Safety Jim Leonhard's recovery from the broken leg that ended his 2010 season is going well.
"I have plenty of time," Leonhard said. "I’m not necessarily trying to get back for summer. I think I will be if we have OTAs and things like that, but it’s not a huge rush. I’ll be ready for training camp, and I feel confident I’ll be back much sooner than that."
That is good to hear. Jim is a good guy and was devastated by that injury last season. Did people perhaps make too much of it at the time? Probably, considering how good the defense was during the Playoffs. I expect the team will not stick with the alignment that worked so well with Brodney Pool at strong safety. The coaches love the guy too much to make him a reserve.
Leonhard will be an asset against the run. The Jets are going to need to find a very strong cover safety so that Jim's size and relative lack of athleticism cannot be exploited. He is not the kind of guy a team wants in man coverage consistently on the best tight ends in football. Who do you think that guy is? Can Dwight Lowery fill the role effectively? Can Brodney Pool build on what he did late in the year to become that guy? Do they need to look elsewhere?