Getty Ex-New England Patriots wide receiver Isaiah Zuber making a nice play during an NFL contest.
The New York Jets continued the turnstile of workouts at Florham Park with a pair of very intriguing ones.
Coming off of a 2-14 season there is going to be a constant tinkering with the roster throughout the 2021 campaign.
When you consider some of the NFL players the Jets have discovered through this in-season medium: John Franklin-Myers and Ty Johnson, the potential of finding the next one are tantalizing.
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NYJ Interested in Upgrading Their Secondary
The first player the Jets worked out is a lanky (6-foot-2, 208 pound) former two-way star in college.
Isaiah Johnson played his college ball at Houston and checked off all of the athletic boxes at the NFL Combine:
- 4.4 40 yard dash
- 36.5 vertical jump
- Former football and track star in high school
He started off his career as a dynamic wide receiver before flipping to the other side of the ball as a cornerback.
The traits are certainly there as a moldable piece of clay and perhaps that is something that could intrigue head coach Robert Saleh. He opted for a similar strategy when picking out his linebackers this offseason, why not try it out at corner?
Johnson originally came into the league as a fourth-round draft choice in the 2019 NFL draft by the Las Vegas Raiders. Over the last two years, he has played in 19 games for the Raiders but didn’t make it to the final 53 man roster.
Currently, he’s sitting on the Houston Texans practice squad and could be a name to watch moving forward.
Wait Another Isaiah?!
Isaiah Johnson wasn’t the only Isaiah they worked out this week interestingly enough.
They also worked out Isaiah Zuber.
Zuber initially made the New England Patriots roster as an undrafted free agent back in 2020 but bounced between the employment and unemployment line with some final roster finagling over the last two years.
Earlier this year he also spent a cup of coffee with the San Francisco 49ers during the month of September.
During his college career, Zuber spent four years at Kansas State and an additional year at Mississippi State:
- 141 receptions for 1,532 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also averaged over 10.9 yards per catch during his career.
- The last three years of his run he executed both kick and punt returns. During the 2018 campaign, he averaged an impressive 17.8 yards per punt return and scored a return touchdown that season.
He’s 6-foot and 190 pounds and there is a dynamic-ness to his game. While his receiving prowess is fascinating, the ability to contribute in the return game is far more interesting from a Jets perspective.
Jets wide receiver Braxton Berrios has been the primary return man for both punts and kicks in 2021. He’s been terrific (averaging 23.8 per kick return, 10.5 per punt return), but you can never be complacent.
Injuries happen all the time and you have to hope for the best and expect the worst in this business.
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Jets Try out Freakish 2-Way College Athlete, Return Specialist: Report