SB Nation - Jason Davis

Jets Flight Connections 120909

dvdvil — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:52:00 -0000

Rich Cimini wants QB Mark Sanchez to sit out on Sunday. He also turns an innocent compliment by FB Tony Richardson on the running game into a negative assessment of WR Braylon Edwards.

Peter King is impressed with the Jets rushing offense, and especially with OL Coach Bill Callahan.

RB Thomas Jones is performing very well and is up for another FedEx Ground Player award. He won this before in Week 6. Vote for him here. Vote early and often.

And I also want to remind everyone that so far, only G Alan Faneca is leading the Jets in the ProBowl voting. Vote for Revis, C Nick Mangold, LB David Harris and other deserving Jets here.

Jets practice squad FB Jason Davis also likes the run game and prepares like a starter. Another young guy on the squad is LB Jamaal Westerman, and I found this article on him.

Dave Hutchinson takes a quick look at the next game and reiterates that CB Darrelle Revis could be considered the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Mark Cannizzaro lauds HC Rex Ryan's in-game defensive adjustments. Larry to the Izzo compares Rex to Bill Belichick.

But Newsday's Roderick Boone says don't believe the Jets defense hype. (You can't actually read the full article without paying. Seriously, what the hell, Newsday?)

Maybe he's got a point, because despite the stats, the Jets are just a .500 team.

Hopefully, that will change on Sunday. Obviously, we are expected to beat Tampa Bay.

More connections after the jump.

Nick Mangold, Giants TE Kevin Boss and CB Corey Webster, the teams's owners and some fans stepped onto the field yesterday. Mangold talks about the stadium in this video.

The New Meadowlands Stadium will have removable endzone and midfield turfs. We will actually be seeing the Jets logo at the 50 yard line next year.

Find out more about the field turf here.

Some NFL kickers will not miss the current stadium and the swirling winds within it.

Sports Illustrated rates the Dewayne Robertson draft pick as the worst trade of the decade. Meanwhile, the Patriots are pretty much the best everything. Oh, and they also talk about this thing called SpyGate.

The branches of the Belichick coaching tree are not getting along.

In the loss to the Dolphins, are the Patriots players to blame and not the coaches?

Examiner.com blames last year's Jets meltdown not on QB Brett Favre, but on Jones and Coles. Vikings TE Vishanthe Shiancoe is confident the same thing won't happen in Minnesota.

WR Laveranues Coles is still adjusting to the Bengals system. His teammate Chad Ochocinco is having fun in Cincinnati - and paying for it.

Are we rooting for the Browns on Thursday? Steelers WR Hines Ward might miss that game.

Lastly, Kerry Locklin, we hardly knew ya.

Danny Woodhead Among Four Released

John B — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 02:17:02 -0000

by Bill Kostroun - AP

6 months ago: New York Jets running back Danny Woodhead catches a pass during the football minicamp, Tuesday, June 9, 2009, in Florham Park, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

View full size photo »

A day after producing the feel good story of the year, the Jets undid it by cutting Danny Woodhead.

Danny Woodhead’s stay on the New York Jets’ active roster lasted 24 hours.

The small and shifty running back was waived Sunday, along with punter Reggie Hodges (notes), offensive tackle Mike Kracalik (notes) and linebacker Brandon Renkart (notes), a day after coach Rex Ryan got down to the 53-man roster limit.

I said it yesterday. I'll say it again. I want a playmaker instead of a blocker. What does fullback Jason Davis bring over Robert Turner or Wayne Hunter as a blocker? How often will the Jets even need a backup fullback with Tony Richardson in the fold? Couldn't they sign somebody off the street who would be just as capable if they ever needed another fullback? Woodhead is a great weapon, a gamebreaking threat. Imagine the headaches packages with he and Leon Washington on the field at the same time could have caused. It's tough to imagine Woodhead clearing waivers and making it to the practice squad. Some team starved for running back play will take a chance on a guy with his skill set. Maybe the Pats will grab him for revenge on Kevin O'Connell and perhaps pick Danny's brain on the Jets.

