CORTLAND — The Jets are wasting no time in finding out whether Antonio Allen can play cornerback.
Allen was moved from safety to cornerback on Monday, and now he will start there in Saturday’s preseason game with the Bengals.
“What the heck? Let’s put him out there,” coach Rex Ryan said. “They have a pretty decent kid out there.”
A.J. Green is one of the best receivers in football, so Allen will have his hands full.
“If he can cover that kid, then he can cover them all,” Ryan said. “If he can cover that kid, then we know we’re in good shape because that guy’s about as good as it gets. I think our entire fan base would sleep a lot better.
“I don’t know if he can do that. I don’t know if anybody can. That would be a tough matchup, that’s for sure, for anybody.”
Allen got beat a few times in Tuesday’s practice, once by Eric Decker for a touchdown in a red-zone drill. The Jets moved Allen over to corner after losing starter Dee Milliner to a high left ankle sprain. They also are missing Dimitri Patterson, who has calf, ankle and quad injuries, and Dexter McDougle, who is out for the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee.
Allen said Ryan approached him on Monday about making the switch, and that was the first time he ever thought about playing corner.
“I’m up for the challenge,” Allen said. “I’ve been working out there in the 1-on-1s with the wide receivers, locking them up. I get beat every now and then, but for the most part, I do a good job with my eye placement, my feet. Once I get my hands on them, just play ball.”
The Jets and Bengals discussed having joint practices this week before they play Saturday, but those talks never resulted in anything. Ryan said it is something he would consider doing in the future, but the biggest issue is teams fighting.
Ryan said RB Chris Ivory will play Saturday. Ivory injured his ribs in last week’s game against the Colts and has been limited in practice. … Ryan said the plan for rookie safety Calvin Pryor is for him to play a lot of reps on Saturday. Pryor did not play against the Colts as he dealt with a concussion. Ryan said Pryor would see some time with the first team, but would also work with the second and third teams. … Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg on using Michael Vick in the wildcat: “I suspect looking forward there will be times where you may see a little bit [of it].”
Jets owner Woody Johnson accepted the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge presented to him by the Giants’ John Mara. Johnson posted a video to Instagram of him and his two sons dumping a bucket of ice water over their heads. He may not be the only member of the Jets taking the challenge. The Patriots did the challenge on Tuesday, and owner Robert Kraft challenged the Jets, Bills and Dolphins to do the same. … The Jets signed CB LeQuan Lewis and released LB Tim Fugger.