Jets Training Camp: Interview with attendee Christa Levitas

Luis Tirado Jr. sits with Christa Levitas of Locker Room Update to discuss her attending the first open to the public training camp of the New York Jets.

With the first weekend of New York Jets training camp in the books, I decided to sit down with Christa Levitas of Locker Room Update as she was in attendance for the first open to public practice. I wanted to see her observations on players that stood out on offense, defense, and special teams.

Besides writing about the Jets, she also does amazing interviews with future draft prospects heading into the NFL. I’m a big fan of her work and recommend to everyone to please check out her Facebook author page as well as her awesome interactions on Twitter. Let’s get right to our interview!

Which offensive player stood out?

LTJ: Hey Christa! Thanks again for doing this with me for our readers over at The Jet Press. First off, how was the beginning of training camp?

CL: First off I want to thank you for your time and for interviewing me. I really appreciate it! The beginning of training camp was nice, saw a lot of the WR drills at the beginning of practice.

LTJ: You’re very welcome! From what you saw, which offensive player stood out the most for you?

CL: Honestly, in my opinion, it was Trenton Cannon (not sure you want to consider him as someone on offense or on special teams) but I was really impressed with his speed and how he was able to make plays. His speed truly stood out to me. Looks like a potential playmaker for the Jets to consider on special teams.

LTJ: I kept reading reports that he was impressing early on which is always a great sight to see. Here’s to hoping he becomes a solid contributor as a return specialist!

@_therealpnick ! #Jetscamp pic.twitter.com/rCsWJVSVcJ

— Christa (@Chriistaxx3) July 29, 2018

Which defensive player stood out?

LTJ: It’s no secret that the Jets need their defense to step up and deliver this upcoming season. Which defensive player stood out for you in what you saw in training camp?

CL: I agree! We need all the help on special teams we can get. We haven’t had an explosive playmaker on special teams since probably Joe McKnight? When Westhoff was our special teams coach. I know I’m choosing another rookie but I was really impressed with Parry Nickerson, he looked great in coverage. Might of missed a few easy picks but he was a guy that stood out to me. Derrick Jones was also another guy who looked good, wasn’t aware how fast he was as a cornerback. Robby Anderson had a step on him but he did a pretty decent job keeping up with him. Darron Lee also looked more comfortable at linebacker, you can really tell the game is really slowing down for him.

LTJ: It’s great to see Lee developing into a nice rhythm on defense. I predict he will likely be a potential candidate to breakout in 2018, which would be great for his continued development. I just hope someone like Leonard Williams or someone else on the defensive line steps up and helps with the Jets overall pass rush since, without it, it will likely be another long season.

Was there any player that stood out at the return specialist role?

LTJ: You mentioned the Jets need a lot of help on special teams, what return specialist stood out the most to you? Is there hope that someone can finally score a touchdown on special teams? It’s been so long since that happened I can’t even remember the year it actually happened.

CL: I’m with you on Darron Lee. He’s a guy that I’ve seen approved year after year. I really believe he’s a candidate to have a break year this year. Leonard Williams is a great player even if the stats don’t show it. Nathan Shepherd who is another guy who shined in training camp could be a huge help to Williams since Williams is usually double or triple teamed. The lack of a pass rush is a major concern, I agree. To me, the guy that stood out the most to me was, again, Trenton Cannon, just really impressed with his speed. He looks like a potential playmaker that could really help us out on special teams.

LTJ: I sure hope things work out with him as he continues to hone his craft in training camp. I know it’s only one weekend but love hearing about what he brings to the table.

What was the talk of training camp among fans?

LTJ: Alright, Christa, last question! What was the talk of training camp among fans in attendance?

CL: Honestly, fans were talking about Sam Darnold wondering when he’ll sign. Fans were really anxious to see him on the field. Fans are also excited about the season and the direction the Jets are going in.

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LTJ: As we are about to be done with our interview, how great does it feel that Darnold finally signed his contract today? Do you feel he’ll be just fine in regards to competing in training camp since he only missed a few days?

CL: First off, I want to thank you and The Jet Press for the taking the time to interview me I really appreciate it! I’m excited, I’m really anxious and I’m excited to see what he can do on the field. Sam might have missed a few days of practice but I truly believe he will be fine.