Why carry four quarterbacks? Why not release Kellen Clemens? Undoubtedly Kellen's a great guy, but they don't make that trade for O'Connell if they're convinced Kellen is the answer as a backup quarterback. It's not like Clemens has a load of trade value.

I don't get why Rex Ryan singled him out in praise yesterday only to do this.

I'm not exactly shedding the same kind of tears for Reggie Hodges, but I don't get how A.J. Trapasso has proven to be better than either Reggie or the other preseason competitors.

Puzzling stuff.

Fullback Claimed From Chicago

John B — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 21:39:37 -0000

The busy day continues. The Jets have claimed fullback Jason Davis from the Chicago Bears.

Davis played in five games for the Bears in 2008, with one carry for zero yards and one catch for 12 yards.

I guess the staff didn't like Jehuu Caulcrick since they cut him and made this move. So much for one fullback. Today's moves mean less work for Wayne Hunter and Robert Turner.

Bears Make 53

Dane Noble — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:20:43 -0000

A few surprises, but not too many. Today, the Bears whittled their roster down to the league mandated 53 players by terminating 3 contracts, waiving 16 players, and placing 3 on Injured Reserve.

Players who were waived included guard Johan Asiata, defensive ends Ervin Baldwin and Joe Clermond, offensive tackle Cody Balogh, quarterback Brett Basanez, cornerbacks Rudy Burgess, Marcus Hamilton and Woodny Turenne, fullbacks Jason Davis and Will Ta’ufo’ou, linebackers Marcus Freeman, Kevin Malast and Mike Rivera, receiver Eric Peterman, and center Donovan Raiola.

The Bears can establish an eight-man practice squad on Sunday and also can claim players who’ve been waived by other NFL teams. In past seasons, the Bears have typically stocked their practice squad primarily with players they released a day earlier during final cuts.

Here’s a breakdown of the 53-man roster as it stands now (in alphabetical order):

Quarterbacks (2): Jay Cutler, Caleb Hanie.

Running backs (3): Matt Forte, Adrian Peterson, Garrett Wolfe.

Fullbacks (1): Jason McKie:

Wide receivers (6): Devin Aromashodu, Earl Bennett, Rashied Davis, Devin Hester, Juaquin Iglesias, Johnny Knox.

Tight ends (4): Desmond Clark, Kellen Davis, Michael Gaines, Greg Olsen.

Offensive linemen (8): Josh Beekman, Roberto Garza, Olin Kreutz, Lance Louis, Frank Omiyale, Orlando

Pace, Kevin Shaffer, Chris Williams.

Defensive linemen (9): Anthony Adams, Mark Anderson, Alex Brown, Jarron Gilbert, Tommie Harris, Marcus Harrison, Israel Idonije, Adewale Ogunleye, Matt Toeaina.

Linebackers (6): Lance Briggs, Hunter Hillenmeyer, Nick Roach, Pisa Tinoisamoa, Brian Urlacher, Jamar Williams.

Cornerbacks (6): Zackary Bowman, Corey Graham, Trumaine McBride, D.J. Moore, Charles Tillman, Nate Vasher.

Safeties (5): Al Afalava, Josh Bullocks, Danieal Manning, Kevin Payne, Craig Steltz.

Specialists (3): Robbie Gould, Patrick Mannelly, Brad Maynard.

Position Battles: Running Backs

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:00:10 -0000

I found it odd the Bears didn't bother bringing in an undrafted free agent tailback to compete in camp and to play the fourth quarters of the preseason games. Last year they kept four on the opening day roster, so is it a given they will do the same thing this year?

Matt Forte could reach Pro Bowl status and Kevin Jones is healthy and in great shape. These two are obvious locks for the final roster and should be a formidable tandem if used correctly. I'd love to see Forte & Jones at about 60% / 40% on touches, a point I addressed right here last month.

