Westerman's one-track mind: Get the QB

Jamaal Westerman chuckled at Rex Ryan's moniker for him, smiling at the very thought his coach has tagged him with a three-letter job title.

Ryan calls Westerman a "DPR," which stands for Designated Pass Rusher.

"I think it's cool, man," Westerman said. "Rex loves doing something like that. It's cool. Now it's time for me to go out there and show what I can do, and keep playing hard. Not only in the pass rush, but as an outside linebacker as a whole."

Westerman's first crack at making "DPR" a well-known term among opposing quarterbacks comes Sunday, when the Jets host Tony Romo and the Cowboys in their prime-time season opener at MetLife Stadium. Now in his third season, the 6-3, 255-pound linebacker is involved in a variety of defensive packages, and should see plenty of time in passing situations.

He's being relied upon to get more pressure on the quarterback, something the Jets haven't done enough consistently -- most notably in late-game situations -- during the first two seasons in Ryan's complex scheme. He has the natural speed and athleticism to wreak some havoc in the backfield.

"I think that Westerman is ready," fellow outside linebacker Calvin Pace said. "Usually, the third year for everybody is kind of the turnaround year, to where you start seeing the game slow down a little bit and you can go in as a player and be productive."

Westerman didn't see a lot of time during his first two seasons, relegated mostly to special teams and playing sporadic minutes as a reserve on defense. He showed promise during his rookie season in 2009, when he recorded his lone career sack late in the Jets' season-opening victory over the Texans.

However, an ankle injury set him back early last season and he couldn't crack the rotation once he got healthy, playing in just six regular-season games before being activated for the Jets' three playoff games. With veteran Jason Taylor serving as the pass-rushing specialist, there wasn't much of a need for Westerman.

"Definitely, it was frustrating," Westerman said. "I got a little nicked up early and then you are out for a couple of games. It's hard to get back into the flow. I know we had J.T. and the guys were playing well, so it was kind of frustrating. But I kept working hard in practice, kept working hard whenever my number was called."

He's taking that same approach again, particularly on special teams. Westerman is making sure he's fully in tune with coordinator Mike Westhoff. "With Westhoff, you never know where you'll be -- kickoff, punt," Westerman said. "I'm just working on reading a little bit better, seeing a little bit better and firing your gun when it's time. Not kind of waiting for it, but going to get it . . . and keep Westhoff happy because when Westhoff is on you, it's going to be a rough day."