NFL

Jets rookie Milliner says he’s healthy and ready to earn his ‘paycheck’

CORTLAND – Dee Milliner has got his contract. Now, we’ll see when he’s ready for contact.

The Jets first-round pick arrived at training camp here yesterday to sign the four-year, $12.66 million contract he agreed to Sunday night, ending his week-long holdout. The cornerback from Alabama will start off practicing on a limited basis as a precautionary measure as the Jets monitor his recovery from shoulder surgery in March.

Milliner, who flew to New York from Alabama yesterday, passes his physical and said he’s ready to go.

“I’m 100 percent back,” Milliner said.

Milliner not only missed the beginning of training camp, but he also sat out of practice in the spring because of his shoulder. Even though he has yet to practice with the Jets, Milliner said he does not feel like he is behind.

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“I’ve seen the plays,” Milliner said. “ I’ve been watching and learning. I just haven’t been on the football field. It’s football. I know I’ll be fine. It’s just getting back to it and actually going out there and playing.”

The Jets are off today and then resume training camp tomorrow. Milliner said he hopes to be cleared for contact soon.

“I’m ready to get to work and earn my paycheck,” he said.

Milliner is undoubtedly going to draw comparisons to former Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis. The Jets shipped Revis to Tampa Bay four days before selecting Milliner with the ninth pick overall making it look like they were drafting Revis’ replacement.

“I hope when he plays [in games] there’s those comparisons,” coach Rex Ryan said. “I understand where people are coming from but Darrelle was a special player. We’ll see what kind of player Dee is. Dee Milliner is never going to be Darrelle Revis. He’s going to be Dee Milliner. I think that’s going to be good enough.”

The Jets and Milliner’s agent fought over contractual language and that is what kept him out of camp when the Jets rookies reported on July 22. Eventually, Jets general manager John Idzik won the negotiation. Milliner’s contract includes offset language, according to a source, meaning the Jets will recoup money if he is released and signs with another team. In return. Milliner will receive $5 million of his $7.588 million signing bonus on Aug. 15, according to a source.

Ryan and the Jets coaches are not concerned with Milliner’s checkbook, but his playbook. They have to get Milliner up to speed if he is going to start opposite Antonio Cromartie, as is expected.

“He picked it up real quick,” defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman said of Milliner’s classroom work in the spring. “A lot of terminology we use, Alabama uses, so he came in on tip of it, he seems to be a fairly smart guy. The biggest thing for him, the biggest transition or him is going to be the quickness of the game, the speed of the game, how quickly he can get himself acclimated will be is biggest challenge.”

Cromartie said he has studied Milliner’s game film from college and believes Milliner has a chance to be great, but he agreed with Ryan that is unfair to compare him to Revis.

“ He can’t be compared,” Cromartie said. “He’s got to make sure he doesn’t get caught up in trying to be compared to him. He’s his own man. Darrelle’s his own man. The only thing he has to do is just come in and be Dee Milliner. That’s all we’re asking him to do. We’re not asking him to come in and be Darrelle Revis. We’re asking him to come in and be Dee Milliner.”