Dion Jordan stuck in the middle of nowhere

Written by Matthew Cannata | Twitter: @PhinManiacs
Dion Jordan is in a tough place right now as his inevitable fate of being away from the team and facility for four weeks is on the horizon. Jordan, who has made strides since last year, is trying to find that balance between getting all the work he needs in preseason and making sure he's done enough to be ready to go as soon as his suspension ends.

"I'm at the point right now all I have is the few weeks before the regular season begins," he said, "so I've got to maximize my opportunities right now before my sanctions come into play."

Following the first game against the Atlanta Falcons, many fans and media called for him to switch to linebacker. In fact, a fan even started a petition to get him to move. Defensive Coordinator Kevin Coyle disagrees with those critics.

"I thought he did a solid job," defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle said. "I think we can get more out of him in the pass rush. That was something I think we felt with all the guys."

Head Coach Joe Philbin explained why they haven't given him reps at the linebacker position.

"One of the things we've wanted him to practice on a continual basis is pass rush and get off and operating from, sometimes the three-point [stance] or sometimes the two-point [stance], but rushing the passer," Philbin said. "So if we're going to rep him and give him an opportunity to compete as a linebacker, you're taking him out of that element a little bit in his practice time."

For Jordan's part, he said he is more comfortable this year and he'll be ready to go as soon as he's allowed to be back with the team.

"To keep it honest, I don't feel any pressure," Jordan said. "I feel pressure is something that you feel when you don't know what you're doing, and I understand what I'm doing, I understand my situation, I know why they've got me here. And I'm just going to go out and keep on doing what I've been doing since OTAs and what's going on right now in training camp, and when I'm back, roll on into the rest of the season."

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