Off Topic » Desmond King is showing signs of developing into a complete

COSTA MESA http://www.lionscheapstore.com/jahlani-tavai-jersey-cheap , Calif. (AP) — The second-year cornerback, who was used mainly as a blitzer last season, is being used more in man coverage while also getting some opportunities on special teams as a returner.King has three interceptions in the Chargers’ past three games. He is the AFC’s defensive player of the week after returning an interception 42 yards for a touchdown in last Sunday’s 25-17 win at Seattle . It is the second straight year that King has had a pick-six (he had a 90-yard interception for a TD last season at Dallas).He is one of eight players in the conference with three picks as the Chargers (6-2) travel to Oakland on Sunday looking to extend their five-game winning streak.“He doesn’t have the height, the weight, the speed and all that, but if you look at Desmond he’s always been a very productive player and that’s not going to change when you get to the NFL. It’s just a pattern of success,” Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said.King won the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the nation’s top corner, when he was a junior at Iowa in 2015. He returned for his senior season but wasn’t drafted until the fifth round last year.King has lined up as a slot corner the past two seasons, but he has improved this year in man coverage. He said he hardly played that at Iowa due to the scheme but that it is something he worked on during the offseason.“I feel like I am doing a pretty good job with that this year,” King said. “It’s not that much harder than transitioning from a zone team.”Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley has noted that King has always been a physical player who can tackle in space Will Harris Jersey , but that his comfort level with the defense has grown, which has allowed him to be more consistent.“He’s anticipating and he’s making plays. There’s a couple plays that took place (against Seattle) that it wasn’t really his responsibility, but he identified it and played a pass and eliminated a big play for us,” Bradley said.King was used plenty as a blitzer last season and he had four sacks. First-round pick Derwin James is being used as a blitzer this season but Bradley said he might still use King in that role during the second half of the season.King has also been used more on punt returns due to wide receiver Travis Benjamin being injured for most of the season. Lynn said this week that with Benjamin finally healthy, he is planning on using both players.With last week’s score, King joined Roy Williams as the only defensive backs in NFL history to have at least four sacks and two INTs for TDs their first two years. He also doesn’t mind being challenged covering opposing teams’ slot receivers.“I feel like playing inside is harder than playing outside. A lot of people say you need size and speed to play outside but anyone can play it,” King said. “As long as we are having success, have your cover guys cover and have your blitzers blitz.” FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Adam Gase spent most of his nearly 15-minute news conference batting down reports and rumors, while trying to set the record straight.The New York Jets coach has been the focus of lots of conversation — most of it not good — on sports talk radio, television and social media since the team fired general manager Mike Maccagnan last Wednesday. The widespread belief is that Gase had something to do with how everything went down http://www.lionscheapstore.com/austin-bryant-jersey-cheap , that he “backstabbed” Maccagnan and forced team chairman and CEO Christopher Johnson to make a change.“That would be false,” Gase insisted Thursday during his first news conference since Maccagnan was fired. “That’s just not true. Christopher made the decision.”On Monday, Gase took one question about the situation from reporters at the team’s facility and said there was no power struggle between him and Maccagnan. Gase acknowledged Thursday that the two didn’t always see eye to eye, but nothing unlike other NFL teams’ coaches and GMs.“The majority of the time, me and Mike were always on the same page,” Gase said. “You have disagreements. There are always going to be disagreements in this profession, as far as philosophy, what you want to do player personnel-wise, but at the end of the day he had the final decision. That was his right.”Gase was then asked if he expressed to Johnson at any point that he couldn’t work with Maccagnan.“No,” Gase said flatly.One of the rumored sources of tension between the two was the Jets giving running back Le’Veon Bell a four-year, $52.5 million deal in free agency. According to some published reports http://www.packerscheapstore.com/rashan-gary-jersey-cheap , Gase didn’t want Bell; others said Gase was not happy about paying that much money for the former Steelers star.“The contract was what it was,” Gase said. “I mean, everybody can criticize contracts all you want, but he’s here, I’m excited he’s here, I think our players are excited he’s here and our coaches are. When you get a chance to coach a great player, a guy who has done things that no one has ever done in the league, like him we’re excited about that opportunity. I’m excited to get him in the offense, so I can start figuring out what else can we do with him. What hasn’t he done? What can he be great at in this system?”Gase also insisted he did not think the Jets overpaid for Bell, who has not attended the team’s voluntary workouts this offseason. He is expected to re-join his new teammates for mandatory minicamp next week.“Discussions are had and whether or not we disagreed on anything if it was financially, that’s a completely different story than the person or the player Darnell Savage Jr. Jersey ,” Gase said. “And that’s where a lot of this gets misconstrued. Le’Veon Bell is a great player, he’s a good person, he’s been in constant contact with me. I enjoyed my interaction with him when he was here, when he came up to visit for his physical and we signed him, when he was here for the beginning of Phase I. He texts me all the time. All that stuff on Instagram, I get it first. That’s how I know what he’s doing. He’s been great with me as far as contact goes, making sure that I know what he’s doing, where he’s working out at, where he is — whatever part of the United States he’s working out in.”There was a recent report that the Jets could even consider trying to trade Bell to get out of the big contract.“That’s ridiculous,” Gase said, shaking his head. “That’s the first time I’ve heard of that.”Gase is serving as the acting general manager while the Jets begin the process of hiring a new one http://www.packerscheapstore.com/elgton-jenkins-jersey-cheap , with the coach characterizing it as being in the “beginning stages.”Johnson said last week that Gase will assist in the search, but Gase reiterated that it will be the owner’s decision. Some have speculated that the incoming GM will likely have previous working ties with Gase, and the coach will have heavy influence on that new hire’s decision making.“I don’t know,” Gase said. “I don’t really hang out with ‘yes men,’ so if it’s somebody I already know, it’s probably somebody that’s not going to be a ‘yes man.'”Gase was also asked if he thinks he needs to establish a line of trust with the fans who might be wary about how things have unfolded with him during the past few weeks.“I think our fans care whether we win or lose,” he said. “If we win games, nobody’s going to remember this. I know that. … Our job is to win — that’s it.”NOTES: First-round pick DL Quinnen Williams (calf) was not practicing for precautionary reasons. … CB Trumaine Johnson was not present during the voluntary practice.