Getty ImagesIt’s not out of the ordinary for young players who perform poorly early in their careers to improve as time goes by. It is fairly out of the ordinary for aging, bad players to suddenly become good.
Jets right tackle Wayne Hunter is 31 years old, and he has struggled in the NFL, no matter what new offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo might tell you. The Jets know Hunter has been a weak link. That’s why they tried to trade for Jeff Otah.
But Hunter maintains confidence in himself. He’s a self-believer.
Asked by Jenny Vrentas of the Newark Star-Ledger which Jets player will enjoy a breakout season in 2012, Hunter provided the following response:
“Wayne Hunter. Myself,” he said. “I put it on myself to be a breakout player this year, so we’ll make it a comeback.”
Hunter might never have even had the chance to “break out” had Otah reported to training camp healthy and established himself as the Jets’ new right tackle. But Otah failed his physical to open camp, and the trade is in danger of being reversed.
In which case, Hunter would have every opportunity to asset himself as a breakout player.
We just wouldn’t like his chances of delivering.
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I think his comments are born out of the realization that the Jets have so little confidence in him, they traded for the NFL’s biggest bum to replace him. Here in Charlotte, we’re all hoping Jake, Richard Simmons or some other fitness guru is already working on Otah so we don’t have to take him back.
Hey Wayne, why not just shoot for decent to average player…. breakout player may be out of your reach…
You’re too old to do so!!!!
Jeff Otah on IR is better at RT than a healthy version of you!!!!
In similar news out of Washington, Rex Grossman has promised to beat out Robert Griffin for the starting job in 2012
The odds of Wayne Hunter becoming a sold RT AND Valdimir Ducasse starting on the OL in 2012…100-1. I’m a Jets fan. Stranger things have happened.