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**RoyWilliams** · 07-31-2007, 06:21 PM

Jets' Miller capitalizing on Revis' holdout - Newsday.com

Quote:

Darrelle Revis will be here eventually. The first-round draft pick of the Jets has yet to show up for training camp while his contract is being negotiated. The widely reported sticking point of the deal is the 2012 season; Revis wants to cash in on the free-agency gold mine by then and is seeking a five-year contract, while the Jets want him to still be theirs and theirs alone with a six-year pact.

Ultimately, the sides are sure to come to an accord. In the meantime, though, Justin Miller is trying hard to drive Revis' value to the team as far down as possible.

Miller, the Jets' only Pro Bowler a year ago as a kickoff returner, has struggled to improve at cornerback in his first two NFL seasons. Since being drafted by the Jets out of Clemson, Miller has started 12 games at corner. Eight were in the forlorn 2005 campaign, and last year he lost his job by midseason and never regained it.

Coach Eric Mangini made it clear that the players who are in camp are getting extra reps while Revis is away. Then he mentioned Miller as someone who is taking advantage of those reps.

Miller has been spending time rotating in and out of the first defensive unit. That's a carryover from his rededication to the skills required of the position. When the Jets traded up aggressively in April to draft Revis 14th overall, it likely sent a clear signal to Miller that he needed to improve or move along. Unlike his NFC kickoff-returning counterpart in Honolulu, the Bears' Devin Hester, who has switched to offense this season, Miller seems determined to turn himself into an NFL cornerback. He may never make the Pro Bowl at that position, but becoming a starter again would probably be an attainable goal.

"I thought he had a very productive offseason in terms of concentrating on his position, really learning more and more about the defensive back position, and getting a better feel for that," Mangini said. "I thought his approach to learning that information has been very good."

Miller's offseason wasn't spent entirely in the classroom. In May he was arrested and charged with third-degree misdemeanor assault after allegedly punching a woman outside a Manhattan nightclub. The legal process is still grinding through that incident, and in the new world of NFL personal conduct policies he could eventually be facing a suspension or a fine from the league or the team.

In a strange way, the incident may wind up helping Miller's career. Although his talent and athleticism have never been questioned, his maturity and focus have. There's a chance that his run-in with the law could serve as a wake-up call for him.

Besides kickoffs and cornerback, Miller has also spent time this preseason working as a punt returner (another role Revis was expected to fill). Mangini said he's seen progress from Miller as a returner, especially when it comes to relying on the system and not his speed.

"Sometimes early on you take the ball and you run and don't really understand how the whole scheme is unfolding, but he's working there as well," Mangini said. "It's getting better and better each day, and I'm happy with that."

**Serrated Shadow** · 07-31-2007, 06:47 PM

Man, i forgot Revis was still out. Get your butt into camp!

Brady, keep holding out

**RoyWilliams** · 07-31-2007, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serrated Shadow

Man, i forgot Revis was still out. Get your butt into camp!

Brady, keep holding out

Heard Revis might hold out for a long time.

**BucBaller** · 07-31-2007, 11:07 PM

The widely reported sticking point of the deal is the 2012 season; Revis wants to cash in on the free-agency gold mine by then and is seeking a five-year contract, while the Jets want him to still be theirs and theirs alone with a six-year pact.

Sounds like the little ******* doesn't give a crap about the team.

**Serrated Shadow** · 07-31-2007, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BucBaller

The widely reported sticking point of the deal is the 2012 season; Revis wants to cash in on the free-agency gold mine by then and is seeking a five-year contract, while the Jets want him to still be theirs and theirs alone with a six-year pact.

Sounds like the little ******* doesn't give a crap about the team.

I think a reporter spun his words..no way a rookie would act like that..a media man could see a player wanting one less year on his contract and turn it into the above...I'll believe it when i hear Revis say it..