NFL Notes: Sam Darnold, Jets, Titans

Sam Darnold

USC QB Sam Darnold has been working with Jordan Palmer to shorten his throwing motion for the upcoming season.

“His circle is, when your hands come apart, the ball comes down a little bit, and then it starts to come back up and then it goes all the way up behind your head and it goes forward when you throw,” Palmer said, via Joey Kaufman of the Orange County Register. “Right now, Sam’s circle is bigger than it needs to be.

“I’m not overhauling or changing anything,” Palmer added. “I’m just trying to help him make something more efficient.”

Darnold is considered to be one of the top quarterback prospects in the country, but fine-tuning his throwing motion could go long ways toward ensuring he’s one of the first players selected in next year’s draft.

“I’ve done it before,” Darnold said, “to create muscle memory to do things or not to do things. I think if I can just continue to work on it, it’ll improve, you know?”

Jets

• Brian Costello of the New York Post writes that Jets CB Buster Skrine can’t afford a repeat of last season.
• The Jets have Skrine in line to be their No. 2 cornerback right now, but Costello says that second-year CB Juston Burris is gaining on him and could possibly take over his role this summer.
• Skrine is currently int he third-year of his four-year, $25 million contract and stands to make a base salary of $6 million in 2017.

Titans

• Jim Wyatt mentions that first-round CB Adoree’ Jackson reminds him a lot of Pacman Jones from an athletic standpoint.
• Wyatt believes third-round WR Taywan Taylor looks like a perfect fit in the slot for the Titans’ offense and has already he’s gained the trust of the quarterbacks.
• According to Wyatt, third-round TE Jonnu Smith has lived up to his reputation as a natural catcher of the football and worked at a number of positions during offseason workouts.