Are Garrett Wolfe and Adrian Peterson comfortably on the final 53? What about the fullbacks? Last year the Bears kept only one, Jason McKie, but brought in Jason Davis when McKie was banged up and liked what they saw. And then what about rookie, and already fan favorite, Will Ta'ufo'ou? How many backs will be there on opening day?

Take the jump and see what I think...

I thought last year was going to be Garrett Wolfe's last chance to prove his worth. Even though he saw very limited action on offense, he really became a standout special teams player before he was injured. This year the Bears continue to preach getting Wolfe more involved in the offense, so does that mean their minds are already made up about him?

Adrian Peterson is a pro's pro. He does his job on special teams, he runs hard when he gets opportunities, he'll block, he can catch out of the backfield, it just seems like the Bears take him for granted. He has a solid year in 2005 with over 80 touches then rarely saw the field in 2006. In 2007 he has 51 receptions and over 500 yards rushing, not spectacular I know, but another solid year for a back-up. Last year with Kevin Jones ineffective, the Bears would rather drive Forte into the ground than get Peterson some carries (he only had 20).

Offensively these two bring different skills to the table, but at the end of the day neither will supplant Forte or Jones for many touches this year. It'll come down to special team play, and both thrive in the third phase. I can see the Bears bringing both these guys for the ride again this year, but if they decide to go an extra wide receiver, tight end, or even full back, I believe Peterson will be the odd man out. I think the Bears still view the upside of Garrett Wolfe as better than Peterson, even though we still have yet to see it.

I really can't see Jason McKie not making the final roster. For as many FB Dive jokes that float around WCG, McKie is a solid player. It's not his fault every person in the stadium knows when that dive is coming. He has better than average hands out of the backfield, he's a solid lead blocker, he's a good special teams player, and when used properly he'll pick up a tough yard for you. With as many double TE sets the Bears incorporate there really isn't a need to carry more than one FB. I think Davis will be the one left unemployed, with the Bears tyring to get Ta'ufo'ou on the practice squad. I wonder if after his one preseason game, has Will Ta'ufo'ou reached the legendary status of Mike Hass yet?

If the Bears do only go with three tailbacks and one fullback, then you can bet either an extra tight end (Michael Gaines), or an extra wideout (Devin Aromashodu) will be the beneficiary. Then again if the Bears keep only 2 quarterbacks... decisions, decisions, decisions...

Poll

Who makes the final 53?

Adrian Peterson

117 votes

Garrett Wolfe

258 votes

Both

380 votes

755 votes | Poll has closed

Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Bills Edition

Dane Noble — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 12:30:48 -0000

More photos » by Dean Duprey - AP

Browse more photos »

The Chicago Bears traded for Jay Cutler four months and two weeks ago. For the last 18 weeks, fans have held their breath in anticipation of getting to see him officially take the field, and expectations have been seemingly building and building with the passing of each day.

The game against the Bills was, if anything, a reality check for us fans. While we have allowed for ideas to grow wildly in our heads and imaginations, we got to witness things for exactly what they are- new.

Take a moment to think about the number of players on our starting (or contributing) offense that have never played before as Bears teammates. You'll come up with quite a lot of names. That means that a large majority of our offensive players have never played together, and are learning a new scheme, getting their timing down, learning what works and what doesn't work... in other words, jelling.

Regardless of what our expectations were of Jay Cutler in preseason game #1, we have to take into consideration all of the newness that he (and the rest of the offense) just experienced together. But, no worries. We've got plenty of time to knock off the rust and get everyone on the same page.

And honestly, the same can be said of our defensive secondary. We have had injuries, as well as people swapping positions, and tonight we saw what seemed like 10 different looks at those positions. Again, no worries. This game was as much about evaluating our personnel as it was anything.

Now, on to the purpose of this post. Here are some random things I saw during the Bills game:

- Kevin Jones runs hard. He keep his legs churning, and looked very aggressive when he had the ball in his hands. He will be a huge asset this season.

