Good kind of turnover
Reshaping roster has purged Jets from 2014 disaster draft
The trade of Calvin Pryor on Thursday continued the roster shakeup of the 2017 Jets. Here are some thoughts on the trade with the Browns that brought back linebacker Demario Davis in return for Pryor: 1 The team’s souring on Pryor and the drafting of Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye is a reminder of the cycle of life in the NFL. Three years ago, the Jets were ecstatic to have Pryor. Former coach Rex Ryan compared him to Jack Tatum. The feeling was he would be a centerpiece of the Jets’ secondary for the next decade.
Tuesday, on one of his final days as a Jet, Pryor was a practice outcast. The former first-round pick worked on a second field that coach Todd Bowles generally reserves for firstand second-year players hoping to make the roster. When the team came together on one field, Pryor worked with the third-team defense. He sat on his helmet on the sideline, looking like a player who had been kicked to the curb.
Out with the old, in with the new. That is the way it goes in the NFL. 2 This is the latest reminder of how poorly the 2014 draft went for former general manager John Idzik. The 12-man class was supposed to be a turning point for the organization, the foundation of the team for years to come. Instead, it is an embarrassment that set the team back for years.
Only three players from that class remain on the Jets’ roster — Dexter McDougle, Dakota Dozier and Quincy Enunwa.
Some turnover of draft picks is to be expected when you get a new general manager and coach the year after that draft class. What is remarkable about the 2014 class is that five players are out of the NFL and five are barely hanging on.
Here is a look at the 12 (organized by round, letters denote order of multiple picks in the same round):
1. Calvin Pryor, S: Two interceptions in 44 career games. Traded to the Browns. 2. Jace Amaro, TE: Two touchdowns and 41 catches in 17 games. On the Titans roster as a reserve. 3. Dexter McDougle, CB: Has played in 20 games, mainly as a special teams player or fourth cornerback. Remains on the Jets. 4a. Jalen Saunders, WR: The diminutive wide receiver was a problem for the coaches and was cut early in his rookie year. He has one career catch in nine games. Was suspended for 10 games in 2016 for violating the league’s drug policy. Currently on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League. 4b. Shaq Evans, WR: Never played a game in the NFL. The Cowboys waived him in April after he was suspended for four games for violating the league’s drug policy. 4c. Dakota Dozier, OL: Has appeared in 17 games for the Jets over the first three years of his career. Remains on the roster. 5. Jeremiah George, LB: Was signed by the Jaguars off the Jets’ practice squad in his rookie year. Appeared in 21 games, last in 2015. Waived by the Cowboys last month. 6a. Brandon Dixon, CB: The first member of the Idzik 12 to get released by the Jets, he did not make it out of training camp in 2014. The Buccaneers picked him up and he played 14 games in 2014. Since then, he has bounced around on practice squads and currently is on the Steelers. 6b. Quincy Enunwa, WR: What do they say about a blind squirrel? Enunwa is the one positive from this draft class. He has blossomed into a reliable receiver. He has 80 catches and four touchdowns and looks like a long-term Jet. 6c. IK Enemkpali, OLB: His time with the Jets was short, but he left a mark. No one will forget his punch that broke quarterback Geno Smith’s jaw in 2015. He was cut soon after. He spent the past two years with the Bills, missing last year with a knee injury. He is currently a free agent.
6d. Tajh Boyd, QB: You can’t pin this one on Idzik. Boyd was a Ryan special because he had played with Ryan’s son at Clemson. Boyd was awful in training camp and was cut before the season. He spent a little time in the CFL and FXFL and is now out of football. 7. Trevor Reilly, OLB: Played mainly special teams in 31 games for the Jets. Was cut at the end of 2016 training camp. He has spent time on the Patriots’ and Dolphins’ practice squads. He currently is on the Dolphins. 3 No one should have any illusions about Demario Davis having a big role, or maybe any role, on this year’s Jets. The team took him in the trade for Pryor largely because his $3.7 million salary is not guaranteed. So, if the Jets walk away in a few weeks or at the end of training camp, they won’t owe him anything.
With David Harris and Darron Lee at inside linebacker, the Jets are not looking for a starter. If Davis has a strong training camp and preseason, he might be able to convince them to keep him on the roster — if he is willing to take a pay cut. They are not paying him $3.7 million to be a backup.