Current New York Jets wide receiver Brisly Estime sat down to talk about his future. An old face is in a new place, with Mike Pettine back in the NFL as a defensive coordinator.
The New York Jets have had their struggles with special teams play ever since the godfather of special teams, Mike Westhoff, left the team back in 2012. He has since returned, after a five-year hiatus, with the New Orleans Saints this season.
Special teams is a third of the game, so when you’re automatically failing a third of your test, you start behind the eight ball. For instance, the Jets averaged only 4.5 yards per punt return (32nd in the league) and only 20.1 yards per kickoff return (23rd in the league).
Those are big reasons why they targeted former dynamic Syracuse returner Brisly Estime after the 2017 NFL Draft. Shortly after the draft, Estime hooked up with the Jets.
He was so impressive in camp that special teams coordinator Brant Boyer said he was the front-runner as the team’s primary return man:
.@CuseFootball Brisly Estime (@BALL_CHILL_1) was mentioned by STC Brant Boyer as a potential front runner for PR/KR spot on #Jets #JetsOTAs
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) May 23, 2017
Unfortunately, he tore his Achilles shortly thereafter and was ruled out for the season. It was a real bummer for the Jets, who desperately needed a return man and for Estime, who was looking to make an impact.
Despite the injury, the Jets decided to retain his rights because they knew how important he could be to the future of this team. I’ve kept in touch with Estime and recently talked to him about his rehab, his future with the Jets, and more.
Pettine Joins The Pack
Here’s a flash from the past: Former Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine (2009-12) is now back in the NFL after a three-year hiatus from the league. Pettine was hired as the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers. He’ll replace the legendary Dom Capers, who was fired after the regular season.
Other Jets News, Stories:
- Jets OC John Morton is not guaranteed to return to Jets (Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News).
- A puzzling trade for Jets backfires in a big way (Rich Cimini of ESPN New York).
- Jets missing pieces: 8 players who could put them over the top in 2018 (Darryl Slater of NJ.com).
