FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets sent a message to Calvin Pryor last month by drafting two safeties. On Tuesday, Pryor may have delivered a return message.
He didn't show up for the first day of OTA practices.
There was no immediate word on why Pryor decided to skip opening day -- technically, the sessions are voluntary -- but he didn't cast himself in a flattering light.
Coach Todd Bowles didn't want to discuss Pryor's absence, refusing to shed any light on the matter.
"It's voluntary," he said. "They don't have to tell me anything."
No, they don't, but players often send word to their coach if they can't make it due to a conflict or a personal reason. Bowles made it seem like he hadn't heard anything from Pryor, a former first-round pick whose value has plummeted.
Six days ago, Pryor posted a message on Instagram that said, "They thinking it's over for me. ... s---, really just getting started."
It's not clear who he meant by "they." Perhaps it was the Jets, who tried to trade Pryor during the draft. They picked Jamal Adams in the first round, a well-received move. In fact, Pryor congratulated Adams on Twitter. On Day 2, they stunned everybody by picking another safety, Marcus Maye, whom they gave a "super high grade," defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers said Tuesday.
There was no congratulatory tweet by Pryor.
Then, a couple of days later, the Jets declined to exercise the fifth-year option in Pryor's rookie contract, meaning he's a free agent after the season. Clearly, he's not part of their long-term plans. The question is whether he's a short-term fit. If they can't find a trade partner, they could release him before the start of the season. They'd have to eat his $1.6 million base salary, which is guaranteed but hardly prohibitive.
In practice, Adams, Maye and holdover Rontez Miles worked in a three-safety rotation, with Adams and Maye getting plenty of reps together. They're the safety tandem of the future and, quite possibly, the present.
The big question is whether Pryor will be part of the present, too.