Everything’s Starting to Click for Warren

Everything’s Starting to Click for Warren
Posted by nickgallo on August 11, 2010 – 3:24 pm

The past two days in practice, the Jets offense has been swallowed up by the swarming Jets defense. Maybe it’s an aftershock from when the offense took it to the defense starting on the very first play of the Green & White Scrimmage, but regardless, the defense has stepped up its performance over the past two days, highlighted by a tough session this morning.

“It was a good practice,” head coach Rex Ryan said. “I thought the defense dominated the practice. It started in the 9-on-7 drills and carried through teams. It was a good, physical practice.”

Not only did the first defense play exceptionally well against quarterback Mark Sanchez and crew, but a particular member of the second defense made an impact. Donovan Warren, the undrafted rookie safety out of Michigan, had an interception and another beautifully defensed pass in today’s work and seems to be developing nicely.

“I’m just starting to get everything clicking,” Warren said. “In OTAs it was more about the fundamentals. Now it’s just about learning the concepts of the offense and what they’re trying to do and how they’re trying to attack us. Coach [Dennis] Thurman and Coach O’Neil [coaching assistant Jim O’Neil] are doing a great job of staying on us tough about our technique and doing everything right and the other guys are helping us out in the meeting room.”

The Long Beach, Calif., native was a phenom in college, starting 11 games for the Wolverines in his true freshman season. After making the 2007 Freshman All-America team, being named the 2007 Big Ten Defensive Freshman of the Year and making the 2009 All-Big Ten first team, Warren looked destined for an immediate impact in the NFL. He declared for the NFL draft after his junior season, but after an ankle injury, he ended up not getting drafted.

The Jets clearly saw the potential in the 5’11”, 192 pound former cornerback, which he showed on his interception of Kellen Clemens today.

“We were in a two-man coverage with a safety over the top,” Warren said, “I just read all my keys and focused my eyes on the quarterback. I made a great break and it just happened to fall in my arms.”

Warren, who had 66 tackles and four interceptions in his final season in Ann Arbor, seems focused, intent and intelligent about the game. The most telling sign was when, while creeping into bump-and-run coverage in team drills, he called over to linebacker Joshua Mauga that a quick slant was about to come. Moments later, quarterback Kevin O’Connell felt the blitz and threw the quick slant to Jeff Cumberland. Mauga and Warren deflected the pass — although into Cumberland’s arms for a catch.

“I saw that the quarterback knew that we were checking blitz,” Warren said, “so that’s a hot route they’re going to throw the No. 3 route and the linebacker has to get over. So I was just trying to tell him ‘be alert’ for that. It just happened to come. That’s just a little bit of awareness and just getting better and feeling more and more comfortable.”

A.M. Practice Notes

Mark Sanchez showed his maturity today, going through all of his reads and on back-to-back plays, hitting Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards. The rest of Sanchez’s morning was derailed by the stifling defense, including solid work from rookie CB Kyle Wilson, who played his wide receivers tightly.

Mark Brunell, 39, showed some of his wily veteran moves as his pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage right back into his hands. The 18th-year man took the ball for a few yards up field and wisely got out of bounds.

Twice at the end of practice QBs were able to get a little freedom to hit targets down the field. Kellen Clemens scrambled, then found WR Marcus Henry in the end zone and then O’Connell hit WR Larry Taylor for a diving, over-the-shoulder touchdown grab.

Injury report: Center Nick Mangold didn’t finish practice after absorbing a shot to the head from Sione Pouha. Mangold was fine but was held out for precautionary reasons. LB Jason Taylor returned to practice today, CB Brian Jackson went out with a knee injury, LB Brashton Satele was limited with his ankle injury, G Marlon Davis is still nursing his quad, and Cumberland (head) was in full pads but still wearing a red “hands off” vest.