The commerce of Sauce Gardner to the Colts despatched shockwaves by way of the Jets locker room this week.
Nevertheless it additionally opened up a pathway for rookie Azareye’h Thomas, who now will slide into Gardner’s beginning cornerback spot.
“It’s a blessing,” Thomas stated. “It’s one thing you develop up eager to do. All people desires to get to the Nationwide Soccer League and begin. Now, I’ve obtained my [opportunity] to try this, and so I’m simply attempting to take full benefit of it and proceed to compete and execute and simply ball for my teammates.”
Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Browns will truly be Thomas’ second straight begin.
He began in opposition to the Bengals when Gardner was out with a concussion.
Thomas gave up one spotlight play — a 44-yard landing to Tee Higgins — however performed effectively general.
Higgins and fellow Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase didn’t do this a lot harm to the Jets protection.
“I really feel prefer it was fairly good,” Thomas stated of the Bengals recreation. “I can all the time do higher. I really feel like I’m my harshest critic. I simply have to scrub up the little, small particulars. Just like the landing with Tee Higgins, I used to be in good place, however I appeared again too early for the ball and he pale away. He obtained away from me and scored. Exterior of that, I used to be like, no person goes to catch one other ball. That’s simply my mindset.”
Although Thomas is joyful to have the possibility to play, he’s unhappy to see Gardner go.
“I discovered rather a lot from him, simply the right way to watch movie, what he appears to be like at, route ideas, how he watches movie on sure days, what does he watch,” Thomas stated. “When you have got a man like that, with the stardom that he has, lots of guys are going to sugarcoat it. He gave me the whole lot. He gave the staff 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 Web page from the apply squad for Sunday’s recreation.
