The trade of Sauce Gardner to the Colts sent shockwaves through the Jets locker room this week.
However it also opened up a pathway for rookie Azareye’h Thomas, who now will slide into Gardner’s starting cornerback spot.
“It’s a blessing,” Thomas said. “It’s something you grow up wanting to do. Everybody desires to get to the National Football League and begin. Now, I’ve got my [opportunity] to do this, and so I’m just attempting to take full advantage of it and proceed to compete and execute and just ball for my teammates.”
Sunday’s game against the Browns will actually be Thomas’ second straight start.
He began against the Bengals when Gardner was out with a concussion.
Thomas gave up one highlight play — a 44-yard touchdown to Tee Higgins — but played well overall.
Higgins and fellow Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase didn’t try this much damage to the Jets defense.
“I feel prefer it was pretty good,” Thomas said of the Bengals game. “I can all the time do higher. I feel like I’m my harshest critic. I just need to clean up the little, small details. Just like the touchdown with Tee Higgins, I used to be in perfect position, but I looked back too early for the ball and he faded away. He got away from me and scored. Outside of that, I used to be like, no person goes to catch one other ball. That’s just my mindset.”
Though Thomas is completely happy to have the prospect to play, he is gloomy to see Gardner go.
“I learned lots from him, just easy methods to watch film, what he looks at, route concepts, how he watches film on certain days, what does he watch,” Thomas said. “When you have got a man like that, with the stardom that he has, a number of guys are going to sugarcoat it. He gave me the whole lot. He gave the team the whole lot. Now that he’s gone, it sucks but it surely’s all the time the next-man-up mindset.”
The Jets elevated OL Kohl Levao and DT Payton Page from the practice squad for Sunday’s game.
The trade of Sauce Gardner to the Colts sent shockwaves through the Jets locker room this week.
However it also opened up a pathway for rookie Azareye’h Thomas, who now will slide into Gardner’s starting cornerback spot.
“It’s a blessing,” Thomas said. “It’s something you grow up wanting to do. Everybody desires to get to the National Football League and begin. Now, I’ve got my [opportunity] to do this, and so I’m just attempting to take full advantage of it and proceed to compete and execute and just ball for my teammates.”
Sunday’s game against the Browns will actually be Thomas’ second straight start.
He began against the Bengals when Gardner was out with a concussion.
Thomas gave up one highlight play — a 44-yard touchdown to Tee Higgins — but played well overall.
Higgins and fellow Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase didn’t try this much damage to the Jets defense.
“I feel prefer it was pretty good,” Thomas said of the Bengals game. “I can all the time do higher. I feel like I’m my harshest critic. I just need to clean up the little, small details. Just like the touchdown with Tee Higgins, I used to be in perfect position, but I looked back too early for the ball and he faded away. He got away from me and scored. Outside of that, I used to be like, no person goes to catch one other ball. That’s just my mindset.”
Though Thomas is completely happy to have the prospect to play, he is gloomy to see Gardner go.
“I learned lots from him, just easy methods to watch film, what he looks at, route concepts, how he watches film on certain days, what does he watch,” Thomas said. “When you have got a man like that, with the stardom that he has, a number of guys are going to sugarcoat it. He gave me the whole lot. He gave the team the whole lot. Now that he’s gone, it sucks but it surely’s all the time the next-man-up mindset.”
The Jets elevated OL Kohl Levao and DT Payton Page from the practice squad for Sunday’s game.
