Jets CB Dee Milliner says he's the best at his position, Geno Smith expects to be a top 5 QB
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| SI.com |
What seems to be an endless theme in the Rex Ryan era of the New York Jets continued on Sunday, as cornerback Dee Milliner said that he thinks he is the best in the NFL at his position.
"The best corner in the league? Me. I ain't gonna say that somebody else is better than me." - Dee Milliner
I think Richard Sherman and Darrelle Revis are going to have something to say about this. But in the meantime, let's break this down.
Milliner is entering his second season in the NFL as the Jets top cornerback, and he hasn't really lived up to his billing as a first round pick yet. Can that change? Sure. But until it has, his comments are laughable.
He didn't have a very good 2013-14 season for the most
part, but things seemed to change once December hit. In that month alone, he had 27 tackles, three interceptions and broke up 13 passes. The first of those interceptions, however, came in Week 16 (a 24-13 win over the Browns). So while he had a pretty good end to his season, he wasn't showing much consistency.
Additionally, he gave up over 700 yards to receivers that he was covering during the course of the season, which is not something an organization or its fan base wants to see from its supposed No. 1 guy. So it remains to be seen what Milliner can actually do. But I think it's safe to say he's definitely not anywhere close to the best at his position, and won't be as long as Sherman, Revis and Patrick Peterson are still around.
Now, let's look at another Jet who gave himself a big vote of confidence - Geno Smith.
The second-year Jets quarterback said he expects to be one of the five best quarterbacks in the league sooner or later.
"The thing about it is, you have to climb up. If I'm No. 32, by this time next year or the year after, I expect to be in the top five." - Geno Smith
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| Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images |
Smith was by far the worst quarterback in the league last year, but it was only his rookie year, so he still has time to improve. However, to say that he expects to be a top five quarterback in the next year or two when guys like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers are all still going strong, is pretty bold.
Also, there is a chance that Smith might have to ride the bench this season in favor of Michael Vick. So it isn't a given that Smith will see the field as much as he did last season.
An ESPN survey featuring 26 coaches and personal executives revealed that many expect Smith to again be one of the worst quarterbacks in the league this season, and Smith is aware of it.
"My first reaction was, 'You know, man, I've got to prove them wrong.' In the end, none of that matters. My key job is to make sure this team is improving and I'm doing everything I can for the betterment of this team." - Geno Smith
Sounds like Smith is more aware of what he's saying than Milliner is.
What do you think of Milliner's and Smith's comments? Tweet me your thoughts - @JesseGaunce
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