- Orlando Pace was only on the field for (I think) the first 2 offensive series. He had very nice footwork, but did get thrown off balance on a couple of pass plays.

- Kevin Shaffer replaced Pace on the 3rd series, and did not look very polished. He seemed to lumber around quite a bit, and seemed a bit wild. Got pushed around some, and got beat by speed rush.

- Chris Williams looked solid. He showed great technique... I was very excited to see such good production from him.

- Devin Hester ran several really good routes. Looked very crisp several times.

- Garrett Wolfe ran hard. He was definitely showing some heart out there. Ran hard between the tackles, and shook off a couple of big hits from linebackers.

- Jason Davis made some very good lead blocks from the fullback position. He exploded once the ball was snapped, quickly picking up momentum.

- Kellen Davis looked strong after the catch.

- Trumaine McBride was aggressive. Made some big hits, missed a tackle early due to not wrapping up, but seemed to bounce back from that. Played at a fast pace.

- Brian Urlacher looked fast. Had great movement.

- Our right defensive ends consistently fired off the ball with enormous speed. For most of the night, seemed to over-pursue. In the backfield a lot, but seemed to be too fast at times, taking themselves out of the play.

- Al Afalava plays hard. Missed a couple of tackles due to aggressiveness, but made several plays as well. Good special teams play.

- Johnny Knox and Juaquin Iglesias both looked unpolished.

- Cutler looked to Brandon Rideau in the endzone, but the play was called off due to a time out.

- Alex Brown showed a good bull rush.

- Woodny Turenne looked good. Fumble recovery in the first half, and was a good tackler (kept the ball carrier in front of him).

A lot of us had big expectations from our pass rush. The best way for an offense to counter a pass rushing scheme is to keep them on their toes. The Bills no-huddle offense did just that. They wore down our defensive front, nullifying any sort of schematics that we might have had. Rod Marinelli should not have that issue too much in the regular season.

For those who didn't see the Bills first preseason game, they definitely had the luxury of having a game under their belts heading into the Bears game. Their two rookie offensive linemen, Andy Levitre and Eric Wood, looked exponentially better this week. This shows the importance of getting the repetitions in the preseason.

Not to look too far into the future (as we have plenty more analysis from this week's game coming), but this first preseason game was a great opportunity to get our snaps in, learn how to apply all of the offseason schemes that we implemented, and get better. I don't think the game against the Bills should change too much of our outlooks on the 2009 season.

Interview With Brad Biggs- Part 3

Dane Noble — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:20:34 -0000

Thanks to everyone for jumping in and putting some questions together for Brad Biggs, the (in my opinion) best Chicago Bears beat writer out there. He has direct contact with the team, and is able to provide invaluable insight for those of us who only see things from the outside. Make sure you keep up with his blog, Inside the Bears, at http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/, and follow his Twitter (BradBiggs). He'll be providing updates around the clock during Training Camp. On to this round of questions...

GeauxBears: Talks are still continuing about our defensive secondary... our passing D was unremarkable last year, and we can't see that happen again if we are going to be serious about competing in the NFC. Certainly, an improved pass rush will take some pressure off of the DBs, but do you think we have enough talent on the roster to have a solid stand-alone defensive backfield? What's up at the 2 Safety positions?

Brad: The nice thing is that new defensive line coach Rod Marinelli will not need to use his flux capacitor to go too far back in time. The Bears just need to recreate the kind of consistent pass rush they got in 2005 and 2006 in order for the secondary to look, well, like it did in 2005 and 2006. The personnel in place is pretty much the same and if Marcus Harrison can take a step here in his second season, he could be every bit as useful as Tank Johnson was on the field and much less of a menace off the field. It starts with Tommie Harris in the middle and Marinelli should do a lot of good for him for reasons I outlined here last time. He's a no-nonsense guy who players love to play for. Marinelli has a way of connecting with each guy in his meeting room, players from all different backgrounds, and getting them to perform. If he can get Harris going, and if Harris' balky left knee allows him to get going, the rest of the unit should fall into place. Adewale Ogunleye is going to be playing for another bite at the apple—a good contract and a big season from him will not be a surprise. Mark Anderson could go from guest starring in the Bears' own version of "Lost" to also putting himself in position for a lucrative contract. Even though he's been a shadow of himself as a rookie, Anderson could put himself back on the map with a productive campaign. Alex Brown should be his steady self. It's not a lock the Bears are going to solve their defensive woes with a rebirth on the line, but if it's going to happen Marinelli is probably the guy to make it happen.

