COURTESY OF NEW YORK JETS MEDIA RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
Brian Costello, New York Post: Just curious, what stood out to you about Braden Mann during the pre-draft process? I’ll tell you, he was very impressive because he was multi-talented. He could kick off, has a very strong leg, he was very good directionally. He’s a very good holder, his get off times were very good. Talking to him in the interview process, he was very sharp. I think that his get off times were outstanding as I mentioned. Obviously, has a very strong leg. I think that he is a guy that I think is going to come in and do a heck of a job for us. He can kick both sides. He’s got a good foot tool. I think that this kid is going to come in and do a great job. I think he’s going to fit in well with the room and those are the things that really impressed me about him and he’s a really good, young man.
Rich Cimini, ESPN: Hey Brant, just to follow up on Brian’s question about Braden, you’ve seen tons of kickers come in out of college, they can boot the hell out of the ball in college and they get in the NFL and they have all sorts of problems. What specifically, what one or two traits that he has that makes you so confident he can make that transition? Well, I think that the traits that he has is he’s got the experience, he’s got the total package for me and that’s what I really liked about him. Like I said, I don’t think it’s one or two traits. I think it’s the full package, the get off times, the really strong leg, the directional ability, the leg that can kick through the wind and the rain, everything like that. Is there are things that he can improve on? Sure. I think he’s an outstanding holder, I think he can kick off, all of those things that that entire package for me was. There were some good punters in this class, but for that entire package, not just one or two traits, set him apart from everybody, for me. And I thought that the scouting department did a great job of identifying those as well. And I thought that the kids got to come in, and like I said, I think he’s going to do a heck of a job for us.
Brian Costello, New York Post: One, could you size up the kicker competition entering training camp? I know you guys added Brett Maher after the season and brought Sam Ficken back and then the second one is I just wanted your opinion on the proposed rule change that was talked about a few months ago about eliminating the onside kick and having the fourth and 15 placed from the 25. Just curious what your opinion of that is? You know, the rule change, I’m glad they didn’t change it, to be honest with you. I think that takes just another phase out of special teams. I really am. I’d like to think that the non-running start has hurt that play, but you still have a chance to get ahead, have the percentages went down a little bit? Yes. But is it still an exciting play and everything like that? Yes. So that’s my thoughts on that. The kicking competition, I think is going to be a good one. You have two strong legged guys, you have a guy Ficken in last year that came in. I think he did a solid job. He knows that he’s going to have to come in and do a great job this year. Maher has been sending videos. Ficken’s been sending videos. They’re going to have a true competition and they’re going to kick the same day. They’re going to kick the same kicks. Everything’s going to be recorded just like it always has been every year. We’re going to see who comes out on top. I expect a really good competition between those two, both very good guys, both more than capable to get this job done. Hopefully, we can settle this kicking competition down and settle in on a guy and he could be here for a couple years and whoever that may be and we can find our kicker for the future, that’s for sure.
Rich Cimini, ESPN: Brant, of all the offseason moves you guys made both with veteran free agency and then the college stuff, which guys do you think will be able to help you as core special teamers? Among the leading candidates of all the guys you acquired this off season.
Well Rich, I think it’s a combination of the guys that I didn’t get to use last year as well. I’m really excited about some of the young players that we got, like Ashtyn Davis and (La’Mical) Perine and stuff like that, but we lost Cannon midway through the year who was one of the best gunners, top five gunners in the league, in my opinion. And with the injury situation at linebacker, we weren’t able to use (Blake) Cashman who I was counting heavily on. And we weren’t able to use (Neville) Hewitt who I was counting heavily on.
So, those are four core starters for me that I wasn’t able to use, guys like (Arthur) Maulet stepped up and guys like (Harvey) Langi and (Frankie) Luvu and (Tarell) Basham and (Matthias) Farley came in and did a great job and Dan Brown came in and did a great job, but the guys like (Patrick) Onwuasor that just came in. We lose a guy like (Brandon) Copeland and get a guy like Onwuasor that’s going to come in and hopefully take over that role. But, I’m really excited about the group of guys that we didn’t get to use last year, that I was heavily counting on because of the injury situations with the mass injuries that we had last year, in (Josh) Bellamy and Rontez Miles and all those guys got hurt and were out. That really affects special teams more than it does anybody, because when those guys go, the special teams guys who we’ve trained and everything like that, they go to play, now they’re playing significant offensive, defensive snaps and BJ Bello comes in and does a heck of a job and all those guys. So, I really think that it’s more of a group thing, more than one or two players, but specifically, the young guys like Ashtyn Davis and Perine and getting Cannon back healthy and things like that and Vyncent Smith. I really think that we should have a pretty good group seeing how this goes with all this COVID-19 stuff and things like that, but I’m excited about the group that we have this year.
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