in the league a decade and been really freaking good., I should shut up and listen”

In our case when Becton was drafted we had what, one dude under contract who fit that description in CJ Mosely, and he opted out. We had no reasonable vet and no decent coach who could corral the kid. He has not developed the mentality of a professional athlete, and it shows.

I assume in 2-3 years we don’t have these same issues, for two reasons. 1. We better identify the guys with these issues and weed them out of our process/team building. 2. We will have legit stars on the roster who have thrived that dudes can look at and say “that’s the dude I want to be”

[reuben]

Jets OT Mekhi Becton is not practicing at OTAs.

Becton has missed most of the past two seasons with knee injuries while fighting weight issues and earning the ire of Jets coaches. Becton blamed his coaches for causing his 2022 knee injury by switching him from left tackle to right tackle. It's unclear where Becton will play this season. The team in early May declined Becton's fifth-year option, making 2023 perhaps his final year in New York. Becton, 24, certainly has what it takes to be a foundational piece of the Jets offensive line if he can stay healthy this season.

[CatoTheElder]

Cool.

[insanity]

Do we know why?

[Badger]

Do we know why?

Clearly because he's training with his own specialized team in the offseason to prove the haters and doubters wrong.

[CatoTheElder]

Clearly because he's training with his own specialized team in the offseason to prove the haters and doubters wrong.

Basically this. It's what he did last season, too.

[Libero_2]

Basically this. It's what he did last season, too.

Aren’t we into the “mandatory” time frame?