Greg Salas has waited a long time to get a chance to break out in the league.
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When Jets wide receiver David Nelson went down in the second quarter of the Jets’ Week 4 loss to the Lions, it was Greg Salas who went into the game as the next player up. But as soon as the offense got off the field, Salas made a beeline for the trainer’s bench to find his injured teammate.
He spent a minute with Nelson, the Jets’ reliable veteran, who was getting examined by the medical staff. Nelson had hurt his left ankle and did not return to the game. Salas did not go over to pick his teammate’s brain about the Lions defense or ask for any advice. He simply wanted to see if Nelson was doing all right.
“It was good for me. I’ve had other games like this before in my career, but any game where you can step up and help the team, it’s a good thing,” Salas said. “You hope to build on it, you hope to do more and help the team. You always want a bigger role in that regard.”
Salas finished the game with two catches for 60 yards to lead the team, including a 32-yard catch on a ball he had to make an adjustment on.
“It was a little, tad bit behind me. It’s something we go over in practice — back-shoulder throws,” Salas said. “[I] just made an adjustment to it and kept running. It’s a will and a want — balance, knowing what to expect and what to look for. And running, it’s just a natural ability.”
Salas excelled in the slot during his college career at Hawaii, as he ended up being named an All-American his senior year. He was a fourth-round pick of the Rams in 2011 but one injury after another kept him off the field. Salas played a combined seven games during his first three years in the league.
When healthy, he has been productive. He registered multiple catches five times during the six games he played his rookie year. He had an eight-catch performance in Week 6 of the 2011 season against the Packers and then three weeks later he had seven receptions.
It seems that every time he registers a couple catches, there is a sense that he is primed for his breakout.
And he’s always been good with yards after catch, stretching the field after he gets the ball in his hands to get extra yards.
“You kind of get the feel of the body language,” Salas said about his YAC totals this year. “It’s something I feel I do well. Something I bring to the team and hope to continue bringing to the team.”
Follow Jets beat writer Kristian Dyer on Twitter @KristianRDyer.
