Coffee with the Jets: Why Gang Green shipped off Calvin Pryor

A loyal reader asks if the New York Jets trading away safety Calvin Pryor was a good decision in their current rebuild and the logic behind it. Time to discuss over a cup of coffee.

When the New York Jets announced they were trading safety Calvin Pryor in exchange for linebacker Demario Davis, it sent shockwaves across the organization and well, the football world. It’s hard to believe the Jets would trade away a former first-round pick but there was a big reason why it needed to be done.

General manager Mike Maccagnan knows that at the end of the day, it’s all about fielding players that not only fit the system but the overall culture. One can’t build a championship roster unless the organization has the buy-in of every single player, coach, and assistant.

In case you didn’t know, my Coffee with the Jets series is a platform to give my loyal readers an opportunity to ask me any questions that will be answered right here on The Jet Press. Today’s question comes from Jeffrey via Twitter:

Is the Calvin Pryor trade for Demario Davis (a top 1st round pick for a 2nd rounder) a good decision in this rebuild? What's the logic?

— Jeffrey Pearlman (@JPearl66) June 8, 2017

Thanks for your question, Jeffrey! The logic behind it was that Pryor knew the writing was on the wall when the Jets drafted not one but two safeties in the 2017 NFL Draft. Once organized team activities were here, he was a no-show on the very first day.

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Of course, OTAs are completely voluntary but when a player like Pryor decides not to show up, it sends a clear message that he’s disgruntled.

Pryor never lived up to his hype when he was drafted in 2014. He looked confused and lost on the field and when looking back at the film, he simply wasn’t effective in the secondary.

Combine that with his attitude against coaches for his own reasons, means that he needed to go. The Jets need hungry, humble, and players that listen to coaching in order to consistently execute. Pryor simply isn’t a good safety and it made sense for the Jets to trade him for Davis, who brings decent depth to their linebacker corps.

Overall, Pryor didn’t cut it as a starter and now with the Cleveland Browns, gets a fresh start to hopefully resurrect a once promising career. The Jets made the right call since he wasn’t playing quality defense and more than likely would have ended up being a distraction in the locker room.