By Glenn Naughton
Just weeks after grabbing former Seahawks safety Ronald Martin, the Jets cut ties with the defensive back in order to make room for another Seattle safety, Dion Bailey.
Bailey, who started the team’s season opener became expendable when All-World starter Kam Chancellor ended his holdout in a contract dispute with ownership.
NFL.com’s breakdown of Bailey’s as follows:
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
Good hands to intercept. Was an impact defender as a redshirt freshman despite playing out of place as an undersized linebacker.
WEAKNESSES
Durability is a concern. Has pedestrian speed — struggles to match with slot receivers. Lacks experience in deep coverage. Still developing positional instincts and feel for route combinations. Takes some inaccurate angles. Goes low and misses tackles. Has ‘tweener traits.
DRAFT PROJECTION
Rounds 5-6
BOTTOM LINE
Classic linebacker-safety ‘tweener whose best shot to carve a niche in the pros could come as a nickel linebacker, where he could utilize his ball skills and be used as a blitzer. Will have to make his mark on special teams.
