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Jets WRs coach: Too early to call Stephen Hill a bust

The New York Jets aren't ready to give up on Stephen Hill.

The third-year wide receiver has struggled to find his way since the Jets made him a second-round pick in 2012. Inconsistency and troublesome knees have kept the former Georgia Tech star from developing into the playmaker the Jets thought they were getting.

Hill is at a crossroads. He could be the team's No. 2 receiver in Week 1 ... or not be on the roster at all. The stakes are that high, as he approaches his third training camp in Florham Park.

"It's a little early to label him as a bust," wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal told the New York Daily News. "When I think of bust, I don't think of him that way. I have seen players who are higher picks that were busts because of their own laziness. Those are busts."

"I have a hard time labeling a guy a bust when he's done everything in his power," Lal went on. "Luck in terms of injuries hasn't been on his side. Therefore, he hasn't produced consistently. And he's still only 23 years old."

Hill won't have a free pass onto the roster. The Jets drafted three receivers in May and Hill is one of 12 wideouts currently in the mix. Eric Decker, Jeremy Kerley and fourth-round picks Shaq Evans and Jalen Saunders are all locks to make the team.

That leaves Hill in a fight with the rest of the field for the two remaining spots. If he doesn't show growth this summer -- or his knees act up again -- the Jets will be tempted to cut cord and move on.

In the latest edition of the "Around The League Podcast," the guys debate the windows of Brady and Manning.

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