Dustin Keller is determined to become a better blocker in his second season.
''Blocking is something really new to me. The whole entire concept is a little different for me. But now that I have a year under my belt, there are no excuses. I'm going to go out there and make it happen.''
To that end, Keller has been working with left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson almost daily, either before or after practice. The pair also watch film together.
The common thread between the two is that both are undersized for their positions and athletic. Keller is lean (6-foot-2, 248 pounds) and looks more Jerry Rice than Mike Ditka. At 6-6, 305, Ferguson's struggle to keep on weight is well documented.
''The similarity between us is that we're both very athletic and we have to take on bigger guys,'' said Ferguson. ''I'm just trying to teach him some technique, how to use his hands on the inside and get leverage on guys. He's doing really well. He wants to learn.''
It's going to be difficult for Dustin because of his lack of size. The best thing would be for the Jets to find a quality blocker to pair with him like oh say Chris Baker. I read somewhere that Keller was trying to bulk up during the offseason, which didn't seem like a great idea. He'll probably never be a great blocker. Why risk losing the edge his speed and athleticism bring to the passing game? The best approach might be for Keller to be as dominant of a receiver as possibile at the position. Create such a matchup problem that defenses have to take a linebacker off the field and use a nickel to cover him. That solves the problem.