The Jets conducted their rookie minicamp over the weekend at the team facility in Florham Park. Freddie Bishop attended. Bishop was a signing over the offseason from the Canadian Football League, where he was a star pass rusher. Todd Bowles made some interesting comments about him in comparison to the rest of the outside linebackers.
On comparing the number of sacks Freddie Bishop had under CFL rules to the NFL…
I don’t know that you compare the number, but 11 sacks is 11 sacks. I was in Miami when Cameron Wake got there and we took him from Canada. Sometimes it takes guys time to develop and you can develop over there and come back over here and be good players or can develop over there and have a career over there. We saw some things in Freddie, not just the sacks, but as far as him playing the position and knowing how to play the position that made him appealing to us and made us want to sign him.
On how he views the outside linebacker position…
(There is) a lot of youth and a lot of inexperience. They have a lot of things to learn and a little bit of time (to do it). (They) have a lot of talent but nothing takes the place of experience, so they have a lot of work to do.
Now nobody knows how a player's production in one league will translate to another. These comments are rather interesting back to back, though. Bowles praises Bishop because his pro experience has taught him how to play the position while the Jets have a lot of players still learning the position.
What happens in training camp and preseason will determine a lot. Some of the young guys might be more advanced than the Jets expect. Bishop might not look up to the task in the NFL. These are interesting comments no less and perhaps a look into Bowles' perspective.