On Thanksgiving, New York Jets head coach Eric Mangini announced he was going to reunite with an old friend. With a roster spot available, the Jets claimed defensive back Guss Scott off waivers from the Houston Texans.
“He is a safety. I know Gus from New England,� Mangini said. “We drafted him there and I coached him while I was there. That familiarity will help him; he is familiar with the system and the different things we are doing. It should be a good fit.�
Scott, 5’10�, 205 pounds, was drafted by the Patriots in third round of the 2004 Draft. The Florida product didn’t play his rookie season after suffering a knee injury in the preseason. Scott returned in 2005 to play in five games and made two starts, totaling defensive 19 tackles (16 solo) and five special teams stops before being placed on injured reserve for a second time.
“He played safety. He has worked at corner, and he has played some of the underneath spots in the substitute defenses,� Mangini said of Scott. “He has worked in a lot of different areas of the defense.�
Most recently, Scott played in five games this season for the Texans. The third-year pro recorded 12 tackles for Houston and now could possibly line up against his former teammates on Sunday at the Meadowlands.Â
“It doesn’t hurt that he has some familiarity, but it is also the familiarity I have with him,� Mangini said. “Sometimes this stuff happens where a guy that you know because you have worked with him – like Hank (Poteat) – becomes available and then their transition time into the system is less because they have that background. Some of it is just coincidence. It is more based on previous experience and seeing where he is now and how he fits in with us.�
The Scott acquisition is not connected to the health status of Andre Dyson. Dyson, a sixth-year corner who leads the club with three interceptions, hurt his neck last Sunday after converging with Eric Smith on a tackle. Dyson didn’t practice Wednesday and is listed as questionable on the team’s injury report.
“It is still a little bit different type of spots that Andre would play,� Mangini said of Scott. “It is more based on knowing the player, him knowing the system and having the roster spot, being able to look at it and see where he is and see how he will fit in as we move forward.