New York Jets News: Dee Milliner, Antonio Allen
New York Jets top ten draft pick Dee Milliner recently signed his rookie deal, and he’s going to be heading to the practice field soon to claim his job as the starter opposite of shutdown corner Antonio Cromartie. While he will have to beat out Kyle Wilson (a former first-rounder who has yet to live up to his draft status) in order to do that, Milliner should still be able to have a key role early on for the Jets defense. Wilson could be moved to safety, and he looks like a better fit as a slot receiver to me anyway. At this point in time, I would be surprised if Milliner didn’t open up the season as the Jets No. 2 corner.
New York Jets rookie cornerback Dee Milliner (27) during New York Jets rookie minicamp at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Milliner is “100 percent back” from offseason shoulder surgery, but he will be eased into things once he begins practicing at Jets training camp. It will be interesting to see how he looks early on, and I expect him to be a quality player early on in the Jets secondary with the potential for much more.
While the Jets corners look promising and could be a real strength for this team, the Jets safeties look like a problem spot. According to ESPN New York, Jets head coach Rex Ryan stated that Antonio Allen is leading the way for the starting free safety gig, as Ryan is enamored with Allen’s length. It doesn’t seem like Ryan believes Allen is the exact answer to the Jets starting FS spot, but Jaiquawn Jarrett is the only other choice at free safety; I’ll take Allen. Unless if Allen bursts onto the scene or Dawan Landry turns back the clock to his pre-Jaguars days (there’s a good chance of happening, as Landry should be a really good in-the-box safety despite his coverage woes that are much worse than LaRon’s).