Re: Polite..............

The offseason, camp and preseason are very important for Polite. Between now and the first game of the season he has an opportunity to demonstrate that he can be a professional who can be counted on.


[247sports.com]
Details emerge on why the Jets cut Jachai Polite
BySAM MARSDALE Sep 2, 2019


New details emerged Monday regarding the New York Jets decision to cut former Florida defensive end Jachai Polite. According to Maniish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Polite racked up about $100,000 in fines due to consistently late appearances at team meetings. That includes a meeting after the final preseason game in August.

“I think everything is factored in everything you do as a football player,” Gase said via the Daily News. “Every guy in the locker room knows they’re being evaluated in everything they do… especially when it comes training camp time, being locked in and making sure you’re doing the right things — meetings, on the field, walk-throughs. Everything is evaluated. Sometimes you don’t even realize you’re being evaluated. That’s the nature of our beast.”

Jets head coach Adam Gase suggested that undrafted rookie defensive tackle Kyle Phillips, a former Tennessee Volunteer, took Polite’s roster spot.


“We felt Kyle really earned his spot," Gase said. "That’s what we’re about. We’re about the guys that do it the way that we need it done. The best guys are going to make the team.”

Polite signed with the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad. He will have to prove to them, or another NFL team that he turned his act around, but it will not be easy. It is not often that teams give up on day two draft picks this quickly.

The signs Polite might struggle at the next level came soon after his decision to declare.

He struggled at the NFL Combine after putting on a bunch of weight to prove he could bulk up, injuring his hamstring and then turning in some interviews that left scouts wondering where his head was at. He compounded those issues with a relatively poor Pro Day.

[ftw.usatoday.com]
From ESPN:

When NFL types started digging into his background, they discovered concerning signs. Two scouts, representing two different teams, said they came away with questions about his work ethic, commitment and attention to detail. One scout described him as “bad news … arrogant … not a team player.” The other called him “a talented pass-rusher. He lived off that, but he fell for a reason — off-the-field stuff. He should’ve gone higher.” No arrests, they say, just a troubling pattern of behavior.

“Just immature stuff,” Polite admitted, not going into detail.

[www.nfl.com]
JACHAI POLITE

Prospect Info

COLLEGE
Florida

HOMETOWN
FL

CLASS
Junior


HEIGHT
6' 3"

WEIGHT
258 lbs

ARMS
32 5/8”

HANDS
9 3/4”

Prospect Grade
5.46

2019 Draft Results
DRAFTED BY

New York Jets
Round 3 ‧ Pick 4

Combine Results
u-unofficial

40 Yard Dash
4.84u SECONDS

Bench Press
--
REPS

Vertical Jump
32.0 INCHES


Player Bio
Jachai (pronounced juh-KYE) was an all-state pick his junior year at Daytona Beach's Mainland High School, and signed on with the Gators to stay only a couple hours' drive from home. He added weight as a freshman to get on the field, playing inside in 12 games (11 tackles, 3.5 for loss, two sacks). He played strong-side defensive end as a sophomore, starting 4 of 7 games played (22 tackles, 5.5 for loss, two sacks) before suffering a shoulder injury that ended his season. Despite starting just 5 of 13 games played in 2018, his ability to make plays in the backfield earned him second-team All-American honors from the Associated Press and second-team all-conference nod from SEC coaches. He led the Gators with 17.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks on the year (among his 45 total stops) and led the nation with six forced fumbles. Polite sat out the opening series of the team's first game after coaches said he "failed to meet the Gator standard."


Analysis
By Lance Zierlein
NFL Analyst
Draft Projection
Day 3 (Rounds 4-7)
NFL Comparison
Damontre Moore

Overview
Just one year of big-time production, but he's an instinctive rusher with natural feel for attacking the pocket. Polite's frightening speed to the edge on tape was missing in his pre-draft workouts as he showed up much heavier and with purported hamstring issues during all of his testing. The game tape shows an ability to rush the pocket with a fluid, diverse attack, but he might not have the grit necessary to play the run as a 3-4 outside linebacker on early downs. His troubling post-season that included bad combine interviews, bad workouts and additional weight around the midsection has substantially clouded his draft standing into the boom-or-bust category.

Strengths
Pass-rush attack is instinctive and diverse
Blazing get-off sets the table for success
Fluid movement with loose hips and fast feet
Bendy and flexible to flip his hips and trim the edge
Able to stack rush moves on top of each other to build momentum
Explosive burst to finish the quarterback
Deft transition from speed rush into long-arm stab counter
Spin move is lurking as unstoppable weapon with work
Intimidating closing burst in pursuit of the ball
Athletic ability to sink and shift directions to as tackler
Pursuit speed is impressive
Really fast when chasing the rock
Ability to slip blocks and access edge in run game
No fear in mixing it up at point of attack

Weaknesses
Dropped weight for added quickness but lost some strength
Needs to hit the weights and the steaks for NFL mass
Might need to begin career as designated rusher only
Ducks head into initial contact
Not a thumper when plugging pulling guards
Swallowed by tacklers with strong grips
Below-average strength to shed and tackle
Needs to add more pop in his hands
Drag-down tackler
Hands lack power to chop/swipe and deaden the edge
Struggles to fight through redirection at the turn
Scouts are concerned about maturity and character