When the Jets drafted safety Calvin Pryor last year, then-coach Rex Ryan made several references to Pryor’s big hitting being the reason why the Jets decided to make him a first-round pick.
It turned out to be more tell than show when it came to Pryor’s hitting ability, however. The Jets had a mess in the secondary and Pryor wound up playing more free safety than strong safety, which left him out of position to make the most of his hitting ability and “ticked off” at the way things played out.
Ryan isn’t the coach anymore and the Jets signed safety Marcus Gilchrist as a free agent, which leaves Pryor back at strong safety and feeling bullish about how things will play out this time around.
"[The fans] got to see whatever I put out on film, but I can promise you, it will be nothing like last year,” Pryor said, via ESPN.com. “You’ll see me making more plays and me being back to my old self, attacking the football any time I get a chance.”
Pryor’s the rare holdover in a secondary that also added Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Buster Skrine at cornerback and all the changes should put him and the entire Jets defense in a better position to succeed this season.