Sharp New York Rookies To Keep an Eye On This Weekend

Chad Pennington’s shoulder and Eli Manning’s general development will continue to get most of the headlines as the NFL’s second weekend of preseason games kicks off. But the Jets, who host the Minnesota Vikings on Friday, and the Giants, who host the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, each have a rookie fourth-round draft pick who deserves attention.Pennington says he’s ready to play on Friday, but it’s unclear whether the Jets will use him against Minnesota. Pennington and his surgically repaired throwing shoulder are making slow and steady progress with each practice session, but with a new offensive coordinator (Mike Heimerdinger), a new tight end (Doug Jolley), and a new go-to receiver on the field (Laveranues Coles, who’s back after two years in Washington), Pennington needs to get at least some live-action time if the passing game to be fresh when the regular season starts on September 8.If Pennington sits out Friday’s game, Jets fans should turn their attention to several rookies who could play a significant role. Most importantly, Kerry Rhodes, who had a strong game last week against the Lions, has become a starter at strong safety ahead of second-year man Oliver Celestin. Rhodes, a fourth-round pick, was considered one of the hardest hitters in the draft, but lasted until the second day because of concerns about his coverage skills. In his first preseason game, he did a lot to dispel those worries with an interception and a deflected pass.For other rookies, the best way to make the squad is to play well on special teams. Luckily, nearly every spot on the special teams is open to competition. Darrell McClover, an excellent player on kick coverage, was lost for the season with a broken leg against Detroit last weekend, which means the coaching staff will keep an eye out for a young player who can contribute in McClover’s place. Watch for fifth-round pick Andre Maddox, a safety out of North Carolina State, to step in and play big.With Santana Moss now in Washington, the Jets will need to find a new punt returner. Rookie Justin Miller has the talent, but needs to prove his hands are good enough following a fumbled punt last week. If Miller continues to struggle, the job will most like ly fall to receiver Justin McCareins, who was ineffective in platoon duty with Moss last season. Backup running back DeCori Birmingham had an impressive 36-yard return against Detroit, but he’s still a long shot to make the team.Kicker Mike Nugent, the Jets’ second round pick and the one special teams player whose job is guaranteed, will handle kickoffs, but the punting job is up for grabs. Ben Graham has moved ahead of ex-Bronco Micah Knorr in that battle thanks to a good showing against Detroit.Graham, a 31-year-old Australian rookie, was said to boot the lighter Australian ball more than 80 meters when he played for the Geelong Cats. That kind of leg strength probably makes him a better choice than Knorr, even though Graham still needs to work on his hang time – a skill not needed in Australian football – and on landing punts inside the 20 rather than kicking them into the end zone.***For Giants fans, the best part of Saturday’s game will be getting a second look at rookie running back Brandon Jacobs. General Manager Ernie Accorsi has said he went to bed after the first day of the draft worried that one of the eight teams selecting before the Giants on the second day would take Jacobs. When the 6-foot-4-inch, 256-pounder from Southern Illinois was still available in the fourth round, the Giants were thrilled.Tiki Barber had another stellar season in 2004, but coach Tom Coughlin generally likes bigger backs, especially in short yardage and near the goal line. In his first game, Jacobs gained 73 yards on 12 carries, showing not only the power to run over defenders, but also a surprising burst of speed. The concern about Jacobs is his upright running style, which for a tall player makes for a big target. Coughlin would like him to lower his shoulders a bit more. If he can do that, he’ll be Coughlin’s choice to get carries inside the 10-yard line.The Giants’ air attack concerned fans as training camp opened, but Eli Manning looked unexpectedly strong Saturday against the Cleveland Browns, and backup Tim Hasselbeck did enough to give Coughlin some confidence if Manning goes down. The Giants’ coaches will feel even better about the passing game, though, if Jeremy Shockey gets more involved.Shockey caught one pass for three yards against Cleveland, and it’s been a long time since anyone has seen the same Shockey who burst onto the scene in 2002 and had Giants fans salivating. The fourth year tight end has had only one 100-yard receiving game in the last two years and has dropped too many passes. He still has the size and speed to be a great player, though, and the preseason is the right time for a talented player to figure out his role on the team.On defense, rookie cornerback Corey Webster got extensive playing time against Cleveland and had five tackles. Will Allen and Will Peterson have been the starters since both were rookies in 2001, but if Webster comes around, he could push one of them to nickel back.Webster was a dominant cornerback as a sophomore and junior at LSU before hamstring injuries caused him to drop to the second round of the draft. He was known for his good hands in college, where he played receiver as a freshman. If he uses those hands to grab a few interceptions, it would make a big difference for the Giants, as Peterson and Allen combined for just three picks last season.Manning will make Giants fans happy if he plays well, and Pennington will make Jets fans happy if he plays at all. But preseason rosters have 85 players, and fans who focus only on the quarterbacks will miss two fascinating games.Mr. Smith writes for the statistical Web site FootballOutsiders.com.

Sharp New York Rookies To Keep an Eye On This Weekend

Sharp New York Rookies To Keep an Eye On This Weekend

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