Mekhi Becton and NY Jets Injury Updates

Mekhi Becton has been in the news this offseason for a few reasons. On the positive side, he has transformed his body and seems to be in the best shape of his life. Some recent comments raised a few eyebrows.

An interview with Bob Glauber of Newsday and the article that followed was meant to document Becton’s return following two years battling injuries and fight to get down to a healthy playing weight.  And while the work Becton has put in to shed over 50 pounds in going from 394 to 342 is impressive, it was an array of comments about the Jets coaching staff that garnered the most attention.

In fact, at one point Becton made comments that one might expect to hear from a player preparing to file a grievance against his club for negligence.  When discussing the season-ending injury he suffered in training camp last season, Becton said he told Jets coaches he was hurting, “but no one cared” claimed Becton.

Robert Saleh was asked about Becton on Tuesday. Here is the Q & A,

Mekhi in that interview over the weekend basically blamed the coaching staff for his injury last August, because he was playing on the right side. What’s your reaction to that?

I’ll be honest, I’m not going to get into the negative of all of it. It’s not about finger pointing. What I’m focused on though is over the last six months, Mekhi has done an unbelievable job getting his weight down to where it’s a healthy weight and sustainable. He’s been available during OTAs, he’s been prompt and very diligent with regards to meetings. I think he’s probably in the best shape of his life. He’s got a smile on his face and he’s attacking it. That’s what is most important. Whatever happened in the past, happened in the past. It’s not about finger pointing, it’s just about moving forward. If he keeps approaching this offseason the way he has and he keeps attacking it the way he has, excited to see what he does with this fourth year.

Have you talked to him about those comments?

We talk all the time, he’s fine. Like I said, he’s in a really good place and I want to keep him there.

Does that change how you use him positionally this year?

Whether right or left? No, best five are on the field.

He’s made it very, very clear that he is a left tackle. So, if you were to play him at right, have you discussed to him that? That he might have to play right even though he thinks he’s a left?

He knows. I think Duane Brown has something to say about it. I think Max Mitchell has something to say about it. I think the young kid Carter Warren that we drafted, and Billy Turner. So, the good thing is we have a lot of really good tackles right now that are competing to be one of the two tackles that are on the football field. So, it’ll be a good, healthy competition and those who attack it with the right mindset will end up reaping the benefits.

How do you handle when a player has strong feelings towards something where his feelings are hurt by or he’s disappointed in the organization? You guys obviously have to clear the air, so how are approaching that with him?

What would I tell myself? I’d tell myself to focus on the things that you got control over. You don’t have control over all the external stuff that’s happening, just stay focused on your job, stay focused in the moment, stay focused on the things that you can do to help yourself achieve what you want. If you stay focused on that and ignore all of the external factors, you’ll probably get the result you want. Worrying about where you’re lining up and all that stuff, like I said, I would tell all the players, ‘Just focus on the things you got control over and things will be fine.’

OTA NY Jets Injury Updates

You have a few guys coming off injuries. Breece Hall, AVT (Alijah Vera-Tucker), Mekhi (Becton). Are any of those guys going to be able to practice at all?

Breece and Mekhi will not practice, they’re still going through protocol, but AVT is out there.