We all know that Coach Smith is a teacher and not a loud, drill sergeant type coach. But does he ever get fired up and get in players faces during practice?

Smith commands the respect of the players and he always has. You don't have to have Mike Ditka out there or someone like Bill Cowher, who could be a screamer on the sideline, to get through to the players. Smith will talk to players face-to-face on the practice field, but I've never seen him getting in a player's face.

Back in January, Warren Sapp made mention that he was going to take interest in helping Tommie Harris become a better DT. Have you heard anything about that since then?

Sapp told Mully & Hanley on the Score that he was going to get together with Harris. I have not heard anything about that since. It's more important for Harris to get together with Marinelli, who is the coach that Sapp credits for him becoming a Hall of Fame-worthy talent. Harris doing drills with Sapp in March or April isn't going to have a lot of impact in September, is it?

The NFC North is potentially a 3-way battle (sorry Lions fans... maybe in a couple of more years)... will the Packers be able to make a push for the North title in the first year of the new 3-4 defensive scheme?

Everywhere Dom Capers has been, he's had a knack for getting that system up and running immediately. There hasn't been an adjustment period, Capers' 3-4 defenses have been very good and they've been very good in a hurry. Even if Green Bay is aging in the secondary, the Packers still have some solid players back there and the Bears' wide receivers would probably be the first to tell you that. Capers had a dramatic impact on defenses he ran in Jacksonville and Miami in his first season with those clubs, and with expansion teams in Carolina and Houston, he was solid immediately. Carolina was seventh in total defense in 1995, its first year. The issue is going to be how the personnel will fit on the line and at linebacker where some are concerned about Aaron Kampman's ability to adjust. If Capers can enjoy somewhat instant success once again, sure, the Packers will be in the race.

Michael Gaines: how much will we see from him, and what are the chances he comes in at FB in short yardage situation?

Gaines needs to win a spot on the 53-man roster in training camp before you start worrying about how much he will be involved and in exactly what role. His primary competition for a job will be Kellen Davis and Jason Davis, the unrelated tight end and fullback. Gaines projects as primarily a blocking tight end, but he has the ability to make some plays downfield and I saw him make a couple dandy catches during the offseason program. When Smith was pitching Gaines about signing with the Bears after he had made a free-agent visit to the New York Jets, he mentioned the possibility of lining him up in the backfield. Certainly that is a possibility. The Bears did that some with Greg Olsen last season but not on short yardage situations. My instinct would tell me that you would want your No. 1 fullback in the backfield in a short-yardage situation.

That wraps up this session with Brad. Windy City Gridiron is incredibly thankful for the insight he is providing us, and is looking forward to Training Camp! Thanks Brad!

Bears Keep Rideau in the Mix...At least for now

Adam T — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:31:46 -0000

The Bears have filled two more of their remaining three rosters spots. They have signed wide receiver Brandon Rideau and full back Jason Davis to the practice squad.

Rideau, who spent parts of the past two seasons on the Bears’ practice squad, was waived Saturday during final cuts.

Davis, who played at Illinois for Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner, was cut Saturday by the Philadelphia Eagles. Davis joined the Eagles in 2006 as an undrafted free agent, spending his rookie season on injured reserve with a torn ACL and the 2007 campaign on the practice squad.

Rideau has shown some talent and I would not be surprised that he doesn't get picked up by some team at some point in